Outside the blur of Campion life, a group of mountain bikers continues to grow in the boy’s dorm and surrounding community. They aim to take the opportunities they are given to have fun and share their passions and what they know with each other. Caleb Wehling, junior at Campion states, “When we go mountain biking together, it unifies us. We’re no longer upper and lower class-men, we are shredders pushing each other towards a common goal of getting better than before.” Although it has started out as small group of usually 10 riders, that hasn’t stopped the significance of the impact it's had on each one of them. Valmont Bike Park in Boulder has been the favorite for the riders recently, and it provides everything from dirt jumps, dual slalom lines, to a teeter totter for mountain bikes. This variety in course obstacles provides a wide range of different skills to learn or try for the first time. “Activities like our mountain bike trips are about spending quality time together, creating opportunities to connect on individual and personal levels over common interest, all the while prayerfully anticipating divine appointments,” said Jim Hughes, dean at Campion. Local riders such as Matt, Jack, and JP Jordan join the group of riders regularly to mentor the riders and have a fun time showing the students new tricks. “It was a blast, learning about the bikes, the terrain and ourselves—testing our limits,” explained Grant Velbis, junior at Campion. Although the school year is coming to a close, they are still planning to continue to ride to impact the lives of the people around them throughout the summer. By Nathaniel Sanchez, Senior, Guest Contributor
0 Comments
Last Sabbath, the Campion Campus hosted Journey to the Cross, a live reenactment of the story of Jesus' death and resurrection, including an interactive old Jerusalem marketplace. The show was performed every hour for six hours on Sabbath afternoon, and each performance was highly attended by both church and community members.
Erin Johnson, assistant girls' dean, was the director and many Campion students took on roles as Roman soldiers, angels, and the other thieves on the crosses. "It was a long and busy day, but it was so worth it," Johnson commented. "I had an amazing cast and crew who gave me goosebumps during each performance." Junior student, Nathan Bergman took on the role of Jesus. "Even though it was just acting, it was still physically difficult staying on the cross, and it gave me a better understanding of what Jesus went through," he reflected. "I can't even imagine what He went through, and acting it out opened my eyes a bit more to what He did for us." Follow us on Facebook and Instagram as we countdown to graduation with reflections from seniors each day! 2 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Cristian M! Coming to Campion from a little school in Wichita, Kansas, I wanted to make more friends than before. Ever since my freshman year, I had wanted to come to Campion. Unfortunately, I didn’t come until my junior year. By then, I had missed so many events that I wish I could’ve been a part of. Even so, I made the best with rest. I loved going to Union College two years in a row for the Soccer tournament. I joined Koinonia, our select choir, and toured as far as Texas. I signed up to become a praise team leader and have enjoyed it this year. I’ve always enjoyed singing and playing music but doing it for God is way more exciting! It has showed me ways to glorify God and teach people what I know. Music has definitely brought me closer to God. I am still undecided as to what college I will attend but I plan to go on and get my Bachelor of Science in Nursing. 3 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Kaname! My favorite memory and a positive experience at Campion Academy has been being a Residence Assistant (RA). I had never thought about being a RA until the end of my junior year. I’m glad that I’m able to work in the dorm, because I’ve gotten close to my friends and the deans. After graduation, I’m planning on going to the University of South Dakota and taking a nursing major. 4 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Conner Coe I'm a four-year senior and my favorite memories of Campion Academy come from becoming an RA (Residential Assistant) for the men's dorm. It has helped me come out of my bubble and explore new things. My favorite part has been being able to connect with every single guy in the dorm and seeing how they have grown throughout the school year. I've really enjoyed being part of each one of their lives. As an RA, I was being able to make friends with a variety of different people outside of the senior class. I may not have shown it, but every single guy in the dorm has touched my life in many different ways. Hearing some of their problems and remembering that I had those same problems brings back both good and bad memories. For that, I wouldn't change being an RA for anything that anyone could offer. I will be going to Union College next year and will be majoring in Computer Science. 