Through the first half of the season, the Highline Volleyball team has shown how strong the core of their team is and that they are a powerhouse in the Northwest Athletic Conference (NWAC). Thunderbirds have put up an impressive 19-1 record thus far, placing them squarely on top of the NWAC West Region 

Highline Volleyball is currently in the middle of an 18-game win streak, while boasting an impeccable 13-0 record when playing at home and going a perfect 3-0 against conference opponents.

Every year the Thunderword invites faculty and staff members to nominate outstanding graduates for its special Inside Scoop edition. This edition includes the remarkable stories of the standout students of the spring class of 2024.

These students represent a vast array of degree goals, career aspirations, and personal histories but what they all have in common is their tenacity of spirit and unmistakable attitude that brightens the days of members of the Highline community.

Arcturus, Highline College’s renowned publication, launched its much-anticipated 56th issue.

To celebrate the June 5 release, attendees shared food, refreshments, and a free copy of the latest Arcturus issue. The diverse array of contributors shared their works and the inspirations and processes behind them, even opening up time towards the end of the event for an open mic, allowing everyone to take part in the creativity.

This issue’s theme “After Image” explores the concept of the image that remains even after the original is no longer visible. It is the lingering picture when one looks away after exposure to a bright image. Contributors have captured this effect through prose, poetry, and visual art, probing into the lasting echoes of both big and small incidents.

Centerstage Theatre closes its 2023-2024 season with “Ten Acrobats in an Amazing Leap of Faith”, a poignant family drama which follows the chaos that unfolds in an immigrant, Muslim-Egyptian family where the children of the family, all young adults in their own right, start to diverge and wrestle with the family values they’d been raised with.

The whole cast is stellar – bringing charisma, passion, and earnestness to their roles. The show itself is captivating and thought provoking, tackling powerful and heavy subject matter, mostly regarding religion, and the way those beliefs can become heavily intertwined with family dynamics, and an attempt to detangle the two and understand each other.

As the Highline Thunderbirds gear up for the upcoming soccer season, the team is buzzing with anticipation under the leadership of newly appointed Head Coach Skyler Roehr. Roehr, who served as the assistant coach last year, steps into his new role with high expectations and a deep-rooted passion for Highline soccer, having played his final season with the Thunderbirds in 2018.

Last season, Highline came heartbreakingly close to capturing the NWAC Men’s Soccer Championship. The Thunderbirds finished as runners-up after a dramatic penalty shootout loss to Peninsula College. The match ended 2-2 after regulation and overtime, and the ensuing shootout extended to 11 rounds before Peninsula secured the title with an 11-10 victory.

Club América won consecutive championships and extended its record of Liga MX titles to 15 after defeating rival Cruz Azul 2-1 on aggregate in the Clausura 2024 final.

Thursday’s first leg ended with a 1-1 draw at Cruz Azul’s Ciudad de los Deportes Stadium. Sunday’s second leg at Club América’s Estadio Azteca ended with a score of 1-0 in favor of the team.

The game “Wuthering Waves” was released this month. According to the creators it’s a “story-rich open-world action RPG.” You start as the amnesiac character Rover, and you explore the world ahead of you.

The game had more than 30 million pre-registrations and the reveal stream has over 400k views. The game server opened around one and a half hours earlier than scheduled, leading many to be unprepared for the grand opening. Within the first ten minutes of the servers opening, over 100k accounts had been created already as signified by the user ID number.

As Highline students made their way around campus this past week, many may have noticed the scores of American flags placed on the grass next to Building 8, each meticulously lined up in neat rows in order to honor Memorial Day.

Memorial Day is a landmark American holiday meant to remind us of those who died while serving their country in the U.S. military. It wasn’t until 1971 that the last Monday in May became a federal holiday, after congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act in 1968.

This federal holiday includes observation for the longest war the U.S. has been involved in from 2001 to 2021. This day is not just for having a day off from school or work. It’s for commemorating the veterans that did not get to come back home and hang up their uniform.

“I Saw the TV Glow” is a captivating, heart wrenching film that perfectly encapsulates the lonely feeling of growing up queer in suburbia, and the confusion that comes when one doesn’t have the words to express it.

