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Mario Vidal-Hernandez

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Here’s the truth: COVID-19 is real, and it’s not over

The COVID-19 vaccine is becoming more accessible, restrictions are starting to be slowly lifted. But that does not mean the virus is gone and we can let our guard down.

When I first was informed I tested positive for COVID-19, I was in genuine shock and did not know what to feel.

‘True Grit’ comes in light and darker versions

True Grit is one of the most well-known western stories for a good reason.

There are two different films: the original made in 1969 (directed by Henry Hathaway) and the remake made in 2010 (directed by Ethan and Joel Coen).

Both films are based on a novel by the same name written by Charles Portis in 1968. The Coen brothers’ version is the most faithful to the book.

Highline's Velasco leads NWAC in scoring, eyes next season

The lack of a championship did not diminish Alex Velasco’s enjoyment of the Highline men’s soccer season.

The NWAC’s leading scorer said he will back next year to try to win one, however.

“Alex is such a blessing to be around. On the field he’s setting the standard for us all…Off the field it’s nothing but smiles and good times with Alex,” said teammate Jorge Figueroa.

Virtual commencement returns with a new wrinkle

Due to the success of last year’s virtual commencement, Highline will be holding a virtual commencement ceremony and a cross-the-stage event on June 17.

Thomas Bui, director of the Center for Leadership & Service at Highline, said that there is a difference between graduation and commencement.

Highline accounting student looks back on all he’s learned

Highline helped Tyler Ing-Pich find his voice.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic forcing people apart, he said he’s managed to grow close to those around him, all while learning more about himself and the person who he wants to be.

“Throughout my two years as a Highline student, I have been able to meet and connect with peers, professors, and counselors who have undoubtedly helped me grow significantly as an individual,” said Ing-Pich.

Student finds her way back through poetry

Poetry helped Emily Hamilton reclaim rhyme and reason in her life.

Hamilton is a returning college student finishing her AA degree with honors and is an editor for Arcturus, the college literary magazine.

She will be working on her bachelor of applied science in Global Trade and Logistics at Highline in the fall.

Water, east and west

Water surrounds us here, with the Seattle skyline providing a backdrop for Elliott Bay, and the setting sun punctuating the rolling tide at Redondo. Rain is in the forecast for our area for Thursday and Friday, before the weather slowly gets better starting on Saturday.

Prisons could be reformed to help people, advocate says

The criminal justice system can do a better job at helping people reclaim their lives, a speaker said via Zoom on Monday.

Clifton “Skye” Williamson, a formerly incarcerated man who is an advocate for prison reform, spoke as part of Unity Week, Highline’s annual exploration of issues involving justice and diversity.

Soccer teams see mixed results

The Highline women’s soccer team played another close game against Centralia with a score of 2-2 on Friday, April 23.

Centralia took an early lead with Chloe Narolski scoring in the 34th minute with an assist from Talia Washington.

The mountain is out

Mt. Rainier fills up the sky in a gap between trees on the way to Paradise. Enjoy the view while it lasts. Weather forecasters are predicting rain this weekend, with a mix of rain and somewhat sunny skies into next week.

Volleyball team battles COVID, opponents

The Highline’s women’s volleyball team is six games into their jam-packed season with a record of 1-3, with two games being cancelled due to COVID.

The Thunderbirds season started unevenlyTheir first game was cancelled part way through due to a positive COVID test result, frustrating players who have been waiting to play since fall 2019.

Summer program seeks volunteers to help first-generation students

The Summer Bridge Mentorship Program is looking for current Highline students to mentor incoming first-generation students.

Aleyda Cervantes, program coordinator for Outreach Services and a leader in the Summer Bridge Mentorship Program, hopes to connect more students to the Highline community.

More signs of spring
The advance of warm spring weather creates beautiful sights around the Seattle area, from blossoming cherry trees, to shining views of the Cedar River in Renton, to glorious sunsets at the Des Moines Marina.

T-Birds bury Bellevue in women’s tennis opener

Highline women’s tennis squad started the season off by spanking arch-rival Bellevue, 9-0.

