“KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World” (April 2023, Drive) is a prequel spin-off of the critically acclaimed “KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!” (January 2016, Studio Deen) series. This show follows one of the main characters from the main show and explores her and the Crimson Demon Clan’s history.

This show follows Megumin (voiced again by Takahashi Rie) being saved from a returning demon lord by a mysterious lady who shows off her explosion magic which in turn shapes Megumin’s goal to be an explosion magic master.

After the success of “Rocky Balboa” (the movie, not the character) the character of Rocky was put to rest with dignity. But Hollywood, being Hollywood and having run out of original ideas a long time ago, decided to bring back the Italian Stallion in the form of a supporting role in a new spin-off movie called “Creed” (2015, directed by Ryan Coogler) and eventually saga, (because it was successful, and Hollywood is still Hollywood).

The film also marks the second out of six times that director Ryan Googler and star Michael B. Jordan work together on a film with the duo previously working together on the film “Fruitvale Station”, and later making “Black Panther.”

Last Saturday Highline’s TRIO and Talent Search program’s held a cleaning event at the Des Moines beach. 

TRIO Student Supports Services is a federally funded program for current college students (which can include Running Start, international students, and undocumented students) that provides low-income, first generation college students and students with disabilities the valuable support and services that will assist in student success and persistence towards their education.

The purpose of this event was to teach students about taking care of the community and building their brand for applying to colleges and scholarships, Nitasha Lewis, the TRiO Talent Search Director, said.

Highline has teachers who teach their students with all their heart and soul.

A teacher may represent someone who gives students knowledge, skills, and confidence to grow in life. They may also be a student’s friend, mentor, or philosopher.

“A passionate teacher is to be someone in love with a field of knowledge, deeply stirred by issues and ideas that challenge our world, drawn to the dilemmas and potentials of the young people who come into class each day – or captivated by all of these,” said Robert L. Fried.

Highline Biology Professor Colleen Sheridian, loves to find new things and the motivation she got from interviewing other teachers changed her journey from being a scientist to a hard working professor.

“KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!” (January 2016, Studio Deen) is another isekai title, however it’s one that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

This anime follows the loner shut-in named Satou Kazuma (voiced by Fukushima Jun) dying in one of the most embarrassing ways, thinking he was saving a young girl from an oncoming truck, where he ends up meeting the goddess of reincarnation named Aqua (Amamiya Sora).

When “Rocky V” didn’t exactly set the world on fire, the series was put on an over 15 year hiatus. But Sylvester Stallone, who felt unsatisfied with the final product and did not want to leave the series on a low note (see my review last week if you want more details), decided to make one more Rocky movie before officially retiring the character’s boxing career.

That movie would be the confusingly titled “Rocky Balboa” (2006) with Stallone returning to the director’s chair after taking a break from it in “Rocky V,” alongside his usual job of writing, starring, and probably coffee runs.

As Highline’s soccer season starts back up in only a few months, let’s look back at the men’s 2022 season.

Their season started off rocky, and by September they had a record of 5-4. But they didn’t let that get them down, they were determined to improve and win games.

Highline students may find difficulty in living with roommates, but establishing trust, communication, and rules can help elevate a better bond between you and your peers. 

Here are some tips that will help with living with other people in a productive and harmonious manner:

Arcturus hosts its 55th annual launch party that uncovers a collection of art through the lens of the editors.  

“Arcturus” is Highline College’s literary and art journal run by students. It has been supplying Highline’s students with an imaginative outlet for 55 years. Over those years “Arcturus” has published works from students, staff, faculty, and alumni. In the newest edition, arriving on June 8, the journal features a compilation of poetry, prose, art, and photography.

When playing basketball a lot of emotions can come up, and the way you show them can affect the way you play and can impact your career. For Stephon Marbury, his emotions affected the way his profession went, both good and bad. 

The documentary “A Kid From Coney Island” is about the former NBA player Stephon Marbury’s path to greatness, through intimate interviews with Marbury himself, along with family, friends, and former teammates.

“Call of the Night” (July 2022, Liden Films) is another story about a middle school student’s boring life and how it got turned upside down by a chance encounter with a being thought to be fiction.

This anime follows two characters, Kō Yamori (voiced by Gen Sato) a 14 year old boy and Nazuna Nanakusa (Sora Amamiya) a female vampire. In this world vampires are real and their way of reproduction is making a human falling in love with them and feeding off of them.

