loma linda academy mirror '13-'14 i2

Volume 81 Issue 1Dec. 2013 rorThe mIr 1

The Mir orLoma Linda Academy Newszine | Est. 1940s | www.llamirror.org | Volume 81 Issue 2 | Dec. 2013

r

Week of Prayer 2013

Christmas Banquet announCement 2013

Photos by Danelle Taylor Johnston


taBle of Contents

1 Cover photo by Shawn Weerawardana4 Why Did Bad Things Happen to Good People? 6 Christmas Around the World7 What Makes You Happy?8 Government Shutdown9 Briefs10 McLoma Linda 13 Christmas Recipe14 Clubs on Campus15 List of Clubs16 Christmas Places to Go17 Christmas Gift Ideas18 “Beep Beep” Sports 20 Student Feature 21 Briefs 22 Give a Little, Get a Lot

*Publisher*Robert Skoretz

*Sponsor*Danelle Taylor Johnston

*Contact*Loma Linda Academy10656 Anderson St.Loma Linda, CA [email protected]

*Editor in Chief*Shawn Weerawardana

*Reporters*Julian Aveling Abry GittensShawn WeerawardanaJoyce ZhengElijah Hickman

*Photo Editors*Shawn WeerawardanaElijah Hickman

Photos by Danelle Taylor Johnston

4 Volume 81 Issue 1 Dec. 2013rorThe mIr

Why Do BaD things haPPen to gooD PeoPle?

“Why do bad things happen

to good people?” With all that has

happened to some of the students

at Loma Linda Academy (LLA), as

well as the worldwide tragedies that

happen seemingly everyday, it has

left a lot of people asking why.

But what is this idea of “bad”?

What is bad? Isn’t everything

in the world corrupt?

God is good. All the time. What

is good? Is good not perfect? God is

good; God is perfect. So in reality

bad things happen to all people. This

question seems both complicated and

simple at once. Bad things happen

my dad suffered in the long journey

in the hot sweaty car, but once

he got home he heard the news

that the plane he was supposed to

[ride on, got] in an accident.”

This idea that God allows

suffering so that something good

can come your way is hard concept

to grasp. How can this loving,

amazing, gracious God allow

good people to suffer? We have

to understand that God is a good

God and give us strength to any

hardship. Through these struggles,

He ultimately knows that we will

become stronger through Him.

When turning to the Bible, the

Tragedies hit LLA hard this year and left people asking “Why do bad things happen to good people?”

to everyone as a result of living in a

sinful world. But this doesn’t dispel

the fact that it seems as though all

these wonderful people are having

these horrible things happen to

them. So again, why do these kind

of things happen to good people?

Josh Sihotang, a senior as well a

Campus Ministries ministry director,

said he believes, “Sometimes God

allows suffering so that something

good can come your way (Isaiah

55:9.) Back when my dad was

Indonesia it was time for his break

and he was going to ride a plane

home, he felt this conviction that

he shouldn’t get in the plane. So

Phot

o by

Sha

wn

Wee

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arda

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eDitorial

By: Shawn Weerawardana

in behind him and made it through.

It was still hard to see, but I trusted

this person with the right experience

and equipment knew where they

were going. We made it! That’s the

way it is with God. The world is a

pretty bad place. Things will happen

to all of us. If we follow Him, we

will make it through. He has the

only true knowledge and will see us

through it all. We will still have foggy

spots, but He will get us through.”

God will always be there for

us, even in the times where we

will think we are experiencing

things we just can’t handle. God

loves us. Bad things happening

to us are hard to understand, but

it is easy to accept His grace.

story of Joseph

stands out.

God allowed

Joseph to go

through so

much suffering

and pain.

In the end,

Joseph prospered

and even saved

Egypt and his family.

Scotty Weber, a junior and

religious vice president of the Student

Association at LLA said, “God is

our father and loves us. [...] He

pushes us to the end of our faith and

builds us up stronger than before.

He does this because He loves us.”

God even puts his own Son

through suffering, yet they knew there

would be a greater good in the end.

When tragedy strikes loved ones,

or even complete strangers, what

can be done for those left hurting?

What can they do for themselves?

How can people even cope with

the horrible things happening to

them? As a school community, it is

important to show people who are

suffering compassion and love.

Letting them know that in their

time of need they have people to

lean on, is part of our

responsibility as a

student body united

in God’s love.