Bellevue, which regularly recruits players from around the world, couldn’t field a full squad for the match thanks to pandemic travel restrictions.

This was the first match of five for the Lady Thunderbirds in their shortened season.

Soccer teams continue early season success

The Highline’s men’s soccer team came away with a victory in their second game of the season at Starfire field against Tacoma with a score of 4-0 on April 16.

Earlier that Friday, the women’s team played a close game at Starfire against Tacoma, battling to a 1-1 tie.

Bird men battle opponents, cancellations as season begins

Highline’s COVID-delayed men’s basketball season has started with the score Highline 1, opponents 1, COVID 2.

The Thunderbird men opened their season with an 87-81 loss to Centralia on April 2, followed by a 100-92 win over Grays Harbor on Friday, April 9.

Students say they’re ready for another online quarter

Students say the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is making college more of a challenge than usual. But they are pushing ahead anyway.

Highline student Emma McLaughlin said it is harder “staying motivated and wanting to do the work since summer is right around the corner.”

Aliens: Some are worth watching. Some should be banished to another planet.

You want to talk about going downhill fast? Just look at the Alien film franchise.

The original Alien (1979), directed by Ridley Scott, is an absolute horror classic for a good reason.

The crew of the Star freighter Nostromo is woken up early from stasis by the ship’s computer.

Fate still resonates with gamers who want a challenge

The year 2010 was quite the time for video games, with stellar releases like Super Mario Galaxy 2, Bioshock 2, Call of Duty: Black Ops, and Mass Effect 2.

Amid all those excellent games, sadly one game flew under the radar.

This game Resonance of Fate (or End of Eternity as it’s known in Japan). This hidden gem turns 11 years old this month and sadly still wallows in obscurity, only really known by people who have played the game. And that’s just really sad because this game deserved better than to be that one game to show your obscure gaming knowledge.

Achieve program manager finds empowerment and equity at Highline

For Achieve Program Manager Dr. Erica He, joining the program at Highline was a perfect fit.

Achieve is a program “for students with intellectual disabilities. We believe our students should be included in every aspect of the traditional college classroom and campus activities,” Dr. He said.

Pokemon Go remains popular several years after its release.

Pokémon Go is still dominating the augmented reality category of games after five years of being out.

Pokémon Go is a mobile game that is published by a company called Niantic. It is an American software development company based in San Francisco, in collaboration with Nintendo and Pokemon, makers of the card game that inspired this. The game is available on devices such as your iPhone, tablet or android.

‘Predator’ franchise bags a few trophies along the way

The Predator films are all a fun time with good action, but with varying qualities.

The film that started this mega franchise, which later on came to include video games, comic books, novels, and had three crossovers with Batman of all people, was a little film simply titled Predator (1987), directed by John McTiernan (the same guy who directed Die Hard).

Star Trek reboot films boldly go toward excellence

The Star Trek reboots did the impossible, they saved the franchise from the brink of cinematic extinction.

After Star Trek: Nemesis bombed at the box office and Paramount decided to cancel Star Trek: Enterprise (the only Star Trek show on the air at the time) it seemed like the Star Trek license was more dead than a Red Shirt on an away mission.

Phone games can be worth the wait

If your least favorite game is the waiting game, you can find ways to pass the time on your phone.

We’ve all played that game – waiting for appointments, for a ride to arrive, or just standing in a line at the store.

Burien theater returns to life via Zoom

Burien Actors Theater (BAT) is finding new and innovative ways to perform on Zoom.

When the pandemic hit, the Burien-based company was forced to close down the theater for both the safety of the actors as well as the audience. But they were able to adapt and have been doing Zoom performances throughout the past 12 months.

Minecraft updates promise more options for players

The Minecraft update coming out in the Spring or Summer of 2021 will be big with Mojang Studios adding new items, animals, and biomes to spice up gameplay.

Minecraft is a sandbox game produced and developed by Mojang Studios that can be played solo or with friends.

Captains Picard and Kirk meet in Star Trek: Generations.

After watching the Star Trek: The Next Generation films, I think asking my boss for a pay raise isn’t too far out of the question.