If “Rocky IV” represents the peak of Sylvester Stallone’s career, “Rocky V” (1990, directed by the first film’s director, John G. Avildsen) represents the point in which Stallone’s career (that being mainly in the ‘90s) started to go downhill.

It’s right after “Rocky IV” and Rocky Balboa (no points for guessing that he’s being played by Sylvester Stallone) is back in the good ol US of A after surviving his match with Ivan Drago (along with probably ending the Cold War and causing the Soviet Union to collapse.)

Highline College’s softball team concluded their forgettable 2023 season with a doubleheader against Douglas College at home. Unfortunately, the T-Birds failed to end on a high note, losing their last game.

In the first game, Highline faced a forfeit, resulting in a disappointing start to their final outing. In the second game against Douglas College, the T-Birds struggled to find their momentum.

Douglas College dominated the game, scoring consistently throughout. The final score stood at 10-1 in favor of Douglas College. The Thunderbirds managed only three hits during the game and were unable to mount a comeback.

Education is a powerful tool that helps ensure children’s survival, growth, development and well-being.

It can also be described as the art of facilitating learning, or the acquisition of knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, and habits.

Getting an education not only helps students learn to think critically, but it also enhances their imagination, exposes them to new ideas, and helps them find the path to a career that they want to pursue as they get older.

Summer and fall quarter class registrations opened on May 18 for students that are currently enrolled, and as of May 22, summer and fall quarter registration has been opened for new and incoming students.

Tuition due dates for the summer and the fall quarter are June 12 and September 11, respectively. Make sure to check emails sent from the school to keep up with the registration and tuition dates and deadlines.

For more information on signing up for classes visit the Highline Dates and Deadlines webpage.

Highline’s softball team faced off against Edmonds College in a doubleheader this past Thursday. In the games, which were rescheduled from April 11, the Thunderbirds fell to the Tritons 13-3 and 12-3, respectively.

In the first game, Edmonds College came out strong with their batters displaying remarkable performances. Jaelyn Myers, playing as right fielder, led the offensive charge for Edmonds, going 3-for-4 at the plate with 2 runs.

Taiana Round, Nanea Andrade, Jordyn Relethford, Sydney Rucshner, and Taylor Eskew also contributed with hits, adding to the team’s total of 12 hits for the game. Grace Humes even managed to hit a home run, providing a significant boost to Edmonds’ score.

“Dr. Stone” (July 2019, TMS Entertainment) is an anime about a teenage scientist waking up after being stuck in stone for 3000 years and having to rebuild society with his companions.

The story follows teenage genius, Senku Ishigami (voiced by Yūsuke Kobayashi) and his best friend Taiju Oki (Makoto Furukawa) being petrified after a green wave of light encompasses the planet turning every human to stone. Eventually, Senku breaks out of his petrification to find the world has been reset back into the stone age without any sign of humans whatsoever besides the ominous statues.

Highline’s students can participate in this year’s Global Fest where they will have the opportunity to learn about diverse cultures and develop meaningful relationships with peers.

The Global Student Ambassadors will be hosting the event on Wednesday, May 17 from 1-4 p.m. in building 8 on the first floor.

Highline’s Global Student Ambassadors are a group of students that plan and organize events within the school year to bring communities and cultures together.

“The Magical Revolution of the Reincarnated Princess and the Genius Young Lady” (January 2023, Diomedéa) is an anime about a princess who can’t use magic and her genius assistant who is helping advance magicology.

This show follows a magicless princess by the name of Anisphia Wynn Palettia (voiced by Sayaka Senbongi) working on her shortcomings by making magic tools for an assortment of purposes. It also focuses on the other female lead, Euphyllia Magenta (Manaka Iwami), who was found by Anis when her engagement was annulled by the prince. These two work together for their own interests, like the pursuit of magic and finding purpose after everything has been lost.

The Thunderbirds faced a tough challenge on Saturday, as they took on the Bulldogs in a doubleheader game. Despite putting up a good fight, the Thunderbirds were unable to overcome the Bulldogs’ dominance, losing both games by a significant margin.

In the first game, the Thunderbirds fell 10-2. Abigail Wilkins was the standout player for Highline, hitting a home run and driving in two runs. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome the Bulldogs’ strong offense, and the Thunderbirds ultimately fell short.

The second game was even more difficult for the Thunderbirds, as they were shut out 22-0 by the Bulldogs.

Highline students can find various resources to live on campus as they work towards securing their degree.

Not only does living on campus provide a sense of community with the college, but it also gives students a chance to develop relationships with their peers.

