Fatoumata Diallo had to work to fit in.

She found herself in a new country, with a new language, and her reception wasn’t always welcoming.

But she stuck with it, and now has her sights set on a career in medicine.

Khoung Ngyuen came to the United States to find a better life. Now he wants to help others do the same.

Ngyuen was born in Vietnam, and eventually came to the U.S.

“To me Vietnam was fine, it’s where I grew up. The culture shaped me. I wouldn’t like to complain about it, there’s always good and bad things, but they are both a part of me,” he said. “Love the place, love the food.”

Samunique Wilson just can’t stop caring. At Highline she’s finding a way to do that and make a living.

Wilson is a mom of four, having newly adopted her 3-year-old niece into her family. Wilson is also the primary caregiver for her grandfather.

Before coming to Highline, Wilson was working in the medical field as a dialysis technician.

Being a mother is hard. Being a student is hard. Having both in your hands is hard to juggle, and Mirian Mencias (MJ) was able to do it all.

Mencias has been at Highline for two and a half years, completing her GED and her associate of arts degree.

She plans to major in political science at the University of Washington.

As a mother of five, she has faced many struggles starting college.Being a mother is hard. Being a student is hard. Having both in your hands is hard to juggle, and Mirian Mencias (MJ) was able to do it all.

Mencias has been at Highline for two and a half years, completing her GED and her associate of arts degree.

She plans to major in political science at the University of Washington.

As a mother of five, she has faced many struggles starting college.

Starting college was hard for Leslie Phin.

But in taking on the challenge of college, she discovered a passion for helping others also have success.

Phin entered Highline in Fall 2020 as a first-generation student during the height of COVID. Now she graduates in Summer 2022 with an associate’s degree in social sciences and years of experience in various Highline programs.

Highline wants students to fill out a survey about equity and the college’s mission.

The Equity First Strategic Planning Team is improving Highline’s mission, vision, and values statement.

The team currently has ideas but wants students to add what they think is missing.

Highline Benefits Hub is offering a scholarship.

The partnership of United Way of King County and contributions from the Nordstrom Family have a scholarship that provides basic needs for students.

Twenty students across 10 colleges will receive up to $5,000 per year for their basic needs (not academic costs).

Highline’s Running Start students can receive funding for Summer Quarter classes.

Highline is offering up to 15 college credits to new and current Running Start students, along with those who are interested in enrolling in professional-technical classes.

The funding will cover all tuition as well as textbooks, fees, and supplies if the student is enrolling in professional-technical classes.

Highline is offering programs that greatly coincide with projected growing demand in a couple of job markets.

The U.S. Department of Labor Statistics has projected that total employment will grow 7.7 percent between 2020 and 2030 in the United States. This growth is being attributed partially to recovery from Covid.

Tuition is due June 13 for Summer Quarter.

You may pay all your tuition by the due date, but Highline also offers other options for payment.

Students may use third-party payment called Nelnet, and you can also pay with a third-party voucher, such as SEIU, Boeing, DSHS/DVR.

Academic Success Centers at Highline will continue to be open for students in the Summer
Quarter.

For the current quarter, the Academic Success Centers will be open until Wednesday, June 15. Tutoring at the center is provided either in person or online.

For the Summer Quarter, the tutoring center will reopen on Wednesday, June 29.

Highline students can now vote for next year’s 2022-2023 new student government vice president online or in-person.

For this election only one candidate is running, Mahad Dahir.
Dahir said he was diagnosed with autism at a young age and being a candidate for the student government will be his way of being a voice and leader for those with disabilities. He also said he wants to contribute to the diversity, leadership, resources, and being a voice for students at Highline.

Four Highline golfers aimed for season bests, but played below expectations at the championships.

Last weekend in Yakima, the Bellevue Lady Bulldogs claimed the NWAC team title with an overall score of 478.

Highline will observe Memorial Day with the laying of a wreath at the Veterans Memorial Plaza near Building 6 on Thursday, May 26, at 11 a.m.

To honor veterans, Highline President Dr. John Mosby and college fiscal technician Darryl Stratford will lay the wreath as part of the Memorial Day observance. Dr. Mosby is the son of a U.S. Navy veteran and Stratford is a U.S. Army veteran.