The Next Generation (show) takes place around 75 years after the original series, and stars Captain Jean Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes), Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton), Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis), Data (Brent Spiner), Worf (Michael Dorn), and Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) as the new Enterprise crew.

Some Star Trek movies should be boldly left on the shelf

After watching all six original Star Trek films, only one conclusion can be made: The odd number movies are cursed.

The original Star Trek televsion show starred Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy (DeForest Kelley), Montgomery “Scotty” Scott (James Doohan), Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig), Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nicholes), and Hikaru Sulu (George Takai) as the crew of the Federation Starship Enterprise, and their adventures to explore new lives and new civilizations.

Students struggle with COVID isolation, education. Some just say no

As the country rapidly approaches one year of fighting the COVID-19 pandemic, students are questioning if they wish to continue remote learning. For those who continue with school, the experience is taking a toll on their mental health.

Highline’s campus has been closed to most students since last March when shutdowns began, with classes moving online.Remote learning will continue at least through June; the learning format for Summer and Fall Quarters has not yet been decided for certain.

What it Means to be an Arcturus Editor

I must open with the fact that I do not think there is a better opportunity to understand the students and culture at Highline, than being an Arcturus Editor. And, for the record, I say this as a proud writing center tutor, who loves working with the diverse student body on campus- where we see people every day.

There’s no dogs like snow dogs

The weekend snow storm closed a number of places in South King County, but not the French Lake dog park in Federal Way. Weather services are predicting mostly rain and clouds over the next week, with temperatures creeping up toward 50 degrees.

Pandemic puts presses pause on Valentine’s Day passion

This year’s Valentine’s Day is destined to look different than usual, with the COVID-19 pandemic still present in the U.S.
But couples and single people alike are finding creative ways to celebrate.

“I might see my boyfriend, but we are planning to keep things low-key, probably cooking a meal together, splitting a bottle of wine, and reading,” Faith Elder said.

Others aren’t sharing it with a significant other, but with their families.

We all need to work together to get through college

My name is Fe H. and I am currently a student at Highline. I want to share a few tips on how to grow and succeed as you attend college here at Highline.

First-person shooter Valorant is the bomb

If you’re looking for a first-person shooter with lots of action and that’s relatively cheap to play, take aim at Valorant.

Valorant is a free-to-play first-person shooter released by Riot Games, which also produced the popular game League of Legends. It officially came out on June 2, 2020. Riot hasn’t released any figures on how many people are playing now.

All three ‘Seven’ films are magnificent

All three Magnificent Seven movies are a great time and bring something to the table.

The basic plot for all three versions is that a small, poor village is periodically being raided by a large group of bandits. They get fed up and decide to hire seven skilled warriors, all of whom decide to join in their cause for one reason or another.

Students get ready for online finals

Highline students have a variety of methods to study for finals, from reviewing notes to having specific study schedules.

Finals at Highline will be Dec. 14 to Dec. 18. With the pandemic restrictions still in place, most finals will be online.

Students grapple with new COVID restrictions

Students have mixed feelings about the reinforced restrictions that Washington Gov. Jay Inslee made in response to rising COVID-19 cases.

Indoor social gatherings have been greatly affected, with some activities reducing gathering sizes to 25 percent of its indoor occupancy limits, with some activities barred altogether.

Students have mixed experiences with local police

Jovan Cisse and his brother were walking home from school in Federal Way when their life was almost turned upside down.

Cisse and his brother were on their way home when a Federal Way police officer pulled over and prepared to cuff and arrest them.

Highline students have mixed feelings on presidential election

Highline students say they aren’t thrilled with the choices in this year’s election.

With ballots mailed to registered voters in Washington state, voting has already begun. Results won’t be released until the night of Nov. 3.

Welcome to Fall Quarter

Welcome to the new academic year, Thunderbirds. I am delighted that you have chosen to begin or continue your education here at Highline during these most interesting of times.

Welcome to Fall Quarter, Thunderbirds

The Associated Students of Highline College (ASHC) team is excited to welcome you all to Fall Quarter.