Issue 5 December, 2015Hemet High School, Hemet, CA 92544 (951) 765-5150

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Hemet High School

THE BULLDOG

Happy Hol idays !

What’s Inside . . .Christmas in IdyllwildHemet Christmas Parade12 Days Of ChristmasAre Recent Shootings Causing Schools to be more secureStarbucks Cup Fiasco When should you watch The Nightmare Before Christmas?Hot Christmas Tunes of the YearNew Year, New You!Favorite PresentsGlad to Have You Back

What’s your December holiday tradition? HanukkahKwanzaaMovies to watch this holiday seasonThe Yule LadsTopville or Dreamdog?Anti-Santa: Christmas MonstersBlood DriveNew Apple Products

Hemet High School 41701 E. Stetson Ave.

Hemet, CA 92544 951-765-5150

www.hemethigh.com

Journalism Staff2015- 2016

Views expressed in this issue are those of the students writers and are not the expressed

or implied views of Hemet High School, it’s Staff, Administration or the District.

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HHS Journalism Staff: Josh Carpenter, Keely McMacken, Hailey Jacobson, Austin Pierce, Aryanna Hernandez, Josh Davenport, Madi-

son Loomis, Cassandra Merchain. In your classroom, on the web, reporting on our school!

KwanzaaBy Cassandra Merchain

Kwanzaa is a week-long holiday honoring the culture and traditions of African people worldwide. The

name “Kwanzaa” originated from the phrase “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Each family celebrates in their own ways, but usually consists of songs and dances, African drums, storytelling, poetry reading, and a large traditional meal. It begins December 26th through January 1st. It ends with a feast and gift exchange, during the week of the celebration, seven candles, that represent different principles, are lit and libations are poured. Libation is a name that is given to a ritual pouring of a drink that is used with a wooden unity cup as an offering to a god. On each of these seven nights, the family is to gather and a child is to light a candle upon the Kinara (candle holder), then one of the seven principles is discussed. These principles generally represent values of African culture, which contribute to building and reinforcing community among African-Americans.

There are many symbols that are displayed in Kwanzaa. The colors red, green, and black represent

the struggles of the past and present. Green is represented for a good future. Black represents the deep skin color of people of African descent. The display of the Candleholder and other objects placed around it are crops, corn, unity cup, a mat that the objects are put upon, the gifts, the flag, and a poster of the seven principles.

Kwanzaa didn’t originally mix the elements of other traditions in their celebration, but over the recent

years, many people have commonly been mixing together Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Years because of how close these holidays are to each other. A family may, perhaps, have both a Christmas tree and Kwanzaa candlesticks displayed in their homes. December is a month full of joy and the end of an old life, and celebrating for the new one coming. And it is all celebrated in many different ways according to cultures and beliefs.

What’s your December holiday tradition? By Josh Carpenter

The winter break is upon us and the possibilities for fun are endless. I asked a few students around

campus what they’re doing over the break and some are spending it with family, others with friends and some are even travelling out of the country and to New York City! I

asked Austin Pierce what his holiday tradition was and his response was: “We open presents and that’s it”. Furthermore, I asked Alyssa Avina what her holiday tradition was and her response: “My family hosts a Christmas party and all of my family comes over and we just

have a ton of fun. Everyone looks forward to it all year.” What’s your holiday tradition? No matter where you’re going or what you’re doing, it’s important to be safe and enjoy spending time with family and friends. Have a great Winter break!

Hanukkah

The eight day Jewish festival of light known as Chanukah, most commonly called Hanukkah

begins on the eve of the 25th of the Jewish month Kislev. This annual festival celebrates the triumph of light over darkness, purity over adulteration, and spirituality over materiality. To commemorate and make the miracles public, then instituted the festival. At the heart of the festival is the nightly menorah lighting, also known as the candelabrum. A single flame being lit on the first night, two on the second evening, and so on until the eighth night of Chanukah, when all eight lights are kindled. Customs of this holiday include eating foods fried in oil such as latkes (potato pancakes) and sufganiot (doughnuts). Playing the traditional game of dreidel (a spinning top inscribed with Hebrew letters). The giving of Chanukah gelt, required the gift of money to the children. This is just a reminder of one of the religious holidays celebrated every year that may get underrepresented. Happy Holidays!