Highline Public Safety is urging people on campus to not leave valuables in their cars.

Car prowling and crime in the parking lots on campus has increased in recent weeks.
Your car is most vulnerable when valuables, like wallets or purses, are in plain sight, officials said.

Explore the nanoverse and outer space at presentations by Highline’s STEM Community partners at an event next week.

Microsoft and Blue Origin, the Kent-based rocket development firm, will provide information about their organizations, along with discussing the opportunities they provide.

There will be informational tables set up and representatives available to answer questions.

The Thunderword, Highline’s weekly student newspaper, has several openings for Fall Quarter.

The Inter-Cultural Center and Global Student Ambassadors are holding a Zoom meeting about war and peace in the world.

This meeting will be Thursday, March 26 from noon to 1:30 p.m.

Four Highline golfers are listed as having qualified for the NWAC women’s championships this weekend.

The championship will be held on May 22-23 in Yakima at the Apple Tree Golf Course. The top five women’s teams and 36 golfers will be swinging for a shot at the 2022 title.

Ashlynn Verhaaren, Faylisa Valle, Paige Unke and Brooklyn Grant will represent Highline in the individual bracket.

Highline has resumed intramurals for all students, faculty and staff to have fun playing ball.

The intramurals take place on Wednesday and Thursday from 1 p.m. to 2 p.m. at the Highline Pavilion.

For over two years now, Highline intramurals have not occurred due to the pandemic. Intramurals resumed in late April.

Those who attend have a variety of sports they can choose to play, said intramurals co-supervisor, Steve Turcotte.

Ella Kuchmiy wanted to go out and help people. Now she’s on the front lines of an international crisis.

Dr. Kuchmiy is a former Highline student, serving as a physician in Ukraine amid the Russian invasion.

“I went to Ukraine on a disaster relief medical mission trip with In His Image International and Heartbeat Mission. Our first team went to aid and to see the need to be able to provide the most needed care for those living through difficult and surreal circumstances currently,” she said.

Highline students must submit their summer financial aid request form, documents, and other information requested before June 26, 2022.

The summer financial aid request form has been available since May 12, but the financial aid office urges students to submit it as soon as possible as the aid given to every student is limited. Students must register for summer classes before submitting their request form, if not, students will be denied aid, according to the financial aid office.

Do you want to play some ping pong? Highline is hosting a ping pong tournament next week for the college’s 60th Anniversary.

All students are allowed to play, but there will be a registration fee of $20.

If you don’t want to play, you can sponsor a student for $20, or sponsor four students for $80.

To make it more interesting, more than just students are playing.

Highline women’s golf is sixth in the NWAC standings after a third-place finish last weekend and three T-Birds are headed to championships.

Highline placed third among four teams in the Southwestern Oregon Invitational in Bandon, Ore. Originally, five teams were scheduled to compete. Columbia Basin’s entire team withdrew due to transportation issues, leaving only four schools and 21 players participating.

Highline’s Global Community Initiative is looking for next year’s theme and you get to vote for it.

There are three topics to choose from: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions; Reducing Inequality; and Climate Action.

These topics are drawn from the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). All three represent problems in the world that connect with Highline.

Highline students who only do classes online/virtual aren’t required to fill out vaccine attestations or exemptions with the new COVID 19 requirement.

Josh Gerstman, the vice president of Institutional Advancement, said rising vaccination rates in the county prompted the change.

“We’ve learned more than 85 percent of King County residents are now fully vaccinated, including more than 77 percent of the population ages 18-34 years,” he said.

Three Lady T-Birds have qualified for the NWAC golf championships after last weekend’s results.

Highline placed sixth among seven teams in the Centralia Invitational last weekend with a total score of 756 (+95).

Highline teed off a new program record in the first nine holes of the tournament. The Thunderbirds collectively went 15 over par in the first 9 holes in the first round.

The Lady T-Birds tennis team stumbled against the big kids before beating up on someone their own size in last weekend’s competition.