5 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Jackie! I don’t necessarily have a favorite memory but memories that I’ll never forget. For example, during my sophomore year, my friends Naomi, Evelyn, and others planned out a huge surprise birthday party with everyone I cared about. They even brought me a watermelon cake and a watermelon, because everyone knows my addiction to watermelon. This day was also very special because they created a video that had everyone wishing me happy birthday which just topped off that day completely. Another amazing memory was SWAT to Great Bend. On this trip, I got the opportunity to preach at my church, host my friends at my house and practice some make up on some interesting people. Finally, I will never forget is making a snow man on campus with my friends and then later having it be destroyed by Edwin. During my high school journey, I have found my interest in working with the elderly and studying the human body’s functions. Last summer I did a CNA program and met a physical therapist who worked at the nursing home that I was training in. She had me help her in working with an elder who needed physical therapy. I then realized that was my calling in life. So, with help of God, I’ll be going into a PTA program and working my way up to becoming a PT. 6 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Caleb! I arrived to Campion Academy my sophomore year and am now graduating in just a few weeks! One of my favorite memories was from sophomore year when we went to Moab, UT for a biology trip. I remember growing closer to my friends and exploring the great outdoors. Campion Academy has given me the opportunity to make life-long friends. After graduation, I plan to enjoy my summer relaxing and going boating with my family. When summer comes to an end, I will be attending Aims Community College to pursue aviation. 7 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Edwin! For all the freshmen and sophomores that have yet to experience Moab with the Santana's, it's a memory that you either don’t enjoy or can't stop talking about when you get back. The sun’s rays beat down on you like a hot summer day. The food that you prepare makes or breaks your breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The bubble that you surround yourself in pops or remains sealed tight. Even the homework that is assigned or the group you have has an impact. Finally, there is the ride down a river on a raft. On a day with temperatures rising, the urge of jumping into the cold, frosty, clear river seems to grow even more overwhelming. On our cold ride in the river, all-out war broke out. People were being flung over the edge of a raft and swimming to other rafts and causing mayhem. The ride, whether you lay low or get thrown overboard due to class mayhem, shows you the connection and openness you have with your class. For me, Moab was just that; a week when you got to be who you wanted, got to know the people around you, and struggled to survive at night with snoring or rain pattering on your tent and maybe even an unexpected guest every now and then. All, in the end, it's up to you. A great experience to connect your class or tear it apart. Great learning experiences or boring trips with no joy. Days with overwhelming heat and nights with stars so bright. The journey is up to you. You decide. I plan to attend Union College to become an Occupational Therapist. I look forward to working with different people and help them continue living life the best they can. 8 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet James! Senior Survival is hands-down my favorite memory. Being up in the mountains with just our class was a bonding experience I will never forget. I enjoyed just sitting around our campfire, a.k.a. a lamp because of the fire ban, and being honest and vulnerable about our personal lives with each other. The stories we shared brought our class closer together than we had been for the last three years, especially on Saturday night. We had foot washing and worship under the stars on a hill. It was awesome sitting there having a private communion with just our class and being able to stare up into the night sky and watch shooting stars and satellites pass overhead. The longer we stared and Pastor Esequias spoke, I could feel the presence of God with us. It was like He had rolled back the scrolls of heaven, and as we sat there, the milky way became visible. That night was something special which I will never have again in my life, and I am so thankful that I got to spend it with my friends and classmates. It is a weekend of fun and bonding for each senior class. I am thankful for all the hard work that the staff on campus put in to make Senior Survival happen. It is a memory I will never forget. 9 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Canson! My favorite memory at Campion was Moab trip during sophomore year. That was a good experience for me because we never have that type of activity in China. Moab trip not only taught us the knowledge about plants, but also allowed us to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery. I also experienced camping for the first time because I didn't have the opportunity to go camping in China. I enjoyed this atmosphere, even if the tent was blown down by the wind on the last day and I slept in the mud at night. But I also am so thankful for this opportunity that let me experience real camping. I also enjoyed the group activities on the trip. Our research and study were all in the fresh air by the creek and forest. Not only could we learn about plants in this process, but we could also enjoy the natural landscape. I think this is a very valuable experience for life. But my favorite was climbing and white-water rafting. I think most people agree because all of us were happy and really enjoyed the activities. It was very enjoyable for me since I love sports and playing. Playing, chatting, and learning with my classmates are very good memories. Finally, I am grateful to the school for giving us the opportunity to experience this trip. In fact, the most important thing about this trip was strengthening our teamwork and our friendship as a class. 