Page 3Movies to watch this holiday seasonBy Josh Carpenter

It’s not just the holidays that are starting to come upon us, but also great movies! One of the best things to do

on a cold winter day is snuggle up and watch a great movie to help get in the spirit. Some of the movies coming out this winter:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens- Thirty

years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) and his army of Stormtroopers.

Joy - A story of a family across four generations, centered on the girl

who becomes the woman who creates a business dynasty and becomes a matriarch in her own right. Facing betrayal, treachery, the loss of innocence and the scars of love, Joy becomes a true boss of family and enterprise in a world of unforgiving commerce. Allies become adversaries and adversaries become allies, both inside and outside the family, as Joy’s inner life and fierce imagination carry her through the storm she faces.

Daddy’s Home - A mild-mannered radio

executive (Will Ferrell) competes for the affection of his stepchildren when their freewheeling and freeloading father (Mark Wahlberg) shows up.

All the great new movies coming out do look

enjoyable, but let’s not forget about the classics! Movies like Elf, Home Alone, and A Christmas Story are still some of the best movies around during this holiday season. As great as the presents and gifts are, don’t forget about the true meaning of these holidays, and

spend time with family and friends. Have a great winter break Bulldogs, and see you next semester!

The Yule LadsBy Austin Pierce

The Yule Lads (Or Yulemen if you prefer) are creatures from Icelandic Lore that come during the month

of December and leave in January to spread Christmas cheer…well, no, not really. They’re pretty malevolent. You thought Krampus was bad? Take a look at these guys! First there is Stekkjarstaur, or “Sheep Cote Clod”, his favorite activity is to bother sheep, but he’s impaired by two peglegs. Giljagaur or “Gully Gawk” sneaks into barns at night to steal fresh milk. There’s the short Stúfur or “Stubby” who loves to eat the leftover crust on pans he steals. Þvörusleikir or “Spoon-Licker” steals spoons and licks the handles…he’s very, very thin due to malnutrition.

Pottaskefill or “Pot-Scraper” steals leftover food from pots. Askasleikir or “Bowl Licker” hides under beds and steals a sort of dish with a lid on it from sleeping

humans. My personal favorite Hurðaskellir or “Door-Slammer” loves to open and slam doors, ESPECIALLY at night. Skyrgámur or “Skyr-Gobbler” loves a special kind of pudding called “Skyr”, pretty simple. Bjúgnakrækir or “Sausage-Swiper” hides in rafters and steals sausages while they’re being smoked. Gluggagægir or “Window-Peeper” look through windows in search of things to steal. Gáttaþefur or “Doorway-Sniffer” has a large nose and an acute sense of smell which he uses to locate l a u f a b r a u ð , which is a p a r t i c u l a r type of bread. Ketkrókur or “Meat-Hook” steals all kinds of meat using a…meat hook, pretty simple! Kertasníkir or “Candle-Stealer” is the last of the Yule Lads, he follows children and steals candles to eat (As back when these legends were created, the candles were made of an edible substance). They all stay for about 13 days and start appearing one a day from the 12th of December, by January 6 they’re all gone... remember, stay safe this December and try your hardest not to get caught in the wrath of a Yule Lad.

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Page 4Topville or Dreamdog?

“When are J Cole and Kendrick gonna combine their genius?” – Ron Johnson 2014

“I just wish Kendrick Lamar and J Cole would drop an album” - Barrack Obama 2014

“Come on K Dot!” – Rosie O’Donnell 2015

“Where’s Jermaine?” – pastor Kerney Thomas 2013

“I can’t wait until February!” – me just now

Two years ago the great J Cole dropped the album Born Sinner with the track “Forbidden Fruit” featuring

Kendrick Lamar. And since then the world’s been wondering when they’re going to drop an entire album and stop teasing us. Well, on Black Friday, in response to all the hype, Cole and Kendrick released “Black Friday” two songs, one song by each of them. Kendrick’s came out first. It’s J Cole’s “A Tale of Two Cities” from his Forest Hills Drive album, but

r e m i x e d w i t h Kendrick’s new lyrics, which often refer to his and Cole’s strong new a l l i a n c e . S h o r t l y after, Cole released his version of

Black Friday, in which he took Kendrick’s track “Alright” off of his To Pimp a Butterfly album and added his own amazing lyrics.