Highline fell 6-1 to a very respectable NAIA team, Lewis & Clark State College, last Friday.
The Pioneers picked up two doubles wins and four out of five singles victories over the Thunderbirds. Celeste Parker tallied the sole win for Highline in singles competition, 6-4, 6-4.

Despite the team loss, Highline continues to level up in play every time they face four-year schools.

“Athletically, it was our best match of the season and we competed well on every court. Celeste Parker was even able to pull off a win at No. 2 singles against a very tough opponent who also happens to be an alum of our program, Lexi Maison,” said Highline Head Coach Laura Rosa.

For students graduating this year, there’s an opportunity to be a student speaker at a virtual ceremony.

The Associated Students of Highline College (ASHC) said they’re looking for students who will give an influential speech at this ceremony representing as the student commencement speaker.

Not only that, there are two other opportunities for speakers in this ceremony.

Highline women’s golf placed sixth in the Bellevue Invitational and are swinging for a spot at the championships next month.

At the Bellevue Course, Highline recorded a team score of 560 (+134). Thunderbird Faylisa Valle finished the highest for the T-Birds in 23rd place with a total score of 178 (+36). Not far behind was Ashlynn Verhaaren who placed 25th with 179 (+37).

Highline Head Coach Steve Turcotte said the women’s putting and short game is still a work in progress. However, he said he has seen a notable improvement in players’ shots over the two-day tournament.

Highline’s Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence Planning Committee will be hosting its 25th Annual Unity through Diversity event next week via Zoom on April 25-29.
Unity through Diversity Week will feature learning activities, events, and programs for participants to explore the diversity of race, gender, religion, class, sexual orientation, and ability. It will be centered around this year’s theme: Lean on Me: Embracing Humanity as a Radical Act of Resistance.
“This week invites students, staff, faculty, and community members in for community conversations as they relate to our theme. All are welcome,” said Chairperson Edwina Fui. Fui is interim director for Highline’s Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence.

The Highline women’s tennis team kept their NWAC conference record unblemished with a win over Treasure Valley last week.

The team travels east this weekend to play two teams before closing the regular season at home.

In Ontario, Ore., it took the Thunderbirds a couple games to acclimate to outdoor competition at the Treasure Valley courts. The recent weather hasn’t allowed the team to have much outdoor court time, said Head Coach Laura Rosa.

Highline women’s golf finished sixth at the Grays Harbor Invitational.

The Lady T-Birds compete in the NWAC League match-up next week.

At the Grays Harbor County Club, seven NWAC teams including Highline competed despite the unfortunate weather. They faced wind, rain throughout and even snow on the second day of the tournament. Playing in the cold is difficult, but there is no choice, said Highline Head Coach Steve Turcotte.

Highline Public Safety is holding a cleanup next week to spread awareness of crime prevention on April 28.

Students, staff and faculty are welcome to participate in this cleanup, and all supplies will be provided by Highline.

“The goal of the cleanup is to bring awareness to Public Safety crime prevention programs such as safety escorts, safety plans and classroom presentations,” the director of Public Safety and Emergency Management David Menke said.

As a way to celebrate the national poetry month, Highline’s National Poetry Month committee has invited Haitian-born poet, educator, speaker, publisher and social advocate, Enzo Silon Surin, to a virtual reading and workshop on Thursday, April 21.

Surin is also the author of the award-winning When My Body Was a Clinched Fist (2020) and two chapbooks, A Letter of Resignation: An American Libretto (2017) and Higher Ground, and has had his poems featured in a number of publications and exhibits.

Women’s tennis once again defeated archrival Bellevue College 7-2 and remains undefeated in conference play.

Last Friday, Highline collected its third straight conference win against the Bulldogs, a momentous win for the Thunderbirds. Bellevue tennis has a winning program history having won the NWAC title in 2017, 2018, and 2019. No championships were held in the 2020-21 due to a covid-abbreviated season.

“Bellevue has some very talented players on their roster but unfortunately they are dealing with some eligibility issues and were not able to field a full team. I’m really proud that the T-Birds were still able to maintain focus under that circumstance and pull off some big wins,” said Highline Head Coach Laura Rosa.