Moreover, living on campus is often more convenient as it is closer to classes on campus and other resources, such as places to study, the library, and student centers.

Highline students Sophia Munoz and Brittany Tamayo have dealt with the responsibilities of taking care of their children and maintaining their schoolwork as single mothers.

There are several challenges that can make it difficult for them to balance their responsibilities as a parent on top of the demand of coursework.

The biggest challenge is finding time and energy to study while parenting a small kid. Single mothers often have to juggle childcare, work, and household duties, which leaves little time for studying or attending classes. This can make it hard for them to stay motivated and focused, which can in return affect their grades and overall performance.

“Rocky” was a huge hit for writer/star Sylvester Stallone, however despite the film’s success, many audiences and critics started to believe that Stallone was a one-hit-wonder, due to underwhelming box office numbers in subsequent films he starred in.

To prove them wrong Stallone hit the mean streets of Philly once again, with “Rocky II” (1979) this time not only as the writer and star, but also as the director.

‘Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ exceeded expectations at the time of its release, and years later, it continues to impress and captivate audiences who tune in.

The film introduces non-comic readers to Miles Morales (voiced by Shameik Moore), a young teenager from Brooklyn, and offers a fresh take on the Spider-Man audiences know and love.

It’s another superhero movie with witty, charming, and enjoyable humor and it delivers as a Marvel blockbuster, but its beauty lies in more than just its plot. ‘Into The Spider-Verse’ is exemplary all-around.

The plot is fairly simple, kid gets bit by a spider, gets powers, becomes a superhero, and has to defeat a villain.

The Thunderbirds softball team played a doubleheader for the Northwest Athletic Conference against Olympic College on Saturday, and it was a mixed result for the team.

In the first game, the Thunderbirds came away with their first win of the season, defeating the Rangers at home 3-2. However, they lost their momentum in their second game and fell to Olympic College 16-2.

In the first game, the Thunderbirds came out strong and were able to secure a win thanks to some key plays by Jazlyn Furuya, Corrina Cunningham, and Abigail Wilkins. Jazlyn Furuya hit a double and a single, Corrina Cunningham hit a double, and Abigail Wilkins hit a home run. Trinity Marion pitched a great game and held the Rangers to only two runs.

Sugar Apple Fairly Tale” (January 2023, J.C.Staff) is a story about a girl on a journey to become the best sugar artisan for her late mother.

The story starts off with the viewer being introduced to Ann Halford (voiced by Yuka Nukui) watching her mother create a sculpture out of sugar. Once Ann comes of age, she sets off to a city called Lewiston to become a Silver Sugar Master. On her journey she meets Shall Fen Shall (Masaaki Mizunaka) a warrior fairy, and Mithril Rid Pod (Rie Takahashi) another fairy who joins her. She must go through the toils as a woman working towards being a Silver Sugar Master while being ridiculed by other confectioners and making friends with others.

Netflix’s “Shadow and Bone” is an adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s bestselling novels, with lethal flesh-eating monsters, superpowers, and childhood best friends turned lovers, and it is an admirable attempt at fantasy, but it falls short.

“Game of Thrones” – the 8-season epic that had the attention of the nation season by season – was one of TV’s major successes with fantasy, a genre that is rarely pried into. After the riveting 8-season whirlwind, the fantasy craze faded away into the background in between poorly written mystery thrillers and cheesy attempts at Gen Z-focused tv series.

Last Saturday, April 15, the Highline softball team traveled to Clackamas, Ore., to play against the Cougars (Clackamas Community College) in a doubleheader, ending in defeats for both games, 21-2 and 16-1.

Results for the first game were unavailable at press time. In the second game, the Thunderbirds were able to get on the scoreboard early in the first inning when Abigail Wilkins singled, bringing in Daisylynn Laulu for a 1-0 lead. However, Clackamas quickly took control of the game, scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the first and then adding 4 more runs in the second inning.

With a rather young team coming in to start the 2022-2023 season, Coach Steve Turcotte’s goal is steady improvement. “We have a pretty young team but you can expect us to win and improve each week,” Turcotte said.

With the team’s performance at the Olympic College Invitational, already having game experience is a great way for the team to improve and know what they need to work on.

Highline provides direct aid to students, staff members, and others who may be experiencing a shortage of food through the community pantry on campus.

Starvation is a serious problem within the world and dealing with malnourishment can lead to damage to someone’s mental and physical health.

Food banks help with this issue and provide food for those in need.

The Highline pantry staff said that they have three main sources where they obtain food for the pantry. Those three resources include: food rescues, food banks, and food that were purchased by staff.

