Osprey Perspective 11/1/22 Osprey Perspective 11/1/22

Thanksgiving

In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and the Wampanoag Native Americans shared an Autumn harvest, which was recognized as the first Thanksgiving. Over the years, Thanksgiving has been “Americanized” and is now celebrated on the last Thursday of November. On that day millions of people around the nation come together to eat as much as they possibly can. Over 704 million pounds of turkey are eaten every Thanksgiving.

The idea of Thanksgiving came from George Washington wanting the public to have a day of prayer and Thanksgiving. Another fun fact about Thanksgiving is that Thanksgiving was officially declared a national holiday on October 3rd, 1863, by President Abraham Lincoln. Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends to bond and spend time together and eat apple pie, stuffing, macaroni and cheese, ham, corn on the cob, mashed potatoes, and most importantly turkey.

- Jake Wingfield

Osprey Perspective 10/27/22 Osprey Perspective 10/27/22

Best Pumpkin Bread Ever

Emma Wilhelm

Servings: 2 loaves

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 60 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

Ingredients

2 cups of all purpose flour, spooned into a measuring cup and leveled off.

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 ½ (¾ cup) unsalted butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 large eggs

1 15oz can 100% pure pumpkin

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans with butter and dust with flour.

In a medium size bowl, combine the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until well combined; set aside.

In a large bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until just blended. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until very light and fluffy, a few minutes. Beat in the pumpkin. The mixture might look grainy and a little curdled at this point, but that’s okay!

Add the flour mixture and mix on low speed until combined.

Turn the batter into prepared pans, dividing evenly, and bake for 65-75 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the corner comes out clean. Let the loaves cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Fresh out of the oven, the loaves have a deliciously crisp crust. If they last beyond a day, you can toast individual slices to get the same fresh baked effect.

Osprey Perspective 10/25/22 Osprey Perspective 10/25/22

Gift Ideas For Guys

Mirabella Reese

Many women, including myself, can have a difficult time trying to find favorable gifts for men. A lot of times it is hard to know what men enjoy being gifted. I asked multiple boys from around the school what their ideal gift list would look like. The most common answer among them were gift cards and video games. Another popular answer is vinyl, air pods, and other musically related items. Contrary to popular belief, some of the guys interviewed enjoy clothes and room decor as gifts as well. Of course, be sure to run through ideas with the person you are gifting to be sure that they would genuinely enjoy these ideas.

Osprey Perspective 10/20/22 Osprey Perspective 10/20/22

Fields of Faith

Last night, hosted by Liberty High School was a phenomenal event called Fields of Faith sponsored by FCA. FCA stands for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. We stand up for being lights in the darkness in public and private schools. Last night, God was working in the lives of young kids who never get to experience Jesus. Students feel like they have to change their identities and cover up the fact that they are Christians in public schools. But the truth of the matter is in today’s world. We should not let people shape us into who they want us to be. 1 Peter 4:6 says, “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name.” God calls us to be lights in this broken world we live in, but don’t bow down to the ways of this world stand strong in your faith and always stand for JESUS!

BY: Leah Weems

Osprey Perspective 10/18/22 Osprey Perspective 10/18/22

Halloween

“Sow-Win” was the first form of Halloween created over 2,000 years ago by the ancient Celtic people to celebrate the end of a harvest and the start of a new one. Halloween was then called All Hallows Eve and was a holiday celebrated by pagans in the middle ages. In the early 1600s, in England, people were very superstitious about cats. As a result, it led to the execution of hundreds of thousands of cats around Europe. Some scientists believe that the Black Death was a result of these executions. The Black Death was the deadliest plague known to man. It killed an estimated 25 Million people (That's one-third of Europe.)

The Salem Witch Trials were a reality in colonial Massachusetts. The pilgrims tried over 200 people and thirty of which were found guilty, and Nineteen of those were executed by hanging. Halloween was kind of popular in the early 1840s but still wasn’t very popular. Halloween didn’t start to explode in popularity until around the early 1960s. America decided to turn this evil holiday into an experience for children to eat as much candy as they wanted and have fun playing dress-up.