But at the end of Cole’s “Black Friday” he says something that I’m sure shocked the whole fan base.

He says that he and K Dot will never drop an album because the world just couldn’t handle two rappers that clever, but warns us that it’ll get scary in February when he drops … and then the song ends, cutting him off before he can finish the sentence. So what does it mean? If they’re never going to drop an album, what’s coming out in February? Maybe he’s releasing a solo album without Kendrick. Maybe he and Kendrick will combine their genius for one song only. Or maybe he was lying and he and Kendrick are dropping an entire album. Cole only knows. But I know one thing. If our wait has come to an end, and after all these years of waiting is over, and when Dreamville Records and Top Dawg Entertainment finally become one, the game will never be the same.

Anti-Santa: Christmas MonstersBy Aryanna Hernandez

With the amount of advertising that’s spread all over the Internet, you may have heard of the

new upcoming horror-comedy movie, Krampus, which tells the story of an old folk monster that tortures a family during Christmas, after the young son of the family accidently summons it. With that, you may or may not have heard of the Krampus monster itself, or even another Christmas monster that bears a resemblance.

The Krampus monster--which was born from Austrian fairy tales in order to scare children into

good behavior before Christmas--is probably the most well known among Christmas monsters. There’s even a festival dedicated to it on December 5th, the eve before St. Nicholas Day, where everyone drinks alcohol and dresses as the monster, looking around for people to beat. Hardcore. Along with the Krampus monster, Austria also fosters the Frau Perchta, which is an old witch that appears from Christmas Day to January 6th to rip out the internal organs of bad children and replace them with garbage. Yikes. A more tame monster, Belsnickel, which spawned from Dutch and southwestern German folklore, is a creature that rewards good children with candy in their stockings on Christmas morning and punishes bad children by scaring them while they sleep on Christmas Eve by making noise with a switch outside their windows.

In France, there is Hans Trapp, who unlike the previous monsters, was based on an actual man, who was

rumored to have worshipped the Devil; in his tale, he used to dress as a scarecrow and lure young children to him so he could eat them, but was hit by a bolt of lightning as a form of divine justice. Hans Trapp later returned from the dead and as punishment for his wrong doings, is now forced to go around on Christmas dressed as a scarecrow eating bad children. Well then.

Can’t we all agree that coal is a much simpler idea that doesn’t have the risk of mentally scarring

anyone?

Page 5Blood DriveBy Aryanna Hernandez

Tuesday, December 8th marked the day everyone came together for a bigger cause. Many people

came in and each participant donated a single pint of blood (which is strong enough to save three people). Besides the obvious benefit of being able to help people in need, one bonus of the ordeal was the luxury of wearing pajamas to school, as well as being able to class, as fun as learning is, obviously (she said sarcastically).

For those unsure if they want to donate blood next semester, some things that should be considered

are that every two seconds, someone needs a blood donation and over 14,000 blood donations are needed everyday in the U.S. Not to mention sickle cell disease affects more than 70,000 people in the U.S., and about 1,000 babies are born with it every year, meaning that people with the disease will have to spend the rest of their lives needing blood donations.

And although the needle can be a little more than intimidating, it’s really all worth it once you

realize you’ve helped in saving someone’s life.

Christmas in IdyllwildBy Josh Davenport

The mayor of Idyllwild, Max the golden retriever, is proud to announce the 55th annual Christmas

Tree Lighting Ceremony. On the hill, the Olde Fashioned Christmas Tree will be seen for miles, and the festivities will be heard throughout the valley.