Highline is hosting Earth Week 2023 from April 17-22 with a weeklong series of events for students, faculty, and staff to take part in.

Faculty member Woody Moses said in an email that everyone is welcome, and by doing so, some students may find opportunities to improve their grade for a course at Highline.

“Bring your class! Bring yourself! Offer extra credit! We’ve got lots of great events! Come check them out!,” Moses said.

The events will consist of different hosts and various activities each day contributing to the message for that day. 

Everyone makes artichokes differently and may use different dips to enjoy the rich flavor that effortlessly completes the snack.

My grandmother loved to eat artichokes all the time. Every spring season she enjoyed steaming fresh artichokes and serving them with walnut dip.

Italy, France, and Spain are the largest producers of artichokes and artichokes are native to the mediterranean.

The Lady T-Birds played Everett College on the road, losing 9-0 in the first game and 19-1 in the second game. Despite their best efforts, the Thunderbirds were unable to match the Trojans’ strong offensive and defensive plays.

In the first game, the Trojans got off to a strong start, with several key hits and runs in the first inning. The Thunderbirds struggled to get their offense going, with Daisylynn Laulu striking out and Eeron Wong lining out to the pitcher in the first inning. Despite a walk from Corrina Cunningham, the Thunderbirds were unable to bring any runners home, ending the inning with 0 runs, 0 hits, and 1 runner left on base.

“Buddy Daddies” (January 2023, P.A. Works) is a very misleading name, despite what it sounds like, the show is actually very wholesome.

This show follows two assassins Kazuki Kurusu (voiced by Toshiyuki Toyonaga) and Rei Suwa (Koki Uchiyama) finding a young girl on one of their missions from their handler, Kyutaro Kugi (Toshiyuki Morikawa). The girl, named Miri Unasaka (Hina Kino), not remembering where she lives, is taken in by the two assassins turned fathers. They have to juggle their work lives and home life to ensure they aren’t discovered as assassins and keep Miri hidden from Kyutaro.

The Lady T-Birds lost 2-5 in a visit to Arizona Christian University, Ariz., highlighting the participation of the captain Princess Ventura along with Jocelynn Nguyen in doubles and Kinsey Lockhart in singles.

The tennis team had a very busy spring break, they traveled for four days, from Saturday, March 25, to Thursday, March 28, to play against one of the strongest 4-year colleges and universities in the sport.

The Highline softball team is still in a bad streak and has not won yet, after two games last Wednesday, March 29. They lost both games by a score of 1-9 and 21-3 against Pierce College in the NWAC conference.

In the first game, Eeron Wong had a good performance getting a hit for the T-birds but then the Raiders took the lead with Helena Castanon getting a three-run homerun and Pierce ended up completing the other 6 points from Kendall Lawson and Makayla Stockman.

Are you tired of those pesky moles digging up your backyard in Washington state? If so, you’re not alone. With the usual onset of rainy weather, it’s no surprise that these small creatures are popping up all over our gardens.

They can be easily identified by their characteristic dirt piles. Sure enough when you learn that Washington state’s moist climate and weather, soil quality, as well as abundance of earthworms creates an extremely alluring environment for moles.

Highline’s Library hosts the
‘Misinformation 101’ event in hopes of getting students to find reliable sources by looking at misinformation and disinformation.

“Misinformation is any false or misleading information that has been shared or spread unintentionally. Disinformation is any false or misleading information that has been created and shared or spread intentionally to achieve a goal,” Reference Librarian Ian Porter said.

MisinfoDay will be held this Friday, March 17 at 1 p.m. in Building 25, the library, in room 206A.

After a three year hiatus from NWAC competition, the Highline softball team is back with a new head coach and a ten-woman squad.

To recap, the last time Highline softball hit the field was in April of 2021. The Lady T-Birds played just six games, going 4-2 in the COVID abbreviated season.

After a short spring season and a sudden head coach vacancy, the softball program remained on pause while other T-Bird sports slowly picked back up in late 2021 and 2022. It wasn’t until January of last year that Highline’s search for a head coach ended with the hiring of Kristine Foley.

After some tough preseason competition for the young squad, Highline women’s tennis fell to arch rival Bellevue in the first match of conference play.

Last season, Lady T-Birds tennis took home the program’s first ever title after a perfect conference and championship tournament run. Additionally, the team clinched the singles title, the doubles title, and the head coach of the year. Bellevue came in second place.

“Yugari-sou no Yunna-san” (July 2018, Xebec) is an anime about an exorcist boy moving into a haunted inn.