Let them know

that they are not

alone in a time that

may seem as though

God has left them.

In regards to what

people who are suffering can

do for themselves, know that

God will always be with them,

including in times of need.

Gene Oswald, a Bible teacher at

LLA has had his own experiences with

the issue of bad things happening

to good people. “Let me share this

analogy. My family and I were driving

up north near Fresno, CA and the

tule fog was so thick you could not

see five feet in front of you. This fog

in the Central Valley is very normal

during certain parts of the year. I was

afraid to stop and afraid to go on.

I had to keep going. I was afraid a

truck would hit us if I stopped. I was

slowly following the yellow line in

the highway when out of nowhere a

big truck came around us and kept

going. He had big fog lights and

seemed to know the way. I just fell

And we know that in all things God works for

the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Romans 8:28


What makes you h(aPP)y

11:59

LiveLifeAbundantly

25%Tuesday, December 24

slide to unlock

Apps that will make you h(app)y

Any.DoTake a moment

to plan your day!

Any.do Moment

is a quick &

playful experience that helps you

plan your day every morning. It

makes planning your day fun & simple. (description via Any.do)

RetailMeNotA great app to get AMAZING

deals on everything from pizza delivery to high end fashion.

FunRunBring the

craze of

last year

back as you race

against your friends in

this fun game.

Wanelo(wah-nee-loh)Want. Need.

Love. Online shopping has

never been so easy

with Wanelo, where everything you

need is all there in one convenient

application. Also a great app for the

holidays.

PicFlow Mix your photos and

music like never before. All you

have to do is tap-to-the-beat to synchronize photos and music.

Great for Instagram and special gifts!

Have an amazing app you can’t live without? Tell us about it and we may feature it in the

next issue!

QuizletA great app

for studying

and memorization of

facts. A must have for all students.


stuDent life

Students at LLA have more than one way to celebrate the holidays.

Christmas arounD the WorlD

CC: Creative Commons

“On one day during the

holidays, we will go to hang

out with my white family.

On another day, we spend

time with my Chinese

family.” -Jake Strauss (11)

“During the holidays,

instead of asking my parents

for a certain gift, I ask for a

certain amount of money and I

spend it on whatever I want.”-

Zachary R. Byrd Crawley (9)

“In my family, we celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day, it is my little sister’s birthday. When she was little, she thought everyone was celebrating her day.” -Teia Campbell (11)

“My family bonds over food. That’s my favorite part about the holiday season.” -Elijah Hill (11)

Loma Linda Academy is full of diversity

and rich cultures. Christmas is a time

when many different people have the

ability to showcase their family traditions

and celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

“My family gets

together and we watches

a lot of Christmas movies.

One of our favorites is

Elf.”-Marissa Wright (11)


government shutDoWnYou have probably heard about the US Government shutdown.

It would be difficult not to hear

about it by this point. However

you may not know what it means,

other than the obvious shutdown

part. Some of the effects it

included are national parks closing,

government workers not getting

paid and government agencies

suspending operations. These are

things you have probably heard,

you also may have heard that the

shutdown was caused by the debt

ceiling not getting raised, the debt

ceiling being how much money

the government can go into debt.

During the shutdown, most

government agencies had to suspend

operations while Congress attempted

to come to a compromise. One

notable effect was the closing of

national parks, monuments, historical

locations, museums, recreational

areas and other similar locations and

services. Government agencies such

as NASA, the FCC, the IRS, most

of the FDA and many others had

to shut down, placing their workers

on furlough. On the other hand,

some others, such as the federal

court, federal prisons, or self-funded

agencies like the US Postal Service,

continued to function, either

normally, or at lower efficiency and

with lower personnel than normal

In a recent survey of the school,

students voiced their opinion as to

how the US government shutdown

affected them. Several students

said that they were unable to visit

national parks, others had trouble

with passports or research for papers

as government websites were also

down. Grant Ratana (9) said that his

father was furloughed for two weeks.

The whole situation began back

in late September when the Democrat

controlled Senate refused to pass

the Continuing Appropriations

Resolution, because the Republican

controlled House inserted measures

to defund the Affordable Care Act

otherwise known as Obamacare.

The United States Government is

divided into three branches, the

president, The Supreme Court, and

Congress. Congress is divided into

two further branches, the House of

Representatives, and the Senate.