The film follows Owen, through middle school and high school all the way into adulthood, and his elusive friendship with a girl named Maddy.

They first meet when Owen is in seventh grade and Maddy is in ninth, and he strikes up a conversation with her about the book she’s reading: an episode guide to the fictional show, “The Pink Opaque”.

The company Boston Dynamics is the leader in the creation of dexterous robotics on a global scale. Their robots are revolutionary. Their robots can navigate. They can lift heavy objects. They can jump. But most importantly, they can dance.

Their first viral robot would be Atlas. Atlas is a hydraulic robot that stands on its own two feet. Atlas is a robot that walks, jogs, and jumps. With these abilities, Atlas is about to maneuver around. The power of Atlas’s hydraulics allows them to lift and throw objects, even to places above it. Atlas has dexterity, agility, and strength.

The Highline College men’s golf team concluded a commendable season with a notable performance at the NWAC Golf Championship, held at the scenic Apple Tree Golf Course in Yakima, Wash. Despite the tough competition, Highline standout player David Sibbett achieved a remarkable fourth place individually, underlining his skill and knowledge of the game.

This season, the Highline College golf team competed fiercely in several tournaments, building momentum and showcasing their talents. The culmination of Sibbett’s efforts was evident in the championship, where his performance was a testament to his consistency and ability to excel under pressure.

While the Arctic regions are renowned for their unparalleled views of the Northern Lights, this celestial phenomenon made a rare, breathtaking appearance in the skies above the Pacific Northwest this past weekend. From the shores of Puget Sound to the peaks of the Cascade Range, the dancing lights graced our region with their ethereal presence during a period of particularly intense solar activity.

This past weekend, stargazers across the United States were treated to an extraordinary display of the aurora borealis, thanks to an “extreme” geomagnetic storm classified as a G5 – the highest level. According to the Space Weather Prediction Center, this was the first G5 storm to hit our planet since 2003, resulting in power grid irregularities and communication disruptions.

Highline College’s annual Global Fest, a cornerstone of the college’s 27th Annual Unity Through Diversity Series was a vibrant tapestry of cultures, showcasing the rich diversity of our world.

Hosted by the dynamic trio of Global Student Ambassadors, Muna Ali, Barok Yohannes Hailegiorgis, and Laiza Lim, the May 14 event attracted a large and enthusiastic crowd.

The stage came alive with an electrifying lineup of performances that captivated the audience. The powerful rhythms of Taiko drums set the tone, followed by the mesmerizing Oaxacan dances by Grupo Cultural Donaji. Eva Engelhard and Garvaundo Hamilton’s soulful singing

Rising college tuition and student loans are causing financial problems and economic risks. It’s a growing crisis that we must address for the sake of individuals, communities, and our economy as a whole.

The government has a key role to play. It should regulate colleges to ensure tuition hikes are justified by improvements in education quality. And crucially, it must take action to decrease student loan interest rates to alleviate the burden on students. This is especially important given that total student loan debt now exceeds $1.7 trillion, according to the Federal Reserve.

From the moment students wake up to the time they go to bed, music often plays a crucial role in their daily lives. Whether it’s the perfect playlist to help focus during a study session or a comforting song to heal a broken heart, music has the power to influence moods, productivity, and overall well-being.

Natalie Kim, a Highline College student, told the Thunderword about the role of music as a crucial part of her study routine.

Virtual YouTubers (VTubers) are internet personalities who usually represent themselves through digital avatars. These avatars are typically in the style of anime. There are many different anime art styles and so there are consequently just as many styles for avatars.

These avatars have a few different methods with how they move. Most common would be Live2D. The most accessible are PNG-tubers. The most complicated of them are the 3D models. The avatars are controlled through either camera or trackers. Each of these methods has their pros and cons, it mainly comes down to preference.

The 2024 season ends in a second-place finish for the Highline women’s tennis team, as they fell to a Spokane Community College with a 6-3 loss in the championship final. The season proved a rollercoaster of victories and setbacks, culminating in an exciting journey to the NWAC Championship.