10 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Tristan! During my junior year, I was part of an all-girls small group. While being part of a small group, all of us girls made sure that we were giving to the community because that was an important aspect of our lives. We did many community outreach programs like helping out with runs that raised money for kids who wanted to be adopted and sending letters to kids who just needed to know that someone was out there praying for them. But my all-time favorite outreach activity that we did was called Night to Shine. Night to Shine is a special night put on by the Tim Tebow Foundation where kids and adults with disabilities come and have a night to remember. It is supposed to be like prom, so there was food, drinks, music, and people who were shining in their fancy outfits. Three of my friends and I were a part of the hair and make-up. Our job was to listen to what the girls wanted and make them look beautiful. It was so awesome to see the smiles on their faces when you showed them how they looked in a mirror. I remember one of the girls telling me that she had never felt so beautiful in her life, and that we made her feel like a princess. To be able to watch these kids who have a hard time living every day so happy and not even noticing that they were different was so inspiring. As we all wrapped around the stage in a conga line, I really gained a new perspective on life. We take our little bumps in life so seriously. If something stops us on our journey, we give up. But these kids live their daily lives with constant bumps in their road, yet, they know how to be happy. I believe that they all taught us that there is always something in life that you can find happiness in. 11 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Yancey! I remember that day like it was yesterday. It was a Thursday afternoon, and my friends and I were just relaxing in my room. That's when I came up with the most amazing plan ever. I told my friends "Dudes! What if we made a sword in the wood shop and we all put our names on it?" At the time it seemed super fun. So, we did exactly that; we made a sword and we all burned our names on the sword. But that wasn't enough for me. I was thinking to myself that we needed more, we needed to do something exciting and fun. That's when I came up with another brilliant plan! I told everyone, "Dudes! So, you know how we all have our names on the sword? What if we came up with a bunch of challenges that would be hard, and if you don't complete your challenge your name does not deserve to be on the sword, so we will cross it off." Everyone was so down for that! One of my friends and I came up with all the challenges and that night we put them in a hat and drew randomly. It was one night I will never forget. Living in the dorm, you make so many memories and have a blast with your friends. 12 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Conner Cizek! My first favorite memory has to be senior survival. I was placed in a group with some of my best buddies and we were given interesting tasks to accomplish such as making our lovely home in the woods out of duct tape and tarps. We quickly learned that we had to be a team and listen to each other’s ideas. And in the end, I think we made one of the best structures. Through senior survival, I gained a lot more friends and I strengthened a lot of friendships too because of the difficult tasks that our sponsors gave us. My second favorite memory is being an RA at Campion. It was an awesome experience getting close with all the guys in the dorm, helping them find God, and being someone that they could rely on at all times, day or night. These guys really helped me get closer to God, and I wouldn't change that experience for the world. My third favorite memory is going fishing with Dean Hughes as often as we could over the last three years. We have had some amazing adventures going to lakes and ponds in Colorado and catching really amazing fish. And through him taking me I've gained more respect and more of a love and passion for the great outdoors God has given us. I will be attending Union College next year and my goal is to become a respiratory therapist. 13 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Naomi! Sometime during my sophomore year, after a very snowy day, my friends and I decided to go outside and build a snowman. I hadn't built a snowman since I was in kindergarten, so I was pretty excited. My friends and I quickly put our winter clothes on and ran outside where we were met with a stinging cold. I remember that I had no idea what to do, so I was just anxiously waiting for instructions. I saw Jackie and Maritza begin to roll a snowball, so I decided to join them. Soon we rolled a second and third. It was now time to put these pieces together as if it were a puzzle. Except, there was one problem; the snowballs were too heavy. We then asked some guys that were walking by to help us lift the snowballs and put them on top of each other. The head piece was the hardest since just two snowballs were as tall as me. Everything was going great, and we began to take pictures with our new friend (and I still have one of those pictures). Then, out of nowhere I heard Edwin blurt out, "Now I wanna knock it down." Us girls immediately began to threaten him so he wouldn't actually destroy our creation. We left our snowman, and a couple days later I was walking back to the dorm from my cafeteria job. As I approached center campus, I saw a big snowball just lying there. I didn't think too much of it, until I got to where our snowman wa-...USED to be! I immediately knew who had done it, and basically, I just wanted to say that Edwin still owes us a snowman. :) Anyways, although he knocked it down, I still enjoyed building that snowman and making a memory with my friends. 14 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Logan! When I came to Campion, I only knew three people. I've known Josie since 4th grade, Carlos since 5th grade, and I had met Faith the previous year during music fest. I had very low expectations on making friends the first couple of weeks, but boy was I wrong. On the first day during registration I looked across the gym and I saw a short kid, and I remember thinking to myself, ‘he thinks he's all cool and stuff.’ Little did I know that that kid was going to be my best friend for life. The day continued and I got all moved into the dorm and all settled in besides a couple of clothes that needed to be hung up as well as some posters. I was just sitting down in my room on my phone and then my boy Carlos came in saying that someone wanted to meet me. A little confused I went out into the hallway and to my surprise I saw that short kid standing outside my door holding out his hand. Cautiously, I shook it and he introduced himself as Anthony Rodriguez, as I continued to hang out with him and some other guys exchanging jokes and what not, I knew that we were going to get along just great. To this day, I consider him my best friend and I honestly don't know where I would be without him as my next-door neighbor. 15 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Christian C.! My hands down favorite memory was this last year’s soccer tournament, and I think it is for a very good reason. That is really when I got closer to a lot of the guys, not just in my class, but all the others as well. We all thought we had failed, and a lot of the seniors were crying, myself included. But then we heard some of the best news of our lives, we had a game in an hour and if we won that we would go to the championship. That was when it clicked for us that we still had a chance to make our school, friends, and family proud. I was especially nervous because my sister was watching, and I wanted to make her proud. We all gathered around after winning that game, and we all had a heart-to-heart moment where we basically said that it was a good game, but we still had to play hard to get the championship. But in the championship, we just had a lot of fun and we scored two goals and didn’t let the other team score one. We were so happy, we were just running on pure adrenaline and it felt amazing. After the game, we came back and we weren’t just a team, it felt like we were family, and none of us would forget that experience for a long, long, time. 16 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Jaden! I'd say my favorite memory here from Campion is when I broke my collar bone. It was like any other regular Sunday, nothing to do, very chill, and lasted forever. It was getting late at the time, so it was almost time for Men's Club, and we were going to play flag football. Being a sophomore, I was stoked to play flag football with my new friends. (I didn't come to Campion my freshman year, so sophomore year was my first.) I was a lot smaller my sophomore year, but I was fast and I couldn't wait to show off my skills. At first the game was very fun, and everybody was getting along just fine. I had already made a touchdown or two for my team, so I was getting more and more eager to make another touchdown. The QB called "HIKE" for the play to start, and I took off running. I was waving my hands in the air so that he could see I was wide open. Our eyes made contact, and he threw the ball my way. As soon as I caught the ball, I tripped on air or something, and I tried to catch myself, but I fell forward and landed right on top of my shoulder and heard something that sounded like a loud pop. My back on the ground, I was trying to realize what was going on, but all I could feel was some pain in my shoulder area. All my friends ran up to me and asked if I was "OK" but as soon as I tried to get up, I realized I knew what kind of pain this was. I reached up to touch my collarbone and looked at my friends and said with a surprisingly calm voice, "Yup my collar bone is broken. Can someone take me to the hospital please?" 17 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Carlos! My favorite memories are winning the soccer tournament both my junior and senior year. Coming into my junior year, I had never played soccer in my life. I didn't really even want to try-out for the team. I didn't even think that I would be able to make the varsity team. Well, eventually I was chosen to play on the varsity team and the tournament started. We made it to the championship game and started off losing 1-0. But, we came back and scored three goals, so we were able to beat the other team 3-1. Coming into my senior year we all knew winning the tournament would be even harder, especially knowing that it would be a three-peat if we won. At first, we didn't even think we could make it to the championship because we had lost which made us think we were out. But actually, we were able to be put through because we had the least goals allowed the whole tournament. When it was game day, we were all ready for the team that had stood in our way. The other team had beaten us before, but we were ready for them. We scored early and our defense was able to keep us alive the whole game. Finally, in the second half, Eloi was able to score to help us go up 2-0. We had won, and it was the best feeling I have ever felt. It was truly my favorite memory from my time-being at Campion. I plan on going to learn Spanish at the Universidad Adventista De Las Antillas in Maygüez Puerto Rico. Afterwards, I plan to head back to SWAU to finish my degree in Nursing school or Med School. 18 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Zoe! One of my favorite memories were the Handshake and welcome activities on Move-in Day. On this day, all students and staff introduce themselves to each other and shake each other's hands. Also, every year on this day, students will participate in many activities and my favorite part is the food. I remember we had ice cream, soda and pizza for the first year when I came. It was nice to have some desserts during the summer, and it made me feel welcome and at home. Also, it gave me a good idea of what this school is like: beautiful and kind. It made me feel more relieved about leaving my home in China and going to a new environment. Another reason I liked it is because I made many friends on this day. We got to know each other through the fun activities. We had some class activities too when we competed together between different classes. It made me realize that we should be one group as whole class. We win because of everyone's contribution, and don't blame others if we lose. I started