The Senate is composed of

two officials, known as senators,

representing each US state, for a total

of 100 senators. Some argue that the

Senate is known for having more

individual power and prestige than

the House, as the House has 435

representatives and the Senate has

only 100. This divides more power

among fewer people. Controlling

the House or Senate just means that

one political party has the majority

of the representatives, or senators,

and thus the majority vote.

The Continuing Appropriations

Resolution is a bit of legislation

that the government has to pass

each year to continue to fund

government agencies. Essentially, the

government decides which agencies,

or branches, to keep funding, if they

should reduce or increase funding

to something, and other things.

This year however, in the

middle of fierce legislative war

over the Affordable Care Act, the

Republican party placed provisions

in the Continuing Appropriations

Resolution that would have

defunded the Affordable Care Act.

The Democrat party decided that it

did not like that. The two sides, the

House on one and the Senate and

President Obama on the other, went

back and forth for a while. When

they could not agree over the budget,

Congress was locked in a stalemate.


Community

As the two sides could not come to

a compromise before September 30,

2013, which was the deadline for the

next fiscal (government finances) year,

the federal government shut down.

Even if an agency remained

partially functional, people still lost

their jobs, or were furloughed, which

means a leave of absence. This left

tens of thousands of government

workers without work.

According to Brandon

Herrmann, LLA history teacher, the

best way students can get involved

and understand events like this, is

to, ‘keep abreast of world politics

and news, work for campaigns, or

political action committees, also

[to learn] through education.”

The shutdown finally ended

when a compromise was reached. On

October 16th, 2013, a revised version

of the Continuing Appropriations

Resolution Act was passed through

the House and Senate, and signed

by the president just after midnight,

October 17th, 2013. In summary,

the two major political parties could

not compromise over a bill. This

shut down the government for 16

days, leaving people without their

jobs and pay and closing locations

like national parks and monuments.

However, on October 5th, the House

unanimously passed a bill that would

provide back pay to all furloughed

employees of the government.

Finally on October 16th the

two parties did compromise,

passing a bill that will fund the

government until February 16th.

Herrmann said on the

possible long lasting effects of the

shutdown: “The longest lasting

effect, we will probably see a

slight decrease in national debt,

and people will have less trust or

respect for members of Congress.”

Brandon Shin (10) expressed

dismay at losing the panda cam,

which is a web camera accessible

from the website of the Smithsonian

National Zoological Park, it allows

visitors to watch giant pandas in

zoos across the US. Shin said “Yeah,

I sympathized with the people that

were affected, many people lost jobs,

and we lost the PANDA CAM.

Bella Nelson (9) said in the

survey, “I was just ticked off

that a couple that was arrested

for entering a state park.”

Kevin Leeper (11) said that,

“We were all indirectly affected by

the shutdown. I think it caused

a lot more people, including

me, to lose faith in the current

bipartisan dominated system,

where “middle ground” isn’t a part

of the dictionary. It just proved

that we have a dysfunctional

government in other words.”

By Julian aveling

Phot

o by

Dan

elle

Tay

lor J

ohns

ton


On the opening day of

McDonald’s, an elementary

school girl was carrying her

cleats and walking toward the

Golden Arches as if they were the

entrance to the Promise Land.

The new establishment on

Barton Road has been up and

running in Loma Linda since

the middle of September.

Many high school students have

visited Loma Linda McDonald’s

because of the attraction of

cheap food and speediness.

Inside the McDonald’s, the

walls are decorated with images

of families hiking and individuals

running or exercising. Green and

brown leather chairs give the

establishment an earthy feel.

Moving TV screen menus that

show vivid videos, pictures of the

food, prices, and calorie counts

provide information and make

the restaurant seem very modern

and professional. Personal ketchup

pumps, sweet tea dispensers, and

various soda pop choices line one

side of the wall while the other

displays possible choices for Happy

Meal toys. Welcoming cashiers

greet customers with an enthusiastic

“Hello!” as parents, children,

elders, and students stop by to

order Baked Apple Pies, McWraps,

Caramel Frappes, and more.

On the first day of its opening,

Alyssa Cosejo (10) said, “When

I woke up that morning, I was

like ‘It smells like fries.’”

Even though the oily scent

shocked her in the beginning, she says

that she likes the new McDonald’s

now because of its Fish-o-Filet

sandwiches and dessert items.

Kristel Ibalio, a petite and

bubbly senior, happily supports

McDonald’s and tells others,

“You should try the hot and spicy

McChicken with medium fries and

a large sweet tea—that’s what I call

the McKristel—or an iced pumpkin

spiced latte, or the super kids meal.”