Led by coach Laura Rosa, the season saw the team face tough opponents and made the six players truly prove their mettle on the court.

The season began with a dominant performance against Bellevue College, securing a solid 7-0 victory. Highline continued its winning streak with a convincing 7-2 victory over Spokane Community College. However, they faced tough losses against American River College and Menlo College, highlighting the challenges that awaited them.

“Challengers” is director Luca Guadagnino’s latest film, which follows the turbulent relationships between its three main characters through the lens of their tennis careers. Unlike most love triangle romances, where one character is being chased by two others, this story gives each pairing equal attention, and showcases the ways the three get so deeply intertwined with each other over the years.

The movie itself is about tennis. Tennis is what connects Tashi Duncan, Art Donaldson, and Patrick Zweig. Art and Patrick had been best friends since boarding school, but once they meet Tashi at the start of their college tennis careers, a wrench is thrown in their friendship – they both like her, and she likes both of them, and they’re both sort of into each other, but none of them quite know how to make any of it work.

The internet is as vast as our oceans. The possibilities with the internet are endless. That means it’s susceptible to websites slipping through the gaps, primarily ones that aren’t so honest and legitimate. These websites lead to digital piracy. They host shows, movies, and premium content.

Digital piracy can be found in every corner of the internet quite easily if you know where to look. Of course, these websites aren’t supposed to be available, but in order to take them down, the original owners would need to go through a lengthy legal process. Even when they do get shut down, even more will pop up in their place.

After the recent string of North West Athletic Conference (NWAC) tournaments, the Highline College men’s golf team sits at sixth in the conference. These tournaments were an opportunity to showcase the team’s collective talent and individual prowess, boosting them to their current standing.

At the Olympic Invitational hosted in Port Orchard, Wash., David Sibbett led the charge with a standout performance, clinching first place after a thrilling playoff.

Part Five: The Path Forward

In part four the author grappled with the insidious thoughts and fears that threatened to undermine their progress. Through a combination of self-reflection, determination, and the support of others, they began to challenge these negative beliefs and embrace the idea that their struggles do not define their worth as a person.

Based off of the Harry Potter franchise there have been many games that have been modeled after the books and movies, with all the original characters in place. But never before has there been quite a unique game made after this franchise that creates a whole new story like “Hogwarts Legacy”.

What’s more, not only does this game have its own story line and main quests, but depending on the house you choose this main story quest is a little bit different for each house.

Another feature that makes this gaming experience more unique is that the world map is huge and full of secrets – secret caves, tombs, and the one forbidden forest. With a hidden magical creature known as the classic unicorn. However, lots of other story mode games have huge maps. But what other game lets you travel by flying on a broomstick?

Have you ever felt that your desk is a tad bland? Is your workspace feeling a little empty? Worry no more! Even your peripherals can be exciting, it doesn’t have to be black or white, instead it could be a rainbow. The possibilities are endless.

A desktop should be personalized to reflect you. Most people think about the inside of the computer, for its performance. It’s understandable you would want your computer to be fast and efficient. However, most people overlook the aspect of comfort. The furthest extent the average person would possess would be a wrist rest and a mouse pad.

In a thrilling conclusion to their regular season, the Highline College women’s tennis team triumphed over Bellevue with an impressive 7-0 victory, clinching the top spot in their conference and securing a coveted place in the championship title match.

With their eyes set on the prize, the team displayed exemplary skill and determination on the court, leaving no doubt about their readiness for the challenges ahead.

The play “Almost, Maine” starts with a prologue containing the line, “The farthest away you can be from someone is if you’re sitting right next to them.”

The show is fast-paced yet simple, humorous and heartfelt all at once. It is made up of eleven scenes – eight vignettes as well as a prologue, interlogue, and epilogue – with each of them taking place at the exact same time, in the same town, on the same evening.

Tucked away in Federal Way, in a pavilion near the transit center, is a barbershop you might miss if you don’t already know it’s there. But inside this shop resides some of the best in the business. From the owner Hussien Azeez all the way through to those who apprentice under him, if you’re looking for a sharp looking cut and a clean job look no further than Castle Barbershop.