The show follows a “hands-on” exorcist by the name of Kogarashi Fuyuzora (voiced by Yuuki Ono) who is able to see the ghost of Yuragi inn named Yuuna Yunohana (Miyuri Shimabukuro). Being forced to stay in the same room as Yunna, they get closer to each other and are even pushed by some of the inn goers, except for a few.

There are some movies that are simple concepts on the onset. Then there are films like “8 Mile” (2002, directed by Curtis Hanson), a film starring Eminem as the lead, with a story that takes a lot out of his life, and is about the struggles of an up-and-coming rapper, but at the same time isn’t an autobiography.

The film is about Rabbit (played by Eminem, and is totally NOT a stand-in for him – sense the sarcasm here) a young adult in Detroit who’s really good at rapping and rap battles, but has a hard time doing it in front of an audience. As if that’s not bad enough his life is pretty much in the toilet, he lives in a trailer park, his mom is a hot mess, he probably got his girlfriend pregnant, and his car is as reliable as congress is speedy.

HONOR 200-32222 and 32225

5 credits, online, asynchronous

satisfies a Humanities Area I requirement

• research 4-year colleges and universities
• write college-application essays for those schools
• create financial aid plans
• research and apply for scholarships
• request letters of recommendation
• build a network of support at Highline and beyond

Prerequisites

• completion of 12 college-level credits
• completion of English 101

Contact Jen Heckler at jheckler@highline.edu

“Girls’ Last Tour” (October 2017, White Fox) is an apocalyptic anime like none other, having the viewers ask themselves questions that they would typically never think of and giving them a much more relaxed view on a world that has already crumbled to ruins; all-the-while still being light-hearted and making people feel an array of different emotions.

The viewers watch the two main characters, Chito (voiced by Inori Minase) and Yuuri (Yurika Kubo) explore the different layers of an ancient structure coming across battlefields of wars fought long ago and towering cityscapes that have long since seen humans.

Highline’s Arcturus magazine invites Dr. Mosby to speak in a literary salon on Arcturus art pieces.

Arcturus is Highline’s literary and art magazine run by students.

The literary salon will take place Thursday, March 2 from 1-2 p.m. via zoom.

“Any students and staff at Highline are welcome to attend. They can participate in the open mic or just enjoy the poetry,” Arcturus editor Jasmine McCray said.

The women’s basketball team wins a close one against Pierce, 36-33, but a monstrous Gator performance keeps their postseason chances up in the air.

Last Wednesday, No. 5 Highline traveled to No. 4 Pierce in an NWAC West showdown. The win would increase the team’s chances of clinching the fourth postseason spot.

Despite an off night for both teams, Highline made amends with their offensive and defensive troubles to top the Raiders, 36-33.

Disclaimer, this anime is NOT trans representation, and the main character constantly refers to himself as a he, so therefore for the sake of sanity, from here on out he shall be referred to as a he.

“Onimai: I’m Now Your Sister!” (January 2023, Studio Bind) is a strange story with the premise being the main character’s little sister drugging him for the sake of rehabilitation.

Highline’s Computer Science Club will be hosting Highline Hacks, the club’s first hackathon of 2023.

The event will take place in Building 8 at Mt. Olympus on February 24 from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Students can form groups of up to three people to solve coding prompts in any desired coding language. The prompts will vary in difficulty with the more difficult problems being worth more points.

Highline is hosting its 11th Annual Student Poetry Contest.

The deadline to submit your three poems and to register will be March 10 at 4 p.m.

Ten poems will be selected to earn a prize: the poem that makes first place will receive an award of $200; second place will receive $150; third place will receive $100; and seven poems will be chosen for an honorable mention prize and will receive $75.

“Mushoku Tensei” (January 2021, Studio Bind) is a reincarnation story that actually takes time to develop the plot instead of giving some vague goal like kill the demon lord.

This story starts off with a 30 year old shut-in getting hit by a truck and being reborn into another world by the name of Rudeus Greyrat (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita as his prior self and Yumi Uchiyama as the child). He eventually grows as a character over the show, from being unable to leave his house to traveling around the world as an adventurer.

The Highline men’s basketball team went 0-2 last week, after a takedown from the Titans, 81-56, and a vanquish by the Devils, 94-47.

Last Wednesday, Tacoma showed up big time on their home court, overpowering the T-Birds 81-56. The Titans marched onto victory behind a career-high 28 points from freshman Jaylon Ellis.