to love our school, our class, and our students because of the welcome day. So welcome day for me was my favorite memory during school, it even will be more important than graduation day. I think it is a very important part of a school year, and Campion Academy should always keep it. 19 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Anthony! What is my favorite memory at Campion? This is a hard question to ask me because every day at Campion is always an interesting memory. One that I can remember well would be Iron Man, which is a Saturday night activity where a group of guys compete in a series of difficult challenges. I remember last year how bad I wanted to win, but I came up really short. I told myself that I would win it the next year. Finally, the next school year came around and I was ready to dominate. Beforehand, I tried to run, work out, and bring out my A-game. The day came, and I stayed humble but confident. As I walked into the gym I could hear the crowd of people. Dean Force brought every participant into the middle of the gym lobby and asked me to pray. I prayed and asked that everyone would stay safe and have fun. I was super pumped; I was feeling the hype and I was reminded that my older brother never had the chance to win Iron man. In my head, I was constantly saying "You're going to win this for Hernan and for yourself." As soon as everything started, I tried my hardest in every obstacle, pushing myself, even practically almost hurting myself. It was all worth it in the end to hear that I had won first place! I had my name written on the big trophy and my very own little trophy to have remembrance of that night. 20 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Ashley! Since this has been my only year at Campion as a village student, I don't have many memories on campus, but I have one in particular memory that is by far my favorite. It was the day that all returning and new students were moving into the dorms and were doing some activities that SA had planned. I just remember thinking that I wasn't going to make any friends my first week at a new school. So, we were doing this activity where we had to spell out our class year with our bodies as quickly as possible. I remember falling onto the floor and helping the other seniors make a one and then suddenly someone slid in front of me and laid on my legs, ever so casually. I started laughing to myself, and this person turned their eyes up to look at me and she casually said, " Hi, I'm Jackie what is your name?" The person in front of her turned and said: "Hi, I'm Maritza.” I looked at them for a second just chuckling to myself and told them, "I'm Ashley, I'm new". I remember laughing because Jackie told me that she loved the shape of my eyes and what a warm brown my eyes were. The first week of school I'd spend my mornings with Maritza, and we got to know each other. Jackie and Maritza both asked me, " Why did you choose to come to Campion now?" I told them, "I felt like my future was going nowhere at my old high school, and coming to Campion feels like I made the right decision and like I should have been here all along." 21 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Austin V.! One of my favorite memories from Campion would have to be the time that I spent playing varsity basketball. I played from my freshman year all the way up until this year. I enjoyed playing with my brothers on the court trying to win the game. I learned a lot during those times like team work, how to listen to my coach, and most importantly I learned to play basketball not for my glory but for God's glory. I enjoyed my time on the team. This year, I was the team captain and was on the court a lot of the time. So after the season was over this year, it was really hard to let it go. Every year I had another season to look forward to and work on my game and become better, but this year I didn't have that, and I am really going to miss it. Hopefully, I will be able to come back and play basketball someday with Force and some of the staff, but for now I'm going to have to let it go and hold on to the memories I made while I was on the team. I'm really going to miss everything about being on the team, but I know it was time for me to move on. 22 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Maritza! I am a four-year senior here at Campion and one of my favorite memories was at the end of junior year during finals week. It was a Tuesday afternoon and I decided to order pizza. Finally, it was the end of the school year and there was nothing more to worry about. Jackie showed up and decided to draw on the sidewalk with chalk, so I joined her and was also coloring on the sidewalk. As it got later, my pizza was not showing up and it looked like it was about to rain. Finally, after some time a nice delicious pizza arrived, but it was already raining. Jackie and I were a bit sad that our art was going to be washed away. It didn't take long after that for the rain to hit hard. For some reason, I had the idea to play in the rain and eat my pizza which did get wet but, hey, pizza is pizza, and it was good. I played around like a little girl splashing water everywhere, and eventually most of the students were outside playing soccer and just having fun in the big puddles of water. I can't ever forget such a perfect day that involved pizza and rain - some of my favorite things here on this earth. I guess I can say that was one of my favorite memories here at Campion. I am planning on going to Southwestern Adventist University next fall. I want to pursue chemistry and biology majors to eventually get into forensic science or forensic anthropology. 