The shop opened in 2016 and has had its own dedicated following in addition to the numerous awards for Best Fade the shop has won.

The Q Center recently held their third fashion show, in part to promote the Q Boutique, which is currently accepting donations of formal wear for the Pink Prom it will be hosting on May 24.

The event started out with Amy Rider King and Chino Gonzales, the cofounders of the Q Center group, introducing themselves and the Q Boutique.

It’s springtime! Most know it to be the season of bloom, however to a quarter of the population it is known as the season of gloom. A season surrounded by sneezes, runny noses, and itchy eyes.

The spring brings about flowers, trees, and fruit. On the other hand, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows, known primarily by a quarter of the population, its seasonal allergies. It is also known as “hay fever” and “allergic rhinitis”. The main cause of the fever is pollen, specifically tree pollen which kicks into high gear every early spring.

Last Saturday, the Highline women’s tennis team embarked on a journey to Eastern Washington to clash with Spokane Community College, culminating in a thrilling 5-4 victory in favor of the Thunderbirds.

Spokane solidified its status as the toughest contender in the conference, showing its competitive prowess in recent matchups against Bellevue and Treasure Valley Colleges. With only one blemish on their record, a loss to Highline College on the road, this pivotal game determined the conference leader and secured the top playoff spot.

Diversity on a college campus is more than just a buzzword – it’s a fundamental aspect of creating a vibrant and inclusive academic community. Embracing diversity means recognizing and valuing the unique backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives that each individual brings to the table. It’s about creating an environment where everyone feels welcomed and respected.

One of the key benefits of diversity on campus is the opportunity for students to learn from one another. When those from different backgrounds come together, they bring with them a wide range of ideas, beliefs, and experiences. This diversity of thought enriches classroom discussions, leading to deeper learning and a more well-rounded education.

“Lighting and thunder require time; the light of the stars requires time; deeds, though done, still require time to be seen and heard. This deed is still more distant from them than most distant stars—and yet they have done it themselves.”

This is a quote from the philosopher Friedrich Nietzshe that is included in the director’s notes for the show “Rope” which is currently playing at Renton Civic Theatre. The show is a thriller by Alfred Hitchcock and Patrick Hamilton, which follows two young men over the course of an evening as they attempt to get away with the “perfect murder”.

Ah, Rome. The Eternal City, where every cobblestone tells a tale and every ruin whispers of ancient glory. Join me as we embark on a journey through the storied streets and timeless treasures of this legendary metropolis.

Our adventure begins in the mists of antiquity, where myth and history intertwine to tell the tale of Rome’s fabled origins. According to legend, the city was founded by Romulus and Remus, twin brothers who went on to establish a settlement on the banks of the Tiber River in 753 B.C.

After beating Treasure Valley College with a final score of 6 to 1 in their last match, the women’s tennis team continues to be in a good position for a shot at the title this season.

In last Saturday’s regular season game, where Highline College played as visitors to Treasure Valley College, and emerged victorious, Henleigh Elder was the outstanding player of the match, with a 6-0 victory in singles and in doubles sharing the field with Sophia Crosby; they destroyed the local team with a crushing 8-1.

The Running Start program offered at Highline can be a great opportunity for many students to get ahead in their education. But stepping into the college world as a high schooler is not without its downsides as these motivated junior scholars often have to face increased levels of stress and rigor.

Here at Highline there are Running Start students everywhere you look. Around every corner, you can find high schoolers participating in the program and often aiming to get their AA. “Running Start is dual credit program in Washington State that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college courses. Students earn both high school and college credit for courses completed,” states the Highline Running Start webpage.

“First Date, The Musical” opened at Centerstage Theatre recently, and it’s a rollercoaster of a romantic comedy.

Somewhat reminiscent of the 1995 film “Before Sunrise,” the entire show takes place over the course of a single evening, following the two lead characters, Casey and Aaron, as their relationship evolves over the course of a single blind date.

Casey is played by Jessie Sellek, who has been in a variety of other productions at Centerstage, most recently, Fairy Sweetheart in “Sleeping Beauty”. 