“Last week I went at least

once every day,” says Kristel Ibalio.

“The person at the drive through

knows me by this order because

I’ve ordered it so many times.”

Heidi Nawar (12), a cashier

at this local Loma Linda fast food

chain, says that her job has changed

her views on McDonald’s.

Nawar said, “I don’t like

McDonald’s, in general because

I don’t really like their food. I do

like their ice cream and I do love

that, and I like their McWraps,

but that’s pretty much it. But since

I get a free meal, I guess I can try

new things now, which I did the

first day. I tried a McChicken and

I was like ‘Oh it’s pretty good.’”

However, McDonald’s was

not a welcome addition to many

Loma Linda Residents. When Dr.

Wayne S. Dysinger, a preventative

medicine physician, heard about the

upcoming agreement for McDonald’s

in Loma Linda he was not happy.

As a doctor concerned with the rise

of obesity and his own children’s

welfare, Dysinger and chiropractor

Dr. Sylvie Wellhausen, and others

created the Healthy Loma Linda

Coalition, aimed to stop the creation

of the infamous fast food chain in

Loma Linda. They are concerned

for the health and well-being of

the Loma Linda community.

The coalition discovered two

mCloma linDa


crucial pieces of information. Despite

the fact that Loma Linda is a Blue

Zone, an area where people tend to

live longer lives than most, Loma

Linda has no regulations or laws

that watch over the health of the

community or food environment,

which is the

types of eating

establishments

within a

specified area.

Secondly, the

Coalition looked

into a method

of measuring

the health of

a city known

as the Retail Food Environment

Index (RFEI). This index shows the

relationship between the number

of fast food restaurants and the

rate of obesity, according to the

definition given by Dysinger.

The cities that have few fast

food chain restaurants have a lower

rate of obesity; and those that have

a bigger amount of fast food chains

have a higher rate of obesity.

From these two observations

and facts, the Healthy Loma

Linda Coalition presented their

argument to the City Council

in order to try to repeal the

establishment of McDonald’s.

However, by this time the

developer for the McDonald’s

in Loma Linda was almost

completed with the necessary

requirements for the construction

of this eating establishment.

The press caught on to this

dilemma of the fast food outlet in

the healthy Loma Linda community

a bit too late. That did not stop

newspaper reporters from the New

York Times, ABC News, LA Times,

and televised news from storming the

hills of veggie links and Stripples.

Since the Loma Linda City

Council had their hands tied at the

threat of a possible lawsuit from the

McDonald’s corporation, bulldozers

and cement trucks came to replace

the orange trees with cement.

However, is McDonald’s really

that bad? The food is cheap, free

Wi-Fi is available, and it comes

out quickly and piping hot. Not to

mention that Oreo McFlurries are

deliciously creamy and filled with

crunchy chocolate

cookie crumbs.

However,

the calorie count

is not so good.

For a small Oreo

McFlurry, 26%

of one’s daily

fat intake and

510 calories

are packed into

a twelve ounce cup.

Salt, sugar, and oil are also

slathered on most of the food choices

and McDonald’s is universally known

as being unhealthy. McDonald’s

claims that options such as salad

or oatmeal are available instead of

unhealthier options. But for most

individuals, making the easier choice

of purchasing $1 delectable and

golden fries is much more appealing

that spending $4 on a miniscule salad.

By Guest Writer Kristen Kim

Community

Photo by Shawn Weerawardana


Poll

Created with Haiku Deck

page 1 of 1

Mcdonalds Survey

“It’s an easier to get to place and literally

fast food.” Cassy Veluz (11)

YES

“W already have a Carl’s Jr. in Loma Linda,

so I don’t think having a McDonalds is going

to make a difference in our health.”