Over the years people have started to enjoy horror movies and religiously watch them on Halloween for a good Halloween “scare.” Ever since the 1960’s Halloween has dug itself into the culture of America and Indoctrinated the nation into believing that it's okay to be a pagan. I personally do not celebrate Halloween by indulging in the evil things of Halloween like idolatry, but I don’t mind visiting a haunted house or watching a scary movie.

-Jake Wingfield

Osprey Perspective 10/18/22 Osprey Perspective 10/18/22

Halloween

-Jake Wingfield

Osprey Perspective 10/13/22 Osprey Perspective 10/13/22

Things to do only in Fall

by: Emma Wilhelm

For many people, fall is their favorite season. The season consists of perfect temperatures, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and tons of opportunities to do special things. More than likely, you have never been to a pumpkin patch in summer. This is a prime example of something that you can do only in the fall. Also, pumpkin patches are designed to have a cozy and rustic feeling that you don’t necessarily crave in the hot weather. Something about the cold weather gives a feeling of creepiness to the world, this is why haunted houses are such a hit around Halloween. People love the feeling of adrenaline that they get from being scared by the characters. They are a top- selling attraction during the fall season. There are also smaller things like jumping in leaf piles, drinking warm pumpkin drinks, and decorating with spooky decorations. Lastly, fall serves as a “ transition” period between the very hot weather and the chilly winter season, causing people to try new things and venture out of their normal activities. It's all part of having a cozy and lively season.

Osprey Perspective 10/13/22 Osprey Perspective 10/13/22

Fall Festivities

Fall is the time to bring out the pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread, and delicious soups. Also in Fall, there are pumpkin patches, apple picking, and even everyone's favorite thing- Halloween. The time to sit back at home have a bowl of popcorn, your favorite candy, and cuddle up and watch a scary movie. Fall's cozy atmosphere and changing weather make it a solid contestant for the best season. When it’s intensely hot in the summer, fashion can sometimes go by the wayside in favor of coolness and comfort. However, Autumn offers new fashions like jackets, sweaters, and boots that tend to be more flattering than shorts and flip-flops, and more fun to wear. Fall also marks the kickoff of the regular season of football, making many sports fans very happy. The NFL has been at the center of some tense and very important discussions recently, but that doesn’t mean the game can’t still be fun and exciting. And let’s not forget non-professional football, like high school and college teams, are a great time, too. Well on the subject of Fall events, who doesn’t enjoy a Thanksgiving feast? There’s so much to love about this holiday. The turkey, the stuffing, the pie, and, of course, spending quality time with your loved ones.

By:Leah Weems

Osprey Perspective 10/13/22 Osprey Perspective 10/13/22

Upcoming Winter Sports

The winter sports season is very quickly approaching us as the weather begins to change. As many sports come to an end many more will begin. Open gyms and conditionings have already begun as a result. This is an exciting time to be getting prepared for the upcoming sport seasons. Not to mention all of the other sports to begin in the spring, there is alot to look forward to in these upcoming months that will continue to attract more attention to all of our Osprey sports.

Osprey Perspective 10/11/22 Osprey Perspective 10/11/22

No Drama Llama

As the years have gone on, our school has been able to progress and grow within the Arts department. As of this year, Mrs. Leandra Willis has taken on not only high school and middle school but has also made it a priority to teach little children about God through the creative arts. As Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy has continued to grow, so has the Arts department; SML's first theater production was in 2016, led by Gracie Gordon. The production had less than half the audience that our most recent production "Narnia" had. As the years have passed, we have expanded not only our crew but on props and sets. Last year we were extremely blessed to receive the opportunity to build two new set pieces: a balcony with two sets of stairs, and a brand new full-size functioning turntable. We hope you watch us grow and celebrate with us.

