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The official student news site of Highlands High School

The Hilltopper

The official student news site of Highlands High School

The Hilltopper

The official student news site of Highlands High School

The Hilltopper

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A series of photos showing the stages of the record player’s design.

Art Club competes in Crosley Cruiser competition

Bri Reis, Savannah Kellner, and Taryn Ripley October 13, 2025

The judges look up at the vibrant green, pink, and orange colors in front of them. They start to realize that picking the best painted record player would be harder than expected. There is a variety of...

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Franny Smith (12) and soccer Coach Kelsey Etherton share a high five at the Notre Dame triple-header during the opening of Tower Park.

Tower Park unveils true potential

On Saturday, Sept. 13, players stormed onto the brand-new Tower Park complex, their voices echoing with excitement as they stepped onto fresh green turf and a dazzling blue track. This wasn’t just an...

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Natalie Heingardener celebrates after Tenley Graves scores a goal against Sacred Heart High School.

Student athletes break the silence about mental health

Maycee Webster, Mary Messmer, and Kennedy Hay October 10, 2025

By the time student athletes get home, they are exhausted. They might feel as if they are expected to go, with hardly ever taking a break. From late games to early practices, students are short of sleep,...

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Brielle Stanford (9), Vera Knight (9), and Wyatt Anderson (10) wrap up the Bel Canto performance. "My favorite part was hearing everyone combined." Knight said.

Highlands choral students rock the stage

Alecia Cogsville, Photo Assistant October 9, 2025

On Oct. 7, 2025, the chorus students had their first performance of this school year. In preparation for this concert, the students had been working for 7 weeks while also getting accustomed to the...

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Suicide Prevention tips are posted around the school.

Staff works to educate teens on suicide awareness

Vera Knight, Ava Purcell, and Ava Chadderton October 9, 2025

Suicide is the second leading cause of death in teens worldwide. According to the Jed Foundation, 12.5 million people between the ages of 18 and 25 experienced a mental, behavioral, or emotional health...

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Siddhartha Jani (12), Nellie Albritton (12), and Noah Varland (12) prepare for how they will enter the stage at the start of the scene.

Peter and the Starcatcher brings a new energy to the stage

Alecia Cogsville, Photo Assistant October 7, 2025

On Monday, Oct. 29, assistant director; Noah Varland walked the actors through their scenes as they gathered to review and rehearse Act 1 of the Highlands fall play, Peter and the Starcatcher. During this...

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Photo of Google Maps in downtown Newport (Map data ©2025 Google)

Newport Pavilion traffic affects student drivers daily

Meg Gallagher, Social Media Editor September 30, 2025

Downtown Newport has become a vibrant hub for a diverse range of businesses, including food, retail, athletics, self-care, and health services. The area has grown far beyond the predictions made during...

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Edy Hobson poses for a photo with the book Fahrenheit 451.

How reading Fahrenheit 451 has affected sophomores’ views on social media

Edy Hobson and Meg Gallagher September 30, 2025

There exists a dark world in which books are prohibited. Any and all books are required to be burned, or else citizens face extreme consequences. Firefighters don’t put out fires in this society; they...

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Chamber choir smile to chorale director Chris Eaton during their performance of "Any Dream Will Do".

Eaton and friends take the stage

Alecia Cogsville, Photo Assistant September 22, 2025

On September 18, the chorus director, Chris Eaton, put on a show with some of his students called Eaton and Friends. These students signed up to sing in the show. They could have sung solos or duets. This...

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Picture of one of many SOJEA tee T-shirts (Wade Fedders)

Highlands student entrepreneur starts orange juice business

Xander Bailey, Staff September 17, 2025

There are a few people here at Highlands who manage extracurricular activities and also manage a business. These kids are often interested in business, specifically in starting their own company. This...

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