Julia Rigsby (9)

“People now have more choices for their

food in Loma Linda. Remember, if you don’t

want to go to McDonalds, don’t go, and

don’t throw a fit.” Rachel Specht (9)

“It was bound to happen any ways,

considering the popularity.” Ana Caballos (12)

“Loma Linda should be more open to food placed

and such. Loma Linda is highly critical and blow

out of proportion.” Chase Sugiono (11)

“I like McDonalds for quick snacks like smoothies,

drinks, McFlurries, and fries.” Nathan Ortiz (10)

I don’t really support McDonald’s ethics when

it comes to how they process their food. I don’t

hate fast food, I just don’t think McDonalds is

healthy for anyone.” Moriah Perkins (10)

“It’s too enticing.” Tess Jackson (11)

“They should have put a Taco Bell.” Natalie Peters (9)

“Well, at least it is in front of the clinics in case

someone gets a heart attack.” Harold Gonzalez (10)

“Can’t believe a health reformed community

will permit junk food.” Kurt Dritlein (12)

“I miss the orange groves.” Shasta Erickson (11)

“Loma Linda is a Blue Zone, therefore, we

should keep it a blue zone. MDonalds is worse

than any other place” Win Pasaribu (9)

NO

Do you like having a mCDonalDs in

loma linDa?

Created with Haiku Deck

page 1 of 1

Mcdonalds Survey

total of 219 students responded


extra

Christmas reCiPegingerBreaD men

ingreDents:3 cups of flour1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon1/2 teaspoon of baking soda1/2 teaspoon of ground ginger powder1 stick of butter2/3 cups of syrup1/2 cups brown of sugarAn egg

parchment paper and roll the mixture to 3 mm thick5. Create whatever shapes you want with cookie cutters.6. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. 7. Spray a cookie tray with oil and place cookies on the tray. 8. Bake the cookies for 8 to 10 minutes until the edges become brown and then remove.

1. In the mixer, mix butter and brown sugar, then egg and syrup and finally the mixture of flour, cinnamon, baking soda, and ground ginger.2. Next roll the mixture of dough into a ball and wrap it with plastic wrap.3. Then place the ball of dough in the refrigerator for an hour.4. Next place the dough between two sheets of

NO

Do you like having a mCDonalDs in

loma linDa?

total of 219 students responded

Phot

os b

y Jo

yce

Zhe

ng


By JoyCe Zheng

It seems like there are posters of all kinds of clubs everywhere on campus.

17 clubs in total sprang up in LLA

(see the list of clubs on the next page).

Sydney Gilbert (11) is the

president of Fashion Club. The club

is for fashion lovers. So far the club

is raising money for supplies to

prepare for some fun fashion DIY’s.

The Fashion club looks forward to

igniting students’ love for fashion.

Marissa Wright (11) was in

Shades Club two years ago. Last

year no one headed the club, so

Wright thought it might be a good

idea to restart it. She talked to

Abryana Gittens (11), and the two

girls decided to restart the club

together, thinking it would be a fun

way to learn about new cultures.

Laura Ballou (12) and

Haley Perry (12) run the Tea Club

together. The club meets every

Wednesday at Mrs. Holm’s room.

Side tea and feature tea (the feature

tea differs every week) are provided

to all members. Students can also

enjoy some baked goods there. The

price for half membership is $1

per month; for full membership

the price is $2 per month.

Among all the clubs, LLA

Walk Run Fitness is a unique one

because a lot of its members are

faculties in school. Last year, Danelle

Taylor Johnston, English teacher,

had an idea that the school should

do something to motivate students

to be healthier. The school did a

promo of 6 to 8 teachers running,

stretching and doing push-up. This

year Andy Sandiford proposed to

do a real club for fitness. He said, “

Why don’t we just do it for real?”

Then Sandiford asked Johnston

and Jessica Williams, religion teacher,

to help him organize a fitness club.

In the past, students had come to

Sandiford to ask if they can do a

track team, or cross country team.

According to Sandiford, the

school does not have a track team, but

with the establishment of the club, all

school teachers and students through

K-12 and their families could join

the fitness club and walk on the track

three days a week. Students who are

not in the high school can only come

if they bring a parent with them.

High school students that are

full members do not need their

parents with them. The club also

encourages participation from the

community. Three nurses from

Loma Linda Hospital frequently

come to walk with other club

members. Club members also hope

to expand to the Loma Linda Lopers

and invite some of their members

to walk on Sunday evenings.

This year’s set of clubs provide

ample opportunities for students

to get involved in a club of their

interest. For information about the

clubs, students should talk to the

president or sponsor of the club.

CluBs on CamPus


sChool life

CamPusCluBs

Name of Clubs Sponsors(s) Time & LocationWhere You Meet

Book Club Sarah Henderson Every other Thursday during lunch in Ms. Henderson’s room.

Photo Club Danelle Taylor Johnston Every Thursday at noon in the Mac Lab

Rocking Climbing Club Sarah Henderson Monthly climbing dates are determined by the club. Watch for signs!!