23 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Taylor! My favorite memory at Campion Academy was the senior survival trip. The whole class got a lot closer during the trip and most of us had fun. We ate good food and did a lot of outdoor activities that kept us busy. We learned a lot about nature, how to work as a team, and that we all need to chip in to get things done. I liked it because it was a chance to shift our focus on God and each other instead of rules and required things. While my class learned a lot about each other during that trip, we also were able to learn a lot about God and everything He has created. That's why Senior Survival was my favorite experience at Campion Academy. 24 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Devin! One of my favorite memories of Campion Academy would probably have to be Senior Survival. While you are in the mountains with all the friends you have made over the four years of being here, you develop a special bond between one another. Yancey, Austin R, Joe, Edwin and Jordi are friends that I know I can ask anything and truly call them brothers. When we were up in the mountains, we all built a camp together. We all worked on individual things, some better than others, but it all worked out. We made all our meals together, and they weren't the best. To be honest, the reason for this was we cleaned our bowls after eating every day with pine needles. I am surprised that none of us got sick from any of that, and for future classes I advise bringing some soap and a sponge! The other things that I remember from that are how all the activities meant something; it wasn't just for fun. They were fun, but they taught you something in the process. At the end of the day, all of us gathered around the imaginary campfire (since there was a fire ban,) and we talked about the day’s subject. We would go all the way around the circle until every person has said something. That is one of the main things that I will always remember from my time at Campion. 25 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Joe! I have lived most of my life here; my family has lived here since I was 2 years old and Campion is really all I know. I have been here for so long that it is hard to pick only one memory to talk about, but soccer tournaments have been some of the biggest highlights of my high school career. It all started my sophomore year when I was playing soccer and we went to Union for their first ever soccer tournament. Our team had not really been doing all that well the whole season, so to be honest, I didn't think that we would do well in the tournament. Deifying the odds, we battled all the way to the end, and we won the first ever Union soccer tournament. Going into the next year of soccer we had lost good players and I had the same mind set going to the tournament, thinking that we would not do all that great. We battled hard and came out with the big win once again. Up to this point, we were back to back champions at this tournament and it felt really good. Going into my last season here at Campion as a senior, I really wanted to take the title again because I wanted to end my senior year with a bang. At the tournament everyone thought that they could beat us, but we battled harder than we ever had before and won the tournament for the third consecutive time. I'm the only player that was on the team to win all three of the championship titles and I would say that that was my greatest memory of my high school career. 26 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Kryssie! For the past couple years, I have had the privilege to be in a small group. In my small group we do as many outreach projects as possible. Last year, my junior year, I had the opportunity to take part in Night to Shine. Night to Shine is a prom night founded by Tim Te-bow, where kids with special needs are able to feel free and beautiful in the skin they were born in. Because I was not yet 18, I did not get the chance to escort one of the many people to prom, but I found other ways to help make these kids night special. My friend Tristan and I decided to help do hair and makeup to help the girls get ready for their special night. After we were done, we got the opportunity to see all these beautiful people pick which volunteers they wanted to be paired with. It was so great to see that at this moment there were no such thing as disabilities and things that could or could not be done. But what happened next that evening was even more precious. At regular proms there is voted a king and queen: two individuals who are seen as more breath-taking than the rest. But at this prom, the directors took a moment to turn to these beautiful individuals and applaud them for how far they had come in life and how far they will continue to go. After the applauding died down we began to hand out crowns to all these gorgeous kings and queens. This was my favorite memory because it was a real eye-opener. It showed me that everyone was created by a heavenly Father who loves and cares for every person, no matter the circumstances. It also showed me that I can make an impact by just smiling or busting out a move on the dance floor with the children. This night showed me a new meaning of beauty as well. Beauty is something that we all contain within and sometimes you need others to help bring that beauty to the light. But when that beauty is shown it is something to be awed over. 28 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Alyssa! My most favorite memory from Campion Academy was the time when I had my very first Girls’ Dorm retreat. I had an opportunity to spend time with new friends for the first time and make great freshman year memories. I loved how we would break up in groups and learn about each other. On the first night, after a great worship singing songs under the beautiful night sky, I spent the night outside with a few of my new and closest friends I had made at the time. We all had a wonderful time, even though we woke up in a freezing cold morning. It was great how we all did things together like making nice crafts and hanging out with everyone. I liked the fun dancing we did on Saturday night and the new Cinderella movie we watched