The curious mix of recent early spring weather produces both fragrant blossoms on cherry trees in Federal Way, and a dusting of blossoms blown down by the wind. While today is expected to be sunny and warm, weather forecasters expect rain to return on Friday, with a chance of snow on Sunday and Monday. So don’t tuck your winter gear away quite yet.

The Highline men’s basketball team has bigger hopes for next season, after an early exit in the NWAC tournament in March.

Highline fell 74-59 to Wenatchee Valley in the first round of the tournament. Wenartchee made it as far as the semifinals before falling to Bellevue, 84-76. Yakima Valley won the school’s fourth ever NWAC title by downing Bellevue, 70-57.

Against Wenatchee Valley, Highline struggled from the field, shooting 37.9 percent and 20 percent from three-point range.

Highline’s Fireside Bistro is doing good business in its second quarter since reopening in fall 2021.

“We cannot compare to previous years because it’s a totally new project, but it’s always busy in the first few weeks of quarters, and now it’s been steady,” said Rachel Collins, general manager.

They offer coffee from Martin Henry, and sandwiches and pastries from Alki Bakery, both local firms. Popular items include cinnamon rolls, chocolate, croissants, chocolate cookies, and chicken salad sandwiches.

Students will learn and explore identity development, social justice and activism among other skills during this year’s Students of Color Conference.

The 32nd annual Students of Color Conference will begin virtually on Thursday, April 21, with the theme of Cancel Misinformation: Regain Truth.

Highline’s Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence has opened registration and application for the events. Deadline for the application is Friday, April 8. The application form is available via this link https://bit.ly/HCSOCC22

The events are free.

Snoqualmie Falls glistens in the late winter sun. Weather forecasters are predicting rain into next week, however.

Highline faces a tall task, as they will take on the No. 1 seeded Wenatchee Valley Knights.

The T-Birds finished the regular season 9-5 in conference play and 12-15 overall, making them the only team in the tournament with a sub .500 record. They finished fourth in the NWAC West, meaning they had to face a No. 1 seed in the first round.

The NWAC championship is a 16-team single-elimination tournament and takes place in Everett, March 17-18, and March 26-27.

As Winter Quarter starts to come to an end, students are figuring out what and how they are going to spend their spring break.

A lot of students aren’t sure of what they are going to do yet because they are still stressed out over finals.

Allizon Bigornia, a student at Highline, said that she wished spring break was longer.

“Why is spring break so short? I need a whole month off,” she said with a laugh.

Highline is looking to improve emergency response by holding different training drills and safety walkthroughs every quarter, college officials said recently.

These drills are a part of the Highline College Emergency Operations Plan. This plan is overseen by Highline’s Emergency Management Program. Highline also has an Emergency Response Team who go to the drills to be prepared for any foreseeable disasters.

“The college’s Emergency Response Team consists of employees from Public Safety, Facilities, ITS, Institutional Advancement and Academic Affairs,” said Francesca Fender, emergency manager of the Emergency Response Program and associate director of Public Safety and Emergency Management.

The women’s basketball team collected a win as they near the end of a trying season this Saturday.

Earlier in the week, Highline fell to West Region champs Lower Columbia, 57-38.

Lower Columbia lived up to their No. 2 ranking in the NWAC Coaches Poll, dominating Highline in most phases of the game. The Red Devils recorded 43 rebounds to Highline’s 26 and 17 assists to 5.

Highline slipped into a tie for third place in the NWAC West, after losing to arch-rival Green River last Saturday.

The T-Birds are 7-4 in conference play. They are two games behind Tacoma and Lower Columbia for first. Fourth place still would get Highline into the NWAC tournament, but 5-6 Pierce still has an outside shot at claiming that spot.

Against Grays Harbor on Feb. 23, Highline took care of business, beating them 81-73.

“The team ball movement was incredible,” said Guard Micah Jessie. “They were getting guys open for good high percentage shots.”

The Highline women’s basketball team fell to the Green River Gators last Saturday, trimming their chances of making the postseason tournament.

Highline suited up its full eight-player roster with the return of Mahala Long from injury, but still got caught in the Green River “swamp,” losing 56-45.