Little decorated trees will line the streets, booths will fill parking lots representing many non-prophet

organizations, Kathy Lewis’ choir children and the Caroling Company will sing caroling songs, and at 4:30 p.m., Santa and Mrs. Claus enter the town on fire truck, welcoming the ceremony guests. Afterwards, Doug Austin with the Olde English Theatre Players presents “The Night Before Christmas”. Then Diane Burt and the Caroling Company will lead the audience in a series of sing-alongs. At mid-point through the ceremony Sandii Castleberry announces the winner of the Soroptomists’ $250 money hat drawing and the winner of the Mountain Quilters of Idyllwild Christmas quilt. Then Santa and Mrs. Claus, accompanied by a group of elves, start the countdown from ten to one. At the end of the countdown, over five thousand lights on the hundred-foot tree are lit after sundown and the audience begins singing “Silent Night”. And the program is concluded by singing “We Wish You A Merry Christmas”.

This event is only

possible because of the tremendous hard work and support of over 300 local community members and hard working merchants who donate their time and donate financial resources to fund the program.

Artist notes: Turkey skeletons are hard to draw

*Sans and Papyrus owned by Toby Fox

Bonita in: Turkey DinnerBy: Austin Pierce

New Apple ProductsBy Keely McMacken

iPhone 7 rumors are already flying, even though the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus are

only a couple of months old: Apple has applied for patents that give us hints about new features that could appear in the iPhone 7, from wireless charging to a touch screen with built-in Touch ID.

Page 6The annual Hemet Christmas parade was held on December

5th, 2015 starting at 10 a.m. and we Bulldogs had five groups out there representing our school.

Mr. Boulton and the marching band led us off, accompanied by Dr. Shaw and Mr. Zavala. The

dance team followed up dancing to the holiday music played by the band. The cheer team not only preformed, but had kids from a recent spirit camp performing as well. Accompanied by ROTC teachers Harrison, Valentine, and Wood, the students presented our flag and the colors as they marched throughout the parade. Teams marching were the

You most likely know the first verse to the song, but when it comes to

remembering the 12 Days Of Christmas jingle I know that I’m pathetic. I mean it has been around forever, published in 1780 to be exact, we should at least know what a Partridge in a Pear Tree is.

The partridge in a pear tree represents Jesus, the Son of God. In the song, Christ is symbolically presented as a mother partridge that feigns injury to get predators away from her helpless nestlings, recalling the expression of Christ’s sadness over the fate of Jerusalem.

Two Turtle Doves is the Old and New Testaments, which together bear witness to God’s self-revelation in history and the creation of a people to tell the Story of God to the world. Turtle doves form strong pair bonds, Turtle Doves have become emblems of devoted love. You can’t have one without the other.

Three French Hens are the Three Virtues: Faith, Hope, and Love. The greatest of these is love. Faith is the conviction of truth, hope is the expectation of good, and love is the brotherly love, good will of Christians towards Christians which is enjoined and prompted by their religion.

Four Calling Birds are the Four Gospels: 1) Matthew, 2) Mark, 3) Luke, and 4) John, which proclaim the Good News of God’s reconciliation of the world to Himself in Jesus Christ.

Five Gold Rings are the first Five Books of the Old Testament, known as the Torah or the Pentateuch: 1) Genesis, 2) Exodus, 3) Leviticus, 4) Numbers, and 5) Deuteronomy, which gives the history of humanity’s sinful failure and God’s response of grace in the creation of a people to be a light to the world.

Six Geese A-laying are the six days of creation that confesses God as Creator and Sustainer of the world.

Seven Swans A-swimming are the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit: 1) prophecy, 2) ministry, 3) teaching, 4) exhortation, 5) giving, 6) leading, and 7) compassion

Eight Maids A-milking are the eight Beatitudes: 1) Blessed are the poor in spirit – those who know their need for God, 2) those who mourn – those who have repentant

hearts, 3) the meek – those who rely on God instead of their own strength, 4) those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

5) the merciful – those who help the afflicted, 6) the pure in heart – free from corruption, sin and guilt, 7) the peacemakers – those who help bring God’s peace to mankind, 8) those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake – those who are mistreated because of Christ and suffer for His sake.

Nine Ladies Dancing are the nine Fruit of the Holy Spirit: 1) love, 2) joy, 3) peace, 4) patience, 5) kindness, 6) generosity, 7) faithfulness, 8) gentleness, and 9) self-control.

Ten Lords A-leaping are the ten commandments: 1) You shall have no other gods before me; 2) Do not make an idol; 3) Do not take God’s name in vain; 4) Remember the Sabbath Day; 5) Honor your father and mother; 6) Do not murder; 7) Do not commit adultery; 8) Do not steal; 9) Do not bear false witness; 10) Do not covet.

Eleven Pipers Piping are the eleven Faithful Apostles: 1) Simon Peter – heard (and obeyed), 2) Andrew – natural man, 3) James – gift or endowment, 4) John – beloved of God, 5) Philip – friend, 6) Bartholomew – covered in blood, forgiven, 7) Matthew – strong and able to fight (the devil), 8) Thomas – twin or joined with, one in heart, 9) James son Alphaeus – transformed, 10) Simon the Zealot – zealous for the Lord, 11) Thaddaeus – courageous and bold

Finally, Twelve Drummers Drumming are the twelve points of doctrine in the Apolstes Creed: 1) I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth. 2) I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. 3) He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. 4) He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell. 5) On the third day he rose

again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. 6) He will come again to judge the living and the dead. 7) I believe in the Holy Spirit, 8) the holy catholic (the undivided) Church, 9) the communion of saints (joint participation and fellowship), 10) the forgiveness of sins, 11) the resurrection of the body, 12) and life everlasting.

color guard, saber team, rifle and unarmed rifle teams, commanders, and cadets.

Finally the theatre department was represented by their float, Music Man in promotion for their upcoming

performance this March. Joined by Mr. Cherland, Mr. West, our theatre students dressed in costumes as they danced to the many numbers that will be included in the production. Tyler Sands encouraged everyone to come out and see this wonderful production for young and old alike, so if you can show your Bulldog spirit and go see our school plays!

Hemet Christmas ParadeBy Madison Loomis

12 Days Of ChristmasBy Madison Loomis

Page 7Are Recent Shootings Causing Schools to be more secure

By Cassandra Merchain

The past few years there has been mass school shootings, and it seems to be one after another.

The tragedies have gotten some parents terrified for their children’s lives and are hoping that school administrators come up with ways to keep schools more secure.

Some people have thought that schools should consider to have the teachers and staff armed and

ready, others believe that it would be a bad idea and instead schools should have more adequate lock down procedures. Which ever it is, some schools have either or. Arkansas allowed 13 school districts to train their teachers and staff to be armed guards, and about 7 other states have already, armed guards, in schools.

With all of the tragedy occurring, one after another, it has gotten to the point where many conspiracy

theorist believe these “mass shootings” are being planned out, not only by the people who claim to be who they are, but by our own government.

Despite all these theories, it’s an act that could hardly be prevented, or even predicted. It’s really heart

breaking to know people would do such a thing, and it’s rather such a disgrace to the human race. With this being said it’s probably important to tell your loved ones, that you love them, with every chance you get. Schools, although, are doing all they can to keep their campus as safe and secure as possible.

Starbucks Cup Fiasco By Hailey Jacobson

Even if you aren’t a consumer of Starbucks, I’m sure you have still heard that the traditional holiday

designs are simply not there this year. Unfortunately this is because people are bringing religion into yet again another situation and are blowing it way out of proportion. It has been said that because Starbucks is taking a stab at religion by putting a Christmas tree, a snowman, and some snowflakes on the cups to add some harmless cheer, like they have always done in the past. People are saying that the company is targeting religious people by putting these designs on the cups and they are just now speaking up about how the have “truly been offended for sometime now”. But honestly the last time I checked, Christmas was not about trees, or snow flakes, or let a lone a snowman, because those things just represent the holidays, not a specific religion. So for everybody out there stressing out about the Starbucks cup situation, just take a chill pill and enjoy your holidays!

When should you watch The Nightmare Before Christmas? By Austin Pierce

Nobody can deny that The Nightmare Before Christmas is a macabre delight for the entire year,

something from the mind of Tim Burton and the director Henry Selick that most people can enjoy. The animation may be stilted and awkward at moments, but overall it’s a very fine movie, and a departure from the usual whimsy of Disney. But when exactly should it be watched? Truth be told, there’s no right answer. The spooky themes and designs are perfect for Halloween, but the Christmas based story and lesson of appreciating what you do are perfect for the colder holiday. In all honesty, it’s just a Holiday Movie, perfect for either holiday, Halloween and Christmas. It’s not really a Holiday Special like most holiday based movies, it’s just a really good film with many holiday themes.