outside at night. I learned to make the best of the new place I was at after moving out of state. The dorm retreat and other activities have made my experience great. Dorm retreat really helped me bond with my new friends as I've never experienced before. It was a great memory to look back on as it was my very first year at Campion Academy. Dorm retreat has always been my favorite time of the school year. 29 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Jessica! Campion Academy has opened my eyes in the spiritual aspect. I finally found a place where I can use my passion for serving others through being involved in a variety of places at school. From being a residence assistant to a student association member, I had a thrilling experience working with many people I call family. I wish to pursue this passion at Pacific Union College and meet new people who have the same burning passion. I will major in Dentistry and continuously serve others through the glory of God. 30 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Jordi! It was April of sophomore year and my best friends Yancey, Austin, Devin, Joe and I were talking about Moab, which is the sophomore Biology trip that Mrs. Santana's class takes every year. The juniors and the seniors told us that Moab was the highlight of sophomore year. They talked about it being so much fun, and all-in-all a great bonding time with your class. It was a week before home leave and Mrs. Santana gave us a list of what we needed to bring for the trip, but I noticed that on that list it didn't say to bring an air mattress. I told myself, "None of my friends are going to sleep on the ground!" I then brought two pretty good size air mattresses from home and I was so excited to use them. I had everything packed and we got on the road to go to Moab. It was an eight-hour drive, but I didn't care. I was excited to go with all of my best friends to Moab. We arrived at our campsite and I was helping unload all of my things and the other materials and we got settled. Once we set up our tent, we took all of our belongings in and I was ready to set up the beds when I realized one thing, I forgot the pumps! I felt so foolish, but I did not want to sleep on the ground. Therefore, I filled up the mattress by blowing them up like a balloon. It took about an hour or so, but I did it. The rest of the trip, we had a bunch of laughs and unforgettable memories that I made with my brothers. After this year, I want to go to Union College and become a trauma nurse. I trust in God that he will lead me on the right path. Campion has helped me grow emotionally and spiritually and that's one of the many things I have appreciated about attending here. 31 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Sydney! I am a four-year senior at Campion Academy. I remember visiting Campion’s campus to participate in Music Fest, Academy Days, and sports games in middle school, and thinking how scary and old high-schoolers were! It’s hard to believe now I’m a senior and graduating. My favorite memories over the past four years have been all the trips we’ve gone on, like Music Tours, Moab, and Senior Survival. Specifically, I have great memories from going rafting with my class in Moab and going to East High in Salt Lake City where they filmed High School Musical! These are memories that I will never forget. Campion has taught me to make friends for a lifetime, as well as challenge myself academically. I plan on going to Walla Walla University in the fall and majoring in Social Work. 32 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Lee! My favorite memory of Campion Academy would probably be rafting in Moab with my class. Campion Academy has been a positive experience for me because it has changed how I view the world. Now when I see a challenge instead of getting upset about it I’m more likely to go at it head-on and take it down quickly. After graduation I plan on going to Union College to get my BS in Computer Science, take honors, and possibly work a minor in history. 33 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Hilary! Campion gave me a lifelong journey of memories, but my favorite was definitely joining praise team my freshmen year. I have loved being immersed in music at a school that encourages student-led praise teams. After coming to this school, I have grown towards a path that I never knew existed. I can say that Campion has given me a different outlook on how to love others around me. I plan to take all these lessons with me after graduation when I travel to Pacific Union College. I will be majoring in Psychology and will continue to take my love of praise teams there. 34 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Austin R! I am four-year-senior. Some of my favorite memories were made during my sophomore year in Moab. I won’t ever forget watching Devin push Zeca off the raft or looking up at the starry skies with my brothers. Campion has changed my life in ways that I didn't expect. I didn’t commit to Campion until registration day, but I haven’t regretted it once. Campion has forced me to open up to opportunities, and it has taught to me how step up. After high school, I plan on taking pre-med/pre-dent but I have not yet chosen which college I would like to attend. I trust that God will guide me in this next stage of life as he has done with Campion. 35 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Faith! As an adolescent at Campion Academy I feel that an outlet for stress every now and again is almost necessary. So, after a particularly stressful day, my wonderful suite mate (Josephine Reeves) got to our rooms and we conversed. But, I had a very bright idea and typed “high school musical” into my Spotify search bar and pressed ‘shuffle.’ The music began playing quietly from my Bluetooth speaker but when I began blasting the volume, Josie popped her head out and without hesitation or question we both began to sing in sync with ‘I Gotta Go My Own Way’ (a classic). Each word that we sung, we would sing from the top of our lungs. With each lyric we were more and more passionate (maybe a little too passionate), the moment turned interactive and I used all the strength I had to jump onto my bed. Pillows and random items began to fly across the room to amplify my dramatic gestures that impersonated Troy Bolton in ‘Bet on it.’ I jumped from my bed to my futon but in the process of doing so I took the lights strung across my ceiling with me and fell to the ground. Josie and I looked at each other, sharing a moment of silence before we began to laugh until our stomachs hurt, but we sung on. By the end of our exciting performance my room was trashed, lights were on the ground, pillows and blankets littering the whole space, papers strung everywhere. At the end of high school we do not take all the papers we write or the tests we ace, but the memories we made and the people that we shared those memories with. Take every opportunity to make a moment special, something unforgettable. 36 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Eloi! My best memory at Campion Academy was when my class went to the mountains for senior survival. A day before senior survival you could see a big smile on my face, but the issue was that I didn't have half of my supplies I needed for the trip. The night before the trip, I had to go to Walmart and buy everything. The ride to the mountains was a success, people were singing, playing, and sleeping. I was the one who slept through the whole trip because I spent half of the night trying to pack. When we finally got there, it felt like I belonged there because everything was quiet and fresh. The most memorable moments were when my group was trying to make a shelter to protect ourselves during the night. We spent the whole afternoon trying to make a shelter that was quite terrible, but it worked by the end of the day. We had the most beautiful view between all the groups at the camp. We could see the whole area around us and the clean skies on top of us. When it was all over, I got back home and I took the longest shower I had ever taken. After all, senior survival brought me closer to God and taught me how to live with people in the wilderness, to work as a team, and create relationships with others. 37 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Stephanie! I have a ton of great memories here, but my favorite memory at Campion has been Senior Survival. I got to bond with my classmates and sponsors in so many ways. The deep talks we would have around the lamp on the log were really soothing. Sometimes we would all be frustrated with one another, but in the end we united and overcame all of the trials that were put in our paths. Campion has brought many positive things into my life. I have made new friends, learned more about Jesus, experienced things I had never experienced before, and gone on many adventures. My plans after graduation are to work the whole summer either in the current restaurant I work at, or a new better paying job. I am also going to travel to Mexico this summer as well as do a lot of camping. When fall comes, I am hoping to go to a college -yet to be determined- and take courses that help me in my career. I am hoping to become a forensic scientist or work in the criminology area. 38 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Nathaniel! One of my favorite memories at Campion has been starting a mountain bike group with the students and mountain bikers in the area. I loved being able to shred with my friends and learn from the community of riders around me. I plan to continue sharing my passion of mountain biking to impact the lives of other people throughout college. I have recently received my Private Pilot’s License and plan on pursuing a Bachelors in Aviation Technology on my way to becoming a corporate pilot. 39 Days to Graduation! #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Josie! I am from Wimberley, Texas and this is my second year at Campion. Dorm life is one of my favorite parts of going to school here. I have spent countless Saturday nights eating Ramen and watching movies with my friends. I’ve loved being a part of Koinonia, our select choir, and enjoying trips like musical festivals and tours. I am undecided about where I want to attend college, but I plan to become a labor and delivery nurse. Campion has taught me how to be independent from my family, but it has also taught me the importance of learning to depend on people. I am extremely grateful for the relationships I have created here and the memories I have made. I am most thankful for the ways I have grown spiritually since attending Campion. My time here has taught me how to fully trust in God and allow myself to be used by Him. 40 Days to Graduation #CampionSeniors2019 Meet Susan! I came to Campion about 3 years ago from China. Even though I wasn’t adapted to the culture, I was welcomed by everyone here. Throughout these years, I have had so many valuable memories. One of my favorites was the Chinese New Year Celebrations. I am grateful for Campion for giving us the opportunity to show Chinese culture to the local students. I especially enjoyed the fireworks. It gave me flashbacks of my childhood when I would stay outside an entire day, just for fireworks. Campion has had a big impact on my spiritual growth; I learned about God and grasped a whole new perspective of Christianity. From these 3 years, I fully experienced the unselfishness and openness of Christians. I made a lot of friends in this Campion family. Those friendships, I believe, will last forever, no matter where I go in the future. I am planning on going to Mount Holyoke College next year to major in Psychology and Education. My dream is to become a teacher. The Campion Academy family is preparing to say good-bye to both Daniel Force, Head Boys’ Dean, and Jim Hughes, Assistant Boys’ Dean at the end of