Playing against the energy of the Gators’ sophomore night, Highline missed scoring opportunities throughout. They shot 17-61 from the floor and 5-22 behind the three-point line. The Gators capitalized on the Thunderbirds’ mistakes to score 17 points off turnovers.

Snow fell across Puget Sound amid the record-breaking cold in Seattle this week, including on the Granite Creek Trail near North Bend. But enjoy the clear, cold weather while it lasts; rain and higher temperatures are supposed to return to the area next week beginning on Sunday.

The Highline women’s basketball team absorbed two tough losses, at home and on the road, slimming their chances of making the postseason tournament.

The Thunderbirds now have a 2-6 record with just four games left in conference play.

Last Wednesday at the Thunderdome, Highline fell to South Puget Sound 56-49.
The Clippers maintained better ball control and shooting percentage throughout. The Clippers capitalized on poor Thunderbird ball handling with 21 points off turnovers.

Highline’s falling enrollment is likely to reduce money for the S&A budget.

The Service and Activities budget funds student activities from athletics to the Thunderword. The student committee decides how the funds get distributed. The S&A budget is funded by activity fees paid by all students.

Highline’s enrollment is down about 16 percent from this time a year ago. Fall Quarter 2021 was lower than fall 2020. Low enrollment means fewer students are paying activity fees, leaving less money for the S&A Budget Committee to spend.

The moon cuts through the clouds on a recent evening. It was the first full moon of the Lunar New Year. Weather forecasters expect more clouds and some rain into next week, however, so you’ll need to stay a little bundled up for now.

Freshman Kenny Curtis is having a big impact on Highline’s basketball success so far this season.

Curtis graduated from Rainier Beach High School and decided to play basketball at Saint Martin’s University in fall 2019. However, he transferred to Highline after his first semester in Lacey. He ultimately decided to redshirt the winter 2020 season.

The women’s basketball split two games again, as they fight for a spot in the postseason tournament.

Last week, the Lady T-Birds triumphed over Pierce 62-46 and fell short against Centralia 51-44. The team is now 2-4 in conference and 5-9 overall.

The Thunderbirds stand fifth in the West Region, tied with 2-4 Green River. Fourth and third place are still any team’s for the taking as Tacoma and South Puget each have 3-3 records.

With four straight wins, the Highline men’s basketball team is turning its season around.

After starting the season 3-10, the T-Birds are 5-2 in conference play and in third place, behind Tacoma and Lower Columbia, who they beat two weeks ago.

Most recently, Highline took care of business against Pierce, 97-83, and beat Centralia, 102-83.

COVID-19 is one of the biggest reasons for the declining number of international students at Highline, college officials say.

The number of international students has been falling since 2016. There were 177 international students in the academic year of 2020-2021, while it was 532 in 2016-2017.

However, International Student Programs officials say that the situation is getting better.

“A number of students are coming back from South Asia, especially from the Papua area, China, Korea, Vietnam, and Eastern Europe. A great number of students from this area used to take online classes last year and are coming back to campus from this year,” said Michael Gruberg, assistant director of ISP.

The Community Pantry on campus is open again, Thursdays from 1-4 p.m. in Building 16, room 180.

The pantry offers free food and supplies to all Highline students, faculty and staff. Facemasks are required and patrons are encouraged to bring their own bags.

Highline Welcomes the World Week takes place beginning Monday, Feb. 14, with virtual events throughout the week.

One of the reasons why the Highline Welcomes the World week-long celebration is so successful is because “the events are providing opportunities for the Highline community to learn more about each other and learn about important topics happening in the world right now,” said Jenn Ritchey, a program coordinator.

This year’s theme is UN Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being.

The Highline men’s basketball team broke their two-game losing streak, racking up wins against Green River on Wednesday and Lower Columbia on Saturday.

The Thunderbirds beat Green River 89-76 and defeated Lower Columbia 84-70.
“Winning always feels better. Our guys are incredibly capable. They just have to have a sense of urgency about getting things done and have the discipline to get the job done,” said Head Coach Che Dawson.

The short-handed Lady T-Birds basketball team went 1-1 in last week’s home games.

Despite having no more than seven players, the Lady T-Birds bested Green River 62-55 but fell to Lower Columbia 71-42.