Osprey Perspective 10/11/22 Osprey Perspective 10/11/22

Who I Am

Poetry by: Mirabella Reese

I found the deepest part of me where my worth is

I found the deepest part of you on the surface

My heart couldn’t break

Cause I know that I cannot be replaced

The divine in me, the love I breathe, my energy

Try to embody me, and capture me

In a sly world filled with idolatry

I know what I see, the mirrors not me…

But a reflection of my soul’s reverence

And a complete being

I sip my tea watching the sunset, I am free

I am complete, I hold the key to serenity

I am she, the one who’s content emotionally
And I know who I am

Osprey Perspective 9/29/22 Osprey Perspective 9/29/22

Chapel dates revised

In revision to a previous post, chapel will not be changing periods. Chapel is now in fourth period every Thursday. One exception being the last Thursday of every month, when we all go to Eastlake Church. In that case, chapel will be held during second period.

Osprey Perspective 9/27/22 Osprey Perspective 9/27/22

Less Isn’t Always More

By: Mirabella Reese

A lot of fashion icons have gone viral for their minimalistic style, however, it’s refreshing and eyecatching to see something out of the ordinary. Now- I’m not saying to pair every print together with neon colours. I mean, if that’s something you enjoy wearing, go for it! But, I believe in balance and how beautiful it can make your outfit appear- with a more creative flare! Jewelry is the statement to many of my outfits. I love having colourful bracelets and unique rings that show off my flamboyant side. Although people tend to choose either silver or gold for their jewelry, I enjoy pairing the two together and think it should be more mainstream to do so. Another way to add to an outfit is to put small clips in your hair. I have different coloured clips that I enjoy styling my hair with. It could even add a Y2K vibe. And if you’re like me, I can enjoy any style and refuse to stick to only one, so adding cute handbag can make a huge difference in what style you’d be going for. I have a gorgeous woven bag that goes perfectly with a free spirited look- which in retrospect, looks amazing with beaded, colourful jewelry. Of course, it’s my personal favorite to see a simple outfit with multiple paired accessories, but be sure to include your own character. And if I am being honest, I used to be terrified about what other people thought of my looks. I’m proud to say that I have grown to find who I am and styles I like. I am still finding out who I am and how the things I wear influence how I act. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different styles and go out of your comfort zone, because you may just find a piece of yourself that you never knew was there.

Osprey Perspective 9/22/22 Osprey Perspective 9/22/22

Computers: Living in the Digital Age

The earliest prototype computer was designed and built by Charles Babbage in 1822. This prototype weighed over 700 pounds and used vacuum tubes. It also used a rotating drum that had small capacitors on it. The first digital computer was invented by John Mauchly and J. Presper Eckert. They both started to build this monster of a machine in 1945 and finished in February, of 1946. This PC was the first fully programmable, reprogrammable, and digital computer. This project was funded by the U.S Government costing them over $400,000, that's $6.6 Million dollars in today's money. The computer was given the name E.N.I.A.C (Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer). The computer used 174,000 watts of electricity an hour. That’s 174 times the power used by a singular blender an hour. It would cost the government about $800 dollar a day to run the machine.

Computer science and coding took off in the early 80's with almost every American household having a computer by the end of the 80´s. From 1946 to 1980 lots of upgrades and modifications have been added to computers to protect your eyes, personal data, and safety. In the last five years, gaming has exploded with many adults making money off of streaming platforms.

Between the 80´s and the early 2010´s humanity has made many leaps in computing power, memory, graphics, response time, and appearance. Currently, as of the early 2020´s, countries have been competing with each other by building supercomputers. An example of a supercomputer is a computer called Deep Blue (1997). This computer is able to think of 200 million moves a second in chess. Surprisingly this computer’s RAM space is only one gigabyte, that is only four gigabytes of storage.

In the last year or two, scientists have been speculating about creating a quantum computer able to think for itself. Fortunately, this is just a concept that scientists have been considering for a couple years now. In the grand scheme of technology computers have been the most helpful.