For the night, the Thunderbirds shot 38.2 percent to the Titans 58.8 percent on the floor.

Highline students that have expenses related to COVID-19 qualify for the COVID-19 financial relief fund for those that struggle to have enough money to pay off rent, food, tuition, books, or child care.

Each student who qualifies to receive money from this fund will receive a maximum of 1,000 dollars to cover their expenses and educational needs. Eligible students have received an email with the link to the application.

Students interested in making new clubs will need to get acquainted with the ASHC and how the student government works.

The Associated Students of Highline College consists of every student currently enrolled at Highline, but there are deeper layers to this hierarchy, like the Executive Council, and the Associated Council.

Highline students continue to practice astrology, but not everyone is happy with it.

Astrology is a type of divination involving the reading of celestial bodies, according to Britannica. The first form of astrology originated millennia ago in Mesopotamia, during the third millennium BC, where it was considered to be the same as astronomy.

Several other forms of astrology exist as well, Mesoamerican, Celtic, and Chinese zodiacs, but one of the more famous ones used by horoscope websites is the Western Astrology charts, which has significant roots in the Astrology developed by the Mesopoamians.

“ReLIFE” (July 2016, TMS Entertainment) is a story about a guy getting a second chance at life when everything isn’t alright.

This show follows Kaizaki Arata (voiced by Kensho Ono) being approached by a suspicious man name Ryo Yoake (Ryōhei Kimura) who offers him a deal of a lifetime: Become his test subject and be paid a living wage by his organization, called ReLIFE, or continue working dead end jobs. Kaizaki accepts his offer and goes on to restart high school, making great friends and memories he’ll never forget.

The Highline women’s basketball team fell to No. 4 South Puget Sound on the road, 70-44.

Last Saturday in Olympia, WA, a stunted first quarter from Highline and continued struggles throughout resulted in a Clippers victory.

The first quarter signaled trouble for Highline as the Clipper’s built a 15-0 run with 2:56 leff. The Lady T-Birds shot 25 percent from the floor to their opponent’s 64.4 percent. The Clippers converted nine Highline turnovers to score seven points and led 22-5.

“Bocchi the Rock” (October 2022, CloverWorks) is an anime about a socially anxious girl trying her best to let her voice be heard.

This show follows Hitori Gotoh (voiced by Yoshino Aoyama) also known as Bocchi, a nickname given to her by Ryo Yamada (Saku Mizuno), learning the guitar in middle school to try and form a band for the culture festival. Unfortunately for Bocchi, 3 years fly by having her end up in high school and unable to communicate with her classmates.

Libraries are well known for their quiet spaces and for study times, however on Tuesday, January 24, the Federal Way

Public library will be hosting a live Jazz and Jam session from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

People of all ages are welcome to join, they encourage you to bring your own instrument, voice, or to be part of the audience to experience a live Jazz session.

Right now, people in the area are signing petitions left and right trying to save the 98-year-old Masonic building in Des Moines.

One of three Washington masonic homes; people of the community would describe it as majestic.

The building was officially opened in 1924, and it housed 225 residents.

On New Year’s Eve the first ever Burning Boat Festival occurred in Des Moines, and it seems to be the first of many.

In partnership with South King Fire & Rescue and Des Moines, WA Police Department, this first-of-its-kind event in the region brought the community together for an exciting event while also sending all event proceeds to benefit mental health and substance abuse disorder.

“Life With an Ordinary Guy Who Reincarnated Into a Total Fantasy Knockout” (January 2022, OLM Team Yoshioka) is a romantic comedy anime with a really long name.

The show’s plot follows Hinata Tachibana (voiced by Kent Itō as a male and by Mao Ichimichi as a female) being turned into a girl after making a wish while drunk and Jingūji Tsukasa (Satoshi Hino) just wishing to get his friend home safely after a hard night of drinking. While on the way home, both of them end up being transported to another world as heroes.

Highline College honors the man himself with Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week 2023.

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is on Monday, January 16, and it marks the beginning of the week dedicated to community, justice, and remembering the legacy of a King.

Highline has a history of honoring Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. going back as far as 2011. Throughout the week that Martin Luther King Jr. Day falls on, Highline has hosted keynote speakers, film screenings, workshops, and more to help revitalize and educate the community on what Dr. King Jr. stood for.

Students at Highline may purchase Winter Quarter parking permits on campus or online.

Public safety said in a campus wide email that, for part-time students, permits will cost $29 while permits for full-time students will cost $46.

Clubs are up and running here at Highline, and you can learn more at the Winter Clubs Fair.

