Accessible, affordable, and free: Students voice their power on Legislative Advocacy Day
Accessible, affordable, and free—these were the key themes championed by the Washington Community and Technical College Students Association (WACTSA) during the 2025 Legislative Advocacy Day in Olympia, Wash.
Working to address the needs and concerns of two-year college students, The Washington Community and Technical College Student Association, which includes Highline College as a member, is a coalition of student governments from across the state who work to advocate with a collective voice.
The 57th “Arcturus”: Artists wanted, AI policy change, and the accolades
The “Arcturus”, a student published literary magazine, put out their calls last week for the 2025 edition, opening the doors for writers, poets, visual artists, and creators to submit their works for this year’s publication, the 57th edition of the award-winning literary magazine.
Instructor Jamie Wilson invites everyone on campus, whether student, staff, faculty, and alumni to share fiction or nonfiction stories, poems, and visual art in “an award winning journal that celebrates the diverse voices and talents of our Highline community.”
Kendrick Lamar stuns America during Super Bowl halftime performance
Winning five Grammys over a diss track about Drake and performing a star studding halftime performance at the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans in the same week? No other artist than Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar could pull it off.
The show starts with viewers seeing the stage set up as a Playstation controller. “Salutations!” exclaimed Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam. Fans of Lamar may recognize Uncle Sam as one of the main characters of his 2015 hit album, “To Pimp a Butterfly”.
Trump plans to expand Guantanamo Bay’s migrant detention facilities
President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 migrants. Multiplying the current capacity of less than 200 by a factor of over 150. With ICE setting up tents to prepare for the incoming wave of migrants, Trump and his administration are moving fast to enact this unprecedented move.
Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, also known as GITMO, is one of the most infamous places in modern American history. A military prison located in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, the place was opened in 2002 to hold prisoners of war during the War on Terror. Since then it has been home to countless human rights violations.
Campus

Accessible, affordable, and free—these were the key themes championed by the Washington Community and Technical College Students Association (WACTSA) during the 2025 Legislative Advocacy Day in Olympia, Wash.
Working to address the needs and concerns of two-year college students, The Washington Community and Technical College Student Association, which includes Highline College as a member, is a coalition of student governments from across the state who work to advocate with a collective voice.

The “Arcturus”, a student published literary magazine, put out their calls last week for the 2025 edition, opening the doors for writers, poets, visual artists, and creators to submit their works for this year’s publication, the 57th edition of the award-winning literary magazine.
Instructor Jamie Wilson invites everyone on campus, whether student, staff, faculty, and alumni to share fiction or nonfiction stories, poems, and visual art in “an award winning journal that celebrates the diverse voices and talents of our Highline community.”

Over the past week, many schools have closed their doors due to snowy weather conditions.
Most of the schools in the area, such as our very own Highline College, Green River Community College, and Pacific Lutheran University, experienced delays throughout the week as a result of the snow, with cancelled classes or classes starting around two or more hours later than usual.

The combination of full time work and study is a reality for so many students, and maintaining performance can seem impossible. Some may think that you’ve got to choose between self-care and success, but the science may show something more promising: perhaps prioritizing mental health is the secret of mastering work and study.
Self-care has become a somewhat ubiquitous term, often vaguely referring to face masks and spa treatments, but actually applying it highlights the secret weapon that every student should already have in their arsenal: time management.

Tuesday afternoon, the campus was shocked to hear of the departure of Dr. Emily Lardner. Dr. Lardner has been with the Highline since 2019, rising to the office of Vice President of Academic Affairs.
A staff-wide email was sent to all Highline faculty from Highline’s president, Dr. John Mosby alerting us to the news that Dr. Lardner was no longer with the college, and Liz Word, Dean of Academic Pathways and Student Learning Resources, would be stepping up as acting Vice President until the interim Vice President can begin. More information will be forthcoming.

To celebrate Tết, the Vietnamese Student Association (VSA) and Global Student Ambassadors (GSA) hosted an event where you could enjoy delicious Vietnamese food, play fun games and activities with your friends, get mystery gifts, and take fun pictures in a photo booth.
Tết is the commonly used name of the Vietnamese New Year but it originally came from Tết Nguyên Đán, which means “Festival of the First Morning of the First Day.” Tết has also been called the Spring Festival or Lunar New Year.
Community

President Donald Trump has announced plans to expand the detention facilities at Guantanamo Bay to hold up to 30,000 migrants. Multiplying the current capacity of less than 200 by a factor of over 150. With ICE setting up tents to prepare for the incoming wave of migrants, Trump and his administration are moving fast to enact this unprecedented move.
Guantanamo Bay Detention Center, also known as GITMO, is one of the most infamous places in modern American history. A military prison located in Guantanamo Bay Cuba, the place was opened in 2002 to hold prisoners of war during the War on Terror. Since then it has been home to countless human rights violations.