Shades Sergio Uribe & Elba Vega Every other Wednesday during lunch in Vega’s room

LLA Walk Run Fitness Dr. Doug Herrmann, Andy San-diford, Danelle Taylor Johnston, Jessica Williams,Gail Nelson

Sunday 6 pm, Monday 5pm, Wednesday 5pm

Tea Club Lori Holm Every Wednesday at lunch, Holm’s room

Youth-to-Youth Lynne Hattendorf & Kate Lewis Random days throughout the year

Creative Writing Club David Stone Weekly

Fashion Club Brandon Herrmann Every Thursday at lunch in Her-rmann’s room

Robo-Runners Heidi Elssmann, Warren Jarrard Meetings are every Tuesday from 3:30 to 5:00 pm

Friends Next Door Bible Club Gene Oswald Every Monday at lunch

Badminton Gene Oswald Wednesdays at lunch in the gym

Paintball Club Lucio Camacho

MAD Club Bettesue Constanzo

Art Club Sara Gillespie

CERT Gene Oswald/Gordan Day/Andy Sandiford

Electronic Computer Club La Sierra University


extra

interesting loCations maPLoma Linda and the surrounding area is not a boring place, especially around Christmas.

Interesting locations are sprinkled around. Unfortunately, it can be difficult to find interesting

and fun locations that can be visited. Don’t worry though! The Mirror Staff has your

back! Here are some great Christmas places, carefully collected onto a large map.

-1- -2-

Map data: Google, TerraMetrics

-3-

-4-

Panorama Point.

It’s a really nice place

to go look out over the

cities of Loma Linda,

Redlands and Riverside

-3-

Panorama Point Dr.,

Redlands, CA 92373

Loma Linda Academy.

There are lots of

Christmas activities

happening right on campus.

-1-

10656 Anderson St,

Loma Linda, CA

Citrus Plaza.

There is a huge Christmas

display, and you can get some

Christmas shopping done!

-2-

27320 West Lugonia

Avenue Redlands,

CA 92374

-5- -6-


extra

Mission Inn

The mission is

covered with Christmas

lights & decorations.

-4-

3649 Mission Inn Ave,

Riverside, California

Krikorian Theater!

Go watch a movie

with some friends.

-5-

10656 Anderson St,

Loma Linda, CA

Riley’s Farm.

You can go for a

hike and/or have fresh

apple pie and cider.

-6-

12261 Oak Glen

Rd, Yucaipa, CA

gift iDeas

Pile Hat H&M$12.95

A stockingfrom TJ Max$7.99

hm.com

Treats Box From Wilton Shop $3.39

wilton.com


Loma Linda Football Tournament

sPorts

Photos By Danelle taylor Johnston


Loma Linda Basketball

sPorts

Photos By eliJah hiCkman


Student Feature Andrew Hamerly

Andrew Hamerly is a senior who

has amazing talent managing stock

accounts. He was very interested

in finances as a kid, so he started

collecting gold and silver coins and

tracking the value of his coins.

He then started getting interested

in stocks, because he realized he

could make more money by investing

in stocks. However, Hamerly didn’t

know how stocks work. So, he went

to the one person in his family that

knew about stocks, his dad. His dad

taught him everything Hamerly

knows about managing stocks.

Hamerly researches all potential

trade and has his dad invest in that

stock for him, because Hamerly is

not old enough to invest in stocks.

Today, Hamerly has invested

in about twenty stocks. They are

mostly natural resources, but he has

some health care and real estate.

His favorite ones are Novartis,

BHP Billiton and Dividend. “It

is interesting being the only one

[at school] that knows a lot about

stocks, and it is fun teaching

other kids,” said Hamerly.

Like most teenagers, Hamerly has

his struggles too. He has a medical

condition called Pneumothorax,

which means his lungs can collapse

if he does anything dramatic like

skydiving or scuba diving. This first

happened his freshman year, then

it happened three more times in

his sophomore year. His grades in

sophomore year took a huge dent

because of it, but he got through.

According to Hamerly,“The challenge

made me mentally stronger.”

Even though he has had his fair

share of challenges, Hamerly is a

strong person. He has many plans

for himself in the future. He plans

to study finance in college, but his

dream job is to be a portfolio manager

in finance. Hamerly is dedicated to

making his dreams a reality, and at

this rate, nothing will get in his way.