Anyone interested in joining clubs may attend, and it will be taking place on Jan. 10 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. in Building 8 on the first floor conference rooms, Mt. Olympus and Mt. Constance.

With the isolation of Covid starting to fade away and long cold nights settling in, many of us might be ready for an escape. What better way than with an escape room? No, not the businesses that offer physical rooms and puzzles to solve.

Those are cool and interesting but with a cost of around $50 per person, that might be out of reach on a college student’s budget. Instead, check out Escape Room card games. These little boxes of entertainment are about as expensive as a paperback book and can be played in the comfort of your own home with friends and family.

Spanish singer-songwriter Rosalía is now widely known for her recent musical release, “Motomami”, released in March 2022 and for previous releases featuring Travis Scott and latin sensation J Balvin. However, the 30-year-old Spanish singer was first internationally recognized following the release of her second album under Sony music, “El Mal Querer”.

“Toradora” is known to be one of the quintessential romance animes and most audiences would agree.

“Toradora” (2008, J.C. Staff) follows a stoic faced student named Ryuuji Takasu (voiced by Junji Majima) pursuing a relationship with Minori Kushieda (Yui Horie) only to stumble around and end up in an unexpected relationship.

Highline students may join the class ENGL 290 – Editing: The Arcturus, as the requirements will change winter quarter.

Arcturus is Highline’s literary and art magazine run by students.

“[The Arcturus] showcases the written and visual talents of our students, staff, faculty, and alumni. We are a student editorial team that brings a fresh concept to print each year in June,” the Arcturus website said. 

“Ouran Highschool Host Club” (2006, Studio Bones) is a shojo (a series made specifically for girls) anime all about a group of boys and a girl swooning the hearts of the people in and out of the show.

The story follows a poor student named Haruhi Fujioka (voiced by Maaya Sakamoto) in a rich school called Ouran Academy.

Several community centers are available year round, and what they have to offer is worth the price.

With shorter days upon us, the lack of light and the winter holidays can sometimes lead to isolation and a lack of exercise. However, there is no shortage of local community centers and recreation programs that offer a myriad of ways to fight off the blues.

Students that attend Highline are smoking weed, and they have different thoughts on how it affects them.

According to Highline statistics, campus has had more incidents with alcohol than with drugs on campus and on campus housing. But that’s not to say students aren’t using drugs while on campus. Sometimes bathrooms or some cars in the parking lot will smell of recent use.

There has been an explosion in the popularity of sea chanties thanks to various forms of media, and sea chanty groups couldn’t be happier.

The chanty, or shanty (depending on who you ask), is a unique oral tradition and considered a subsection of folk music. They started as work songs aboard sailing ships in the 19th century when the days were rough and lonely; singing helped the crew stay in time as they hauled the anchor or adjusted the sails. And sometimes they were simply songs of sorrow or joy, meant to pass the time or bring some ribald laughter to the local pub.

Many families in the Highline community struggle with having food on their tables each and everyday. This can be especially true on holidays like Thanksgiving. However there are some local food banks to provide resources for these families this holiday season.

“Do it Yourself!!” (2022, Pine Jam) is a slice-of-life anime set in the near future where a group of girls in a club are set on making personalized objects.

The show follows Yua Serufu (voiced by Konomi Inagaki), a clumsy teenager who crashes into a pole causing a chance meeting between her and Yasaku Rei (Ayane Sakura). After Yasaku leaves, Yua tracks her down to a shed behind the school to thank her, learning the shed is a club room for the DIY (Do It Yourself) club.

Last week’s movie, was pretty dumb through and through, but there is a sub-section of movies that isn’t really made any more, at least not as cleverly or subtly, and that’s a type of movie I like to call a “smart-dumb action movie.”

The “smart-dumb action movies” are films (usually from the ‘80s and ‘90s) that seem like the usual brainless blockbuster but actually go over very provocative themes and/or raise interesting philosophical quandaries.

One of those movies is “Starship Troopers” (1997, directed by Paul Verhoeven). The film itself is based on a 1959 novel by the same name written by Robert A. Heinlein.

Final results are in, but some candidates refuse to admit defeat.

Now that more time has passed since election day with more votes counted in the campaigns discussed in our Election Reporting series, this article provides an update on races that have since been called by the Associated Press (AP) and any statements made by various candidates in the days since. All of the following updated election results are according to reports filed by King County Elections as of Nov. 15.

The Student Loan Debt Forgiveness Plan is being put on hold, and there is a possibility of it being canceled altogether.