White Day, celebrated on March 14, is a holiday in several Asian countries where men give gifts to women in return for the chocolates or presents they received on Valentine’s Day. This tradition is common in Vietnam, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, and China.
The origins of White Day trace back to Japan in 1978 when the National Confectionery Industry Association launched it as a marketing campaign to promote sweets.

President Trump started off his second term by signing a slew of executive orders, including one attempting to revoke birthright citizenship for children born in the U.S. to parents with unlawful or even temporary status.
The public response has ranged from nationwide protests to preliminary injunctions against the order.

On a day marked by shifting skies in Seattle, voices rose in unison against the policies of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), echoing the rallying cry, “Families belong together.” The morning had greeted the city with snowfall, but by the time the protest began, the sun had broken through, casting a sharp light on the determined crowd gathered in solidarity.
Despite the earlier snow, the streets of Alki remained clear, with no snow on the ground—a striking contrast to the wintry backdrop seen elsewhere in the city. As a journalist, I rode King County Metro’s #50 bus, arriving at the protest around 2:38 p.m., ready to capture the spirit of the day through photos and videos.

After 15 months of horrendous fighting in the Gaza strip, Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire agreement just days before the second Trump administration.
The cease fire began on Sunday, Jan. 20 and phase one is projected to last six weeks. The pause in fighting is meant to allow Palestinians to return to their homes in Gaza and for humanitarian aid to be flooded into the region.

Since returning to office, Donald Trump has taken several controversial actions that have attracted public attention.
These actions include mass deportation efforts, attempting to end birthright citizenship, imposing tariffs that strained relations with Colombia, withdrawing the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement again, and rolling back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs.
Sports

The Philadelphia Eagles got their revenge on Sunday for their Super Bowl loss two years back, dismantling the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 for their second Super Bowl title in franchise history.
The game was not as close the final score may suggest. By the time the first half concluded, the Eagles had 24 points scored while the Chiefs had 23 total offensive yards, for 0 points. By the third quarter the Eagles commanded a 34-0 lead, the largest lead in the Super Bowl since the Seahawks led the Broncos 36-0 in 2014.

As the 2024-25 NWAC women’s tennis season approaches, Highline College is focused on building upon last year’s success and making a strong bid for the championship. The Thunderbirds finished the 2023-24 season with an 8-8 overall record and a perfect 6-0 conference mark, but fell just short in the NWAC Championship final against Spokane.
With having the largest team in program history, and a mix of returning standouts and promising newcomers, the team is determined to reclaim the NWAC title.

As Highline’s men’s basketball team gets into the groove of winter quarter, they continue to add to the excitement of their 2025 season. They have found themselves in nail-biter matchups that keep fans coming back for more.
On Wednesday Jan. 29, the Thunderbirds hosted an electric NWAC conference matchup versus Tacoma Community College.

The Highline College women’s basketball team has seen highs and lows in their latest outings. The team delivered a commanding performance to defeat Tacoma 67-43 on Jan. 29 before falling 63-56 to Green River on Feb. 5.
Against Tacoma, Highline took control from the start, leading 13-9 in the first quarter and extending their lead with a 14-4 second quarter. They outscored Tacoma 24-21 in the fourth quarter to seal the win.

Though Highline’s women’s basketball team has struggled in the beginning of the season, they have found a way to win in conference matchups.
Currently sitting with a 3-11 overall record, two of the team’s wins have come from NWAC conference matches.

Universal Dance Association (UDA) dance nationals is the largest college dance showcase in the dance world and on Jan. 17-19 colleges and universities from all around the country competed in the 2025 UDA dance nationals in Orlando, Fla.
Qualifying universities and colleges compete in three categories: pom, jazz, and hip hop. They are then categorized by the size of school and NCAA status (D1A, D1, and open).
Arts

Winning five Grammys over a diss track about Drake and performing a star studding halftime performance at the 2025 Super Bowl in New Orleans in the same week? No other artist than Pulitzer Prize winner Kendrick Lamar could pull it off.
The show starts with viewers seeing the stage set up as a Playstation controller. “Salutations!” exclaimed Samuel L. Jackson dressed as Uncle Sam. Fans of Lamar may recognize Uncle Sam as one of the main characters of his 2015 hit album, “To Pimp a Butterfly”.

The Grammys kicked off last week with multiple performances from renowned artists, many of which went home making history in the process.
After so many years Beyoncé was finally able to win the most prestigious Album of the Year along with Best Country Album with her “Cowboy Carter”. Beyoncé came into the Grammys with the most nominations for her albums. She is the most nominated artist in Grammy history with 99 throughout her career.