By Elijah Hickman

stuDent life

Phot

o by

Elij

ah H

ickm

an


Sandy

Roberts,

Southeastern California

Conference president, is the first

woman to fill the position since the

creation of the conference in

1863.

you Don’t knoW?noW you knoW

On

November

11, the SECC Board of

Education voted to approve the

incorporation of the Loma Linda

Children’s Center as a campus of

Loma Linda Academy.

The new library is ready for use! Go and check it out if you

have not already!

PUC Basketball

tournament was a huge success for LLA

both the girls and boys varsity came out as

Champions!

Briefs


is. According to her, “Evangelism

is the best thing in the world. It

does not only impact other people

but spiritually impacts yourself.”

Being able to help an individual

on their journey with God is an

amazing opportunity. Things like

evangelism and outreach programs

are great ways to not only help

others, but to help oneself.

A common theme

among students involved

with outreach programs

is the positive effects

that are seen not only

in the people receiving

the help, but the people

giving the help as well.

According to Malik Mayne,

a senior and an Outreach Director

of Campus Ministries, he gets to see

a side of people he does not think

other people would be able to see. He

says “When you get to know these

people on a first name basis, you get

a window into their reality. Their

hopes, their dreams, their smiles and

their belief in God. It changes your

views sometimes.” A bright smile

shines on Dritlein’s face as she talks

about the changes in her life since she

became more involved in outreach.

“ I’ve noticed a huge change in my

It is that time of year once

again,when the Christmas lights

are shining bright, fires are blazing,

and KSGN is playing all the

Christmas music you could ask

for. For some reason, the holiday

season always seems to bring out

the best in people.

People seem more cheerful and a

little more hopeful. Advertisements

are asking for donations, or for people

to volunteer

their time

to help out

people in

need. But

sometimes

seem

that once

Christmas is over and the tree has

been packed away in the garage,

that things go back to, well, normal.

People are not as cheerful, not

as hopeful, and not as giving.

While it is wonderful to be

involved in all of the great outreach

programs for Christmas, what about

the programs after the season is over?

At Loma Linda Academy, students

are making an effort to prevent giving

from being seasonal. All year

long, the Campus

Ministries team

works hard

to provide

students at

Loma Linda

Academy

with diverse

opportunities to

branch out and give

back to the people around them.

Students who participate in these

activities rarely ever regret getting

involved. Doing

outreach programs

is a simple way to

make a difference

in the community.

Ashley Dritlein,

a junior, is a student

at LLA who has

become passionate for helping other

people and witnessing about God’s

love, no matter what the season

give a little, get a lot

Students at Loma Linda Academy discover that helping others ultimately helps themselves.

“When you learn to love

God full-heartedly, you develop His wonderful

character.”


life, not only myself but the

people around me… When you

witness you are surrounded with

godly people who make a huge

positive influence on you. My

life changed in all aspects. When

you grow to learn and love God

full-heartedly you develop His

wonderful character. It’s a lifestyle.

You change the way you eat,

your spiritual walk [changes],

your character [changes] and

the way you live [changes].”

Some people do not think

that outreach is for them. They

may be scared, shy, or just

unmotivated. However, the

only way for students to know

if something is not for them is

for them try it. Ashley says that

when she first started canvassing,

which is when people go from door

to door preaching the word of God

and handing out literature, she quit.

According to her, she did not have

the motivation. But once she started

to grow with the Lord, she realized

that canvassing was something God

was calling her to do. She admits that

it is a hard thing to do sometimes,

and it might not be for everyone.

An important aspect to being

successful in outreach programs is

being dedicated to your purpose.

Giving back and working in

outreach programs is a great way

to be involved at school or with

your church. For students who are

willing to get involved, but just do

not know where to start, there is

By aBry gittens

a great solution for their problem.

LLA’s Campus Ministries site, www.

livelifeabundantly.org, offers a wide

variety of opportunities for students

to get involved with outreach, and

get community service hours as well.

Programs like Meals on

Wheels and Senior Youth

Networking and Care (SYNC)

offer fantastic opportunities

for students to branch out.

The Bible says in Jeremiah

1:7, “But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;

for to all to whom I send you,

you shall go, and whatever I

command you, you shall speak.”

stuDent life

Photos by Shawn Weerawardana

Christmas Banquet 2013 Photos by Shawn Weerawardana

loma linda academy mirror '13-'14 i2

Documents