Against Green River, high scoring from Thunderbird starters and a fourth quarter momentum shift helped the T-Birds earn the win. A dynamic duo performance from Kylie Lunday and Savannah Arneach led the team to victory.

The Highline men’s basketball team lost a heartbreaker 64-63 at Grays Harbor on Wednesday.

This is the Thunderbirds’ second straight one-point loss as they begin conference play.

The team got off to a good start, leading the Chokers 37-32 at half. Guard Bradley Graham led the team in first half scoring with 9 points on 4-6 shooting. Forward Luke Brower pitched in six points on 3-3 shooting.

The Lady T-Birds will not be playing softball in NWAC competition this spring.

The program has been without a head coach since June 2021. After two years of only a handful of games because of COVID, the team’s roster was depleted. Former Coach Jason Evans left after the shortened 2021 season, and Highline only managed to land new Head Coach Kristine Foley two weeks ago.

That leaves Foley with little time to assemble a team. So they’re now focusing on building toward next year.

Cold shooting and an unhealthy serving of turnovers fed two losses for the Highline women’s basketball team last week.

Last Saturday, Highline fell to Tacoma, 65-54.

Both teams struggled to sink their shots. Highline shot 20-59 from the field, 33.9 percent. Tacoma was only a little better at 40.6 percent, 26-64.

A pair of ducks paddles across Steel Lake in Federal Way on a recent morning. The weeklong chilly fog is supposed to lift by Friday, with rain and slightly warmer temperatures returning to the area next week.

Women’s basketball is back on with league play scheduled through March and possibly April due to NWAC postponements. The Lady T-Birds lost a close conference opener to South Puget Sound last night, 57-50. The team is now 3-6 overall and 0-1 in conference.

“After a month it was definitely hard for us to get back into shape. We felt rusty at first but I’m proud that we were able to keep up with them considering their second in the league”, said Highline guard Hi’ilani Aurai.

Three-point shooting and bench contributions from South puget Sound made the difference in last night’s match. The first quarter was low-scoring until the Clippers made the first layup at 7:34. Highline came out on top with 4-point contributions from Hi’ilani Aurai and Kylie Lunday. The Clippers trailed by 2 with 8-6 in the first. The second quarter panned out in a similar fashion as both teams were neck and neck in scoring. The Clippers led by one, with 22-21 at half time.

The Highline men’s basketball team is 3-10 going into their first game since Dec. 22. It will be their first conference game of the season.

The team has really struggled with efficiency this year, they currently shoot 45.8% from the field, 29.3% from the three point line, and 68.8% from the free throw line.

Some good parts of bad films just want to be in a better movie.

Even when a film is an overall failure, it can still have things in it that work on their own.

The first example is the birth of the SandMan in Spider-Man 3 (2007).

Spider-Man 3 as a film is a mess, with it being a clear example of too many things being packed into one film, instead of being spread out into multiple films. With three main villains, who range from OK to cartoonish, the film is all over the place.

Highline students will need to pay more attention to their surroundings with more students on campus this quarter, said the college’s director of Public Safety.

For Winter Quarter, Highline has increased its number of live, in-person classes, and more students have chosen that option. But that means more people and more cars on campus, leading to the potential of more crime.

Highline’s Access Services will be moving to the fifth floor of the Library, Building 25, suite 531 and will be available to students starting Winter Quarter.

Access Services provides support, auxiliary aids, and accommodations for those with disabilities on campus and in the classroom.

The Highline men’s basketball team dropped three straight games in its second week of NWAC play.

The team lost in a last-second thriller to the Olympic Rangers 84-83 last Wednesday in the Pavilion.

Guard Micah Jessie led the team with 22 points on 8-18 shooting. Guard Earl Lee also had a great effort off the bench with 15 points.

The Highline women’s basketball team picked up its first wins of the new season, going 2-1 last week.

Highline defeated Skagit Valley 58-50 for its first win on Dec. 1. On the road, Highline picked up another win against Olympic, 64-48 last Saturday, before falling to Peninsula last Sunday, 64-47.

Against Skagit, the Lady-T-Birds led from the first quarter onward, withstanding a late run by the Cardinals in the final quarter. Highline outrebounded Skagit 47-32, giving them 18 second-chance points. The Thunderbirds notably dominated in the paint where they scored 38 of their 58 points.