Since late summer, you may have heard about President Biden’s program to forgive up to $10,000 for public loans for borrowers earning less than $125,000 or households incomes of less than $250,000 annually (with an additional $10,000 for PELL Grant Recipients.)

You or someone you know may be one of the millions of borrowers who have already applied to the program. You may have even felt energized to vote in the midterms last week because of news of this program.

“Myriad Colors Phantom World” (2016, Kyoto Animation) is a fantasy anime focused on comedy, slightly discussing philosophy, and what the world could look like if seeing the supernatural was a daily occurance.

Within this world an event happened to cause the way humans perceive reality to become altered, allowing them to not only view paranormal entities known as phantoms along with some newborn humans gaining powers. The show follows Haruhiko Ichijo (voiced by Hiro Shimono) and his fairy-like companion named Ruru (Azusa Tadokoro) as they take down malicious phantoms, while getting into bizarre situations in order to do so.

This holiday season, there will be several chances for you to go out and listen to some live musical performances from several different symphony orchestras.

The Federal Way Symphony, The Northwest Symphony, Rainier Symphony, and Auburn Symphony are offering various winter themed musical shows.

The Associated Students of Highline College is getting back in gear after a mixed start.

On November 3, Yahya Abdulmohsin was announced to be the new Vice President of the ASHC.

Elections for the student council are held during Spring Quarter. Last spring, Nestor Reyes was elected president of the ASHC, but was unable to fulfill this position due to conflicting responsibilities. Now, the position goes to Mahad Dahir, former vice president of the ASHC.

The Global Student Ambassadors are hosting a potluck on November 16, outside of building 8 in the Mt. Conference room beginning at 12 p.m. and ending at 1 p.m.

The event will showcase a variety of traditional foods and drinks that are well suited for this time of the season. It is a way of highlighting different cultures’ traditional foods and drinks.

The Lady T-Birds advanced to the NWAC quarterfinals, but a 90th minute goal from Columbia Basin marked the end of a still impressive season for Highline women’s soccer.

Last Wednesday, Highline faced the No. 2 Skagit Valley in the first round of the regional playoffs. The Cardinals finished the year 5-3-2 in the North Division. Highline entered the post season tournament 11-2-3 overall and in region play.

Living up to their NWAC shutout lead, Highline defeated the Cardinals 1-0.

The Black and Brown Male Summit is happening November 19, but registration for the event must be completed by November 11. Register for the event here.

The Black and Brown Male Summit is an event hosted by Black and brown men in building 8, on the Highline campus. There, the presenters will do their best to empower young men of color by showing them that they are valued, giving them self-worth so that they may succeed both in and out of school.

“Parasyte -The Maxim-” (2014, produced by studio Madhouse) is a heavy hearted science fiction anime that follows an odd teenager trying to find his identity.

This anime’s plot is about a high school student named Shinichi Izumi (voiced by Nobunaga Shimazaki) nearly being infected by a creature known as a parasite in the middle of the night. However, he is able to isolate the parasite in his right hand and names it Migi (Aya Hirano). After learning of his new abilities, like manipulation and a radar for other parasites, he and Migi are being targeted by other parasites and must keep it a secret from his loved ones.

Women’s soccer trampled the Titans but slipped to the Penguins for third place in the West and a No. 3 seed in the NWAC regional tournament.

Last week was a strenuous one for Highline as they played matches on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.

Last Wednesday, the Lady T-birds shutout Tacoma with a box score of 3-0.

“Welcome to Demon School, Iruma-kun!” (2019, produced by Bandai Namco Pictures) is a light hearted anime filled with chaos and loveable miscreants.

The show’s plot is about a boy named Iruma (voiced by Ayumu Murase) who gets sold by his parents to a demon lord named Sullivan (Takaya Kuroda) to be his grandson and go to school in the Demon World. While there, he meets a lot of wacky characters and gets into a load of shenanigans.

Highline will be hosting the third annual Disability Justice Week on November 1, 3, and 4 in Building 7.

Disability Justice Week emphasizes disability rights and experiences to expand knowledge to others through a series of keynotes, a workshop, and a film, accessibility resources Jennifer Sandler said.

“All Disability Justice Week events are open to the community; all are welcome to attend,” she said.

Highline has adopted a new set of mission, vision, and values statements that focus more on inclusivity and equitable practices.
As of October 13, Highline has updated their new mission statement, vision, and values.
The Equity First Strategic Planning Core Team has been working on a new set of statements to better represent the school and its students since Fall Quarter 2021.