Hey there you procrastinating pupils! Tax season is pretty much the worst thing ever when you’re juggling classes, activities, and just trying to survive college life. But ignoring tax deadlines will only compound the stress worse than showing up to an 8 a.m. final without any pencils.

“This is my first year ever filing taxes and I’m so lost,” confessed Noah C. “Between trying to decode all those crazy forms and documents, not to mention actually doing the return itself, I’ve just been avoiding it completely. As a first timer, this whole tax thing is straight-up intimidating!”

A rare total solar eclipse captivated millions across North America on Monday, April 8. The celestial spectacle, which lasted just over two minutes in the path of totality, offered a breathtaking display of nature’s grandeur.

Solar eclipses occur when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, casting its shadow onto our planet. There are three main types of solar eclipses: total, partial, and annular. Monday’s event was a total solar eclipse, the most dramatic of the three, occurring when the moon completely blocks the sun’s light.

The Highline College tennis team is unstoppable, dominating the regular season with a perfect record and securing the top spot in the standings. In their final home game on Saturday, the women’s team trounced Treasure Valley College with an impressive 8-1 victory.

Highline’s singles players were on fire, with Sophia Crosby, Caley Buchan, Denali Terry, and Riley Cordova all winning their matches convincingly, with scores of 6-0, 6-0, 6-1, and 6-2, respectively. Treasure Valley’s Maggie Sharp put up a valiant effort but was the only player from her team to emerge victorious.

One of the most powerful tools for building a successful career is networking. This comes to the chagrin of many college students, as the concept may come across as intimidating, mainly reserved for established professionals. The truth is that networking is more accessible than most may think.

In reality, college is the perfect time to start building those invaluable professional relationships by forming those connections with peers and leaders in your field and areas of interest.

These connections can open doors to opportunities, provide guidance and mentorship, and offer support during your academic and professional journey. While the benefits of networking are clear, how does one go about cultivating these relationships, especially during the college years?

As Highline College celebrates March as International Women’s HERstory Month, we find ourselves reflecting on the contributions of the remarkable female-identified employees who have dedicated decades of their lives to shaping our institution.

Their commitment, tireless efforts and leadership have left a mark on students, staff, and throughout the campus. We extend our deepest gratitude and love for these ladies!

Please join us in celebrating our Highline Women in Action.

Ah, dentistry, the art of making sure your pearly whites stay white… or at least not terrifyingly yellow. Believe it or not, folks, we’ve been obsessed with our chompers since the dawn of time. Picture it: 7000 B.C. You’ve got cavemen roaming around, grunting at each other, and what’s on their mind? Fixing that nagging toothache, of course!

So, our journey through the annals of dentistry begins in the ancient Indus Valley Civilization, where even back then, they were saying, “Hey, my tooth hurts! Let’s jam a rock in there and see if that helps.” Spoiler alert: it didn’t. But hey, you gotta give them props for trying, right?

In the modern era, our dependence on technology has transformed the very notion of privacy into a quaint relic of the past. With smartphones as constant companions, our lives are an open book, ready to be dissected and monetized by algorithms and corporations. 

Take for instance, a daily bus commute where you’re surrounded by a sea of screens, each one a window into someone’s digital soul. It’s truly a sight, watching as people surrender their privacy with every tap and swipe, all in the name of connectivity and convenience. Who needs personal space when you have Wi-Fi, right?

Over spring break, the Highline tennis squad kept their rackets hot, notching three consecutive victories in conference matchups, solidifying their dominance on the court.

Adding to their impressive run, the team embarked on a crossover event in Sacramento, California, where they showcased their skills against junior colleges from across the region on March 21st, 22nd, and 24th.

The Highline softball team has had to end their season premature of their season’s commitments this spring. The team has been forced to withdraw from participating in the NWAC softball season.

The most notable reason was the concern that there were players who decided to withdraw from the team as the season had already begun.

The withdrawal from participating was due to reasons that have not been disclosed on the part of the players. The difficulty in reaching a mutual agreement between players and the management to find a solution that could have saved the season led to the season being canceled altogether.