As one of the most expensive holidays next to Christmas and New Years, Valentine’s Day grosses about $27.5 billion nationally per year. From $20 bouquets at the grocery store, to $30 chocolates, and of course all of the pressure to make the day romantic, or to find a partner, Valentine’s Day can be overwhelming.
If you aren’t feeling the love this year, or you and your partner simply aren’t into the classic “mushy” Valentine’s Day movies and want some different options, or if you’re single and want to be festive without having to watch the classics, compiled below is a list of movies from horror and thriller, to revenge and comedy, for you to binge.

“Spiritfarer” is one game that pops up every few years seemingly unnoticed due to its arguably niche concept.
However, the game’s core message and tragically beautiful story is so well done, that it’s disappointing how few people know of it. That is where this article comes in.

The next installment in our sequence of reviews shines light on the second (of three books) in the ever popular “Empyrean Series” by Rebecca Yarros. “Iron Flame” dives deeper into the story created in the first book of the series “Fourth Wing” as we see the rebellion take form as the war continues to get more dangerous and brings in some new fighters.
There are no lack of jaw dropping moments in this book. It is a rollercoaster of emotions, you might cry, you might laugh, possibly even both at the same time, but the plot twist at the end – which shall NOT be spoiled – that includes Barlowe and Riorson, will stun you.

At its core, Gundam is a grounded anti-war drama meant to showcase the horrid truths behind warfare. Civilians die tragically, characters lose people they care about left and right, all because the leaders of Zeon are obsessed with destroying Earth so they can be the premier superpower.
Gundam is a famous series that began in 1979 that follows a young boy named Amuro Ray. Thrust into a war beyond his comprehension, 15 year old Amuro is forced to fight to survive after his home is attacked by a nation of space colonists known as Zeon. Yes, you saw that right. The main character is only 15, and he’s not even the youngest protagonist in Gundam history.
Science & Technology

Consumers across the United States are experiencing an egg shortage, raising prices beyond what many households can manage. This problem has been chiefly based on the severe outbreak of avian influenza which has reduced egg production, causing supply chain disruptions and rising feed costs.
Reports indicate that “the current outbreak has affected more than 30 million birds across 25 states,” leading to the culling of millions of hens to prevent the spread of the virus. As a result, egg supplies have declined, and prices have increased.

Snow, rain, wind, and sun, all within an hour is enough to give the squirrels whiplash. However, there are clear scientific reasons behind these rapid changes.
Snowfall is one of the most unpredictable aspects of winter weather. One night, heavy snow blankets the ground, only for it to melt the next day, followed by another round of fresh snowfall. This constant fluctuation can be frustrating for those hoping for a stable winter landscape, especially in the Seattle area.

La Niña, a complex climate pattern in the Pacific Ocean, interrupts normal weather patterns across the globe, and the Pacific Northwest is no exception.
La Niña came through the PNW late winter of last year and Washingtonians felt the impact of devastating winds and dangerous debris. In the months since, multiple news outlets have reported on the widespread damage to people and their homes, recounting the stress those affected have been put under.
News Briefs

Fireside Bistro, the hit spot in Building 8 for all things warm and cozy to fresh and sweet, recently announced on their social media that they are hiring a barista for the spring quarter.
This student position involves collaborating with other workers to prepare drinks and food, as well as maintaining a clean and welcoming environment for all Thunderbirds. The Bistro can easily become one of the busiest spots to eat on campus, so applicants should be comfortable in a quick-paced environment and should take on any task.
Opinion

Animation is a long and storied medium of art with a fanbase that grows ever larger. From the legendary “Chowder” and the “Marvelous Misadventures of Flapjack”, to the newer yet already beloved “Owl House” and “Amphibia”, animation has touched the hearts of many. So why do they get so little respect?
Unfortunately, executives see animation as one thing only, cartoons made for kids.

Us humans love animals. We cherish them for their importance to our world and the joy they bring to their lives. We understand their lives to be as fragile as ours and seek to protect them when possible. However, it seems when a vegan shows a deep care for animal life, our view on animal rights seems to shift in some weird and ugly ways.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is a non profit animal rights organization that has become one of the most controversial activist groups today. Having been around since 1980, PETA has done a lot of advocacy for animal rights and have racked up quite a repertoire of controversies that people use as reasons for their dislike of PETA.

The long-fought war between dog and cat lovers is still ongoing. Dog people claim dogs as “man’s best friend”, while cat lovers claim loving cats requires a certain appreciation for individual autonomy. While these paradigms are a couple ways to look at the issue, there is also the extroverted dog versus introverted cat debate. Regardless, all animal lovers can agree that animals improve our lives.
According to Forbes, 66% of households own pets, and of those 66%, 46.5 million households have cats. While dogs beat them out for the majority, 46.5 million is no small number.