The Highline men’s basketball team won their first road game of the season 88-84 against Whatcom last Tuesday.

Guard Micah Jessie had it going early, scoring 18 of his 23 points on 7-10 shooting in the first half. Guard Kenny Curtis had 11 points and led the team with five assists in the first half. He finished the game leading Highline in all major categories with 26 points, eight rebounds, and nine assists.

These efforts helped the T-Birds go into halftime with a 47-44 lead.

Highline has been able to tag a new softball coach, but the Athletic Department is still struggling to pin down a new wrestling coach.

Highline Athletic Director John Dunn has not released the name of the new softball coach, who will replace Jason Evans, who left the program after last year’s pandemic-shortened season.

Wrestling has been without a coach since Chad Beatty left the program in 2020. This year’s wrestling season has been cancelled as a result.

The Highline women’s basketball team tipped off its season this past weekend at the Tacoma Classic Tournament, losing two games.

In the Lady T-Birds’ first game last Friday, they fell to Shoreline 66-52. Highline lost to Everett on Saturday, 56-45.

In the spring the team finished with a 5-3 record. Three games were cancelled due to a positive COVID test at the start of season and the NWAC called off the championships.

The Highline men’s basketball team opened its season with a 94-71 loss to Shoreline last Friday in the Pavilion.

The T-Birds trailed throughout the first half, going into the break down 41-29. The team made a push to start the second half, taking a one point lead with 14:49 in the second half, but ultimately it was not enough.

“We turned the ball over early and failed to execute some very basic nuances to our defensive scheme. That led to the early lead,” said Head Coach Che Dawson.

With just three games left in conference play, the volleyball team has the region title on the line.

The Lady Thunderbirds secured their NWAC playoff spot with a five-set win over Tacoma last Friday. They currently rank second in the West, one win short of Pierce.

The road to playoffs spans months in the making. The pandemic postponed the fall 2020 season several times, finally arriving in spring 2021. In the waiting months, the entire team had never practiced together until a month prior to games. Our team bond was strengthened over the ups and downs experienced in the COVID season.

New Student Government President Mya Leonhard has taken on many leadership roles while at Highline, many of which advocate for equity and change in education.

She joined the Center for Cultural and Inclusive Excellence/Center for Leadership and Service, as the Inter-Cultural Center Peer Facilitator, which led her to expand her experience into the Associated Students of Highline College as the Speaker of the Caucus, and now as the Student Government president. Leonhard was appointed to the position earlier this quarter.

Highline professor Bruce Lamb has been awarded the Minoru Yasui Justice Award for his work on behalf of immigrants.

Lamb is a lawyer and coordinator of the Legal Studies program at Highline. He also volunteers with the Northwest Immigrant Rights Project, representing people who are seeking asylum in the U.S.

Like Lamb, Yasui earned his law degree from the University of Oregon. He fought for the rights of Japanese-American citizens during World War II, when they were interned in camps simply based on their ethnicity, and their civil liberties were greatly restricted.

Highline has received a $2.2 million federal grant to support students.
The grant will be used to help low-income students and to close student equity gaps.

Highline was recently awarded a highly competitive grant from the U.S. Department of Education worth approximately $2.2 million.

The Title III-Part A, Strengthening Institutions Program grants can be used for a variety of purposes, from faculty support to developing new curriculum.

Highline was notified of its award in late September, said May Lukens, special projects manager in Academic Affairs.

Mya Leonhard has been appointed president of the Associated Students of Highline College (ASHC), filling a vacancy that had existed since spring.

Leonhard previously was speaker of the caucus. Last spring’s election saw only one candidate, Anita Wambui, who was elected vice president unopposed.

Highline sports teams win out the week and look forward to keeping their streaks going.

The women’s soccer team remains on top of the NWAC West standings at 7-0-1 overall and 5-0-1 in conference. The T-birds beat Lower Columbia 2-0 and gained a forfeit victory over Grays Harbor.

The Lower Columbia game was a defensive showdown, with only eight shots on goal in total between the two clubs.