Osprey Perspective 9/13/22 Osprey Perspective 9/13/22

Elon Musk

Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX, Tesla, and Neurolink is the world´s richest man (as of 2022). But before he was the richest man he was a simple man from South Africa. He created the company Zip2 which he sold in 1999 for $307 Million dollars. After the sale, he became an investor in the company x.com which later became PayPal. Elon, ever since, has made very smart financial decisions to get him to where he is today. Elon has nine children as of 2021, and has grabbed the attention of the media by naming his son X Æ A-Xii (X Ash A Twelve). But recently there have been some issues legally with the state of California not letting Elon Musk name his son X Æ A-Xii. Another great accomplishment of Elon´s was that he has made more money in 90 days than Warren Buffet has made in 90 years. Elon´s Tesla stocks are starting to balance out after the stock had split into thirds. The multi-billionaire has recently become the face of the stock market and the face of many popular memes. Elon musk also invested in Cryptocurrencies that became very valuable. He also invested in NFTs, the online PDFs that became very popular among famous celebrities. Elon is currently in a heated court case with the CEOs of Twitter over a paper he signed to purchase Twitter for $44 Billion dollars. Overall Elon is a very cool guy with a unique personality that wants to make the world a better place.

By Jake Wingfield

Osprey Perspective 9/8/22 Osprey Perspective 9/8/22

The New Osprey Building

By Addy Janney

-The new Osprey High School building is quickly making progress. The scheduled date of completion is the summer of 2023. The new three-story building will become a home to many SMLCA students. This building gives SMLCA the opportunity to continue the Christian curriculum that you don't see in public schools. This new space will give SMLCA the extra room it desperately needs to continue to expand and grow. The building will provide plenty of classrooms for old classes and for plenty of more classes to come.
Why is there so much interest in SMLCA?
The reason for this new huge building is parents are looking for an alternative to what is being taught in public schools. SMLCA is a place where Christian parents can send their kids and not have to worry about them being taught outside of the Biblical worldview. In conclusion, SMLCA is a wonderful place to send your children to learn and grow through Christ.

Osprey Perspective 9/8/22 Osprey Perspective 9/8/22

New Staff at SMLCA

Mirabella Reese

SMLCA is rapidly growing in student population leading to the increase in staff. We’ve collected information from the new hires about their experience teaching, spiritual lives, and their opinions on our school. When asked about her experience, Jane Wilkison has said, “I have loved every second. Students have made me feel very welcome! Everyone is very conscientious and thoughtful, as well as polite. I appreciate the kindness I see, the calmness of the students, and the moments of silliness and fun. I can't believe I can work somewhere that holds Chapel time and prayer time! It's quite amazing.” She has taught professionally for 18 years. For Deanna Wright, teaching the youth is brand new – previously she had trained adults on computer systems. When asked about how things have been going for her, she responded, “So far, it has been a whirlwind, but in a great way. I am learning new computer systems and navigating the logistics of each day but I am so happy to be here to help our students learn and grow, and I feel honored to have joined this team of faculty and staff.” Jessica Davenport, photography/English teacher, has said It has been an amazing start to her first year. In her own words, “I definitely have a lot to learn myself, but I love the support that everyone shows each other.” At SMLCA, the experiences among the newly recruited team are going exponentially well. All would agree that we are growing quickly in number and becoming more established. With most of the teachers sharing the same belief system, it is easier to grow together in Christ as a community and as followers of Jesus.

Osprey Perspective 9/6/22 Osprey Perspective 9/6/22

Guatemala Trip

Smith Mountain Lake Christian Academy is organizing a mission trip to Guatemala for later this winter. For those of you who don’t know, mission trips are based around the idea of bringing happiness and assistance to those in need while also building God’s Church and spreading His word. But, not all mission trips are international such as this one. There are probably many people in need in your hometown that you may not be aware of. Missions are so much more than just traveling, and your help can be used no matter where you are, what you do, or what you look like. Those people deserve all the help they can get, and as a Christian, I feel a pressure and burden to assist these people who are less fortunate. This certain trip is intended to uplift the spirits of the Guatemalan people and to build and expand God’s church and plans into Guatemala. The trip is a total of six days, and each day the goal is to bring more and more people to Jesus Christ and help them with even the smallest tasks. As some know, it is outlined in Matthew 28: 16-20, “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”