Shekinah Students Perform Live on the Radio

     On Thursday, January 27, senior, Carrie Miller and freshman, Thomas Miller, performed live on Miami Valley’s NPR station WYSO with their uncle Daniel Dye, a brother to our elementary music teacher, Mrs. Miller.  A singer/songwriter who has performed both locally and abroad, he recently released a CD featuring the Miller siblings as the Miller Road Band.  Carrie plays violin and adds vocals for the group and Thomas plays the cello. Although he was not available for this event, their older brother Andrew, a ’09 graduate of the school, rounds out the band with mandolin, banjo, guitar and vocals.

     Some of the staff and a few students had the privilege of listening to the live performance and interview.  The host of the show, Niki Dakota, impressed with Carrie and Thomas’ performance, asked where they got their “wicked awesome skills”.  They explained that they have spent several years in classical strings training.   When asked how she felt about the experience, Carrie replied, “It was fun to see the inner workings of the radio.”

Of Philosophy, Philosophers,

 and the Philosophical

By Richy, Grade 12

     Why am I here?  Where did I come from?  What came first, the chicken or the egg? These and many other perplexing, philosophical questions have baffled philosophers and intellectuals for eons, resulting in numerous profound worldviews—many of which are quite contrary and heretical to the Biblical Christianity worldview. Hopefully, most of us wholeheartedly follow and use the Biblical worldview to philosophize with fellow peers, colleagues, comrades, and even philosophers—whether they are theistic or atheistic.  

     Did that introductory paragraph sound philosophically deep?  That is because of the Intro to Philosophy course the seniors are required to take for one semester.  It is a mind-stretching, noggin’-poundin’, neuron-stimulating experience.  The curriculum that we use, entitled Understanding the Times, compiled by David A. Noebel, and published by Summit Ministries, equips teens and young-adults like me and the senior class with not only a solid Biblical worldview, but also helps us study and understand the fallacies and inadequacies of competing worldviews. Current worldviews that are warring for our minds, hearts, and souls are the Muslims, Secular Humanists, Marxist-Leninists, Cosmic Humanists, and Postmodernists. This intriguing class assists us in mustering our thinking caps and engaging in intellectual battles with them instead of cowering at the sight of their big, fancy words and fallible rationalism.

Animal Friends

A contrast/comparison by Janelle, Grade 4

     About every day, I joyfully play and care for my dog and rabbit.  I love it when my dog Duke comes up to me and wags his tail to greet me.  My rabbit Max touches his nose to my nose to greet me.  I enjoy how they are alike and different.

     Because dogs and rabbits are mammals, they have many similarities.  They also give birth to live young.  Rabbits and dogs both chew on grass.  In the same way that dogs have long and short fur, rabbits do too.  Dogs and rabbits’ best senses are smell and hearing.

     Dogs and rabbits are different in many ways.  If dogs want to go somewhere, they will walk or run.  On the other hand, when rabbits go somewhere, they will hop.  There are more than 300 kinds of purebred dogs; however, there are only 45 recognized breeds by the ARBA, which is the American Rabbit Breeders Association.  Even though the Chihuahua is the smallest breed of dog and only weighs 6-8 pounds, the Dwarf Hotot is even smaller.  This is the smallest breed of rabbit and only weighs 2 ¼ - 3 ½ pounds. 

     I like dogs and rabbits very much.  If I had to pick one for my pet, I would have a hard time choosing one.  I am very glad that I have both, Max, my rabbit, and Duke, my dog, for my animal friends.