Religion Around Us

As many of us celebrate Christmas in the United States and elsewhere, we also recognize other

cultures and their religious affiliation. Although some say there are major religious beliefs’ based on the size of the following, to the individual, there is no minor religion, all religions are equal, no matter the number of followers. Even non-believers would have their view and perspectives to follow.

The graphic shown are

some of the many religious symbols used by their respective religious beliefs.

New Year, New You!By Cassandra Merchain

A New Year, a new you! 2016 is nearly here and it is a common resolution to make a promise to do a

certain act of self-improvement, such as getting a job, or changing your wardrobe. We use the New Year as a way to “start fresh” prior to the year.

I asked around the campus and I received relatively the same answers. Many of us want to make sure we get

into shape, and to stay fit and health. Another big thing many of us want to achieve is to get a job and not have our parents pay for most of the things we want, such as a new car, clothes, shoes, or even to go out. Seniors would like to continue a life long friendship with the friends that they have made this year, it’s a really good resolution because we, usually, all go our separate ways after high school, but social media can be an advantage to gather everyone around and meet up. A last, most common resolution many people plan ahead are to not let others negative opinions bring them down, and to always keep a positive attitude in order to achieve that goal. Surrounding yourself with positive, uplifting, and fun friends are a good ways to keep yourself aligned with that goal.

With 2016 right around the corner, it’s kind of hard to believe how far you’ve come and how much

more you have to go. Keep in mind that everyday is a good day to make a new resolution and New Years isn’t the only time it’s ok. A positive change is possible to be made in yourself within a day, you just have to set you mind up for it. Happy Holiday’s, have safe and fun break. Class of 2016 get ready for your last 5 months of high school!!

Hot Christmas Tunes of the YearBy Madison Loomis

Christmas music has made it’s way into our everyday radio stations providing endless holiday

cheer, but which songs are the “top doggers” this year? Thanks to Billboard Holiday 100, I was able to gather some results:1. All I Want For Christmas Is You, by: Mariah Carey2. Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree, by: Brenda Lee3. The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You) by: Nat King Cole4. A Holly Jolly Christmas, by: Burl Ives5. Mary, Did You Know? by: Pentatonix6. Jingle Bell Rock, by: Bobby Helms7. Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) by: Trans-Siberian Orchestra8. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, by: Gene Autry9. Feliz Navidad, by: Jose Feliciano10. Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow, by: Dean Martin

Hopefully some Christmas music jam-out sessions

are in your future to get in the jolly spirit, happy holidays Bulldogs!

Favorite PresentsBy Hailey Jacobson

When we were little most of us got to experience the year when we received our received our all

time favorite present. Personally the favorite present that I received was a purple bicycle with the Disney Princesses on the basket. I went around and asked some students what their favorite presents were when they were young, Hannah Lara said, “ When I was 12 I got a puppy, and that was cool”. Allie Garcia said, “ I got a Barbie Jeep that you plug in and they drive by themselves!” Keely McMacken “ One year I got Heely’s , you know those shoes that you put wheels in the bottom of… anyway, I’d just pop those puppies in and go!”

I even was able to ask Mr. Hill about his favorite gift he received and he said “ Either new skis or a pass to

the mountain that I used to ski at”. So as you can see, most of us have had the chance to experience getting a favorite present, all different shapes and varieties! Every once in a while it is just nice to look back and appreciate the things that we received as kids and the memories that we made with them. Happy Holidays Bulldogs!

Glad to Have You Back By Hailey Jacobson

So we officially can say that we have Dr. Shaw back with us to carry out the rest of the school year!

Unfortunately I was not able to interview her about the transition from home to school, but one thing I would have for sure asked her is “ What do you think is easier? Having a new born or running a high school with 2,400 teenagers?” Because in some ways, we can all be pretty similar to each other. We are definitely glad and thankful to have you back with us here at HHS! We hope that you had a easy transition from full time mommy to principal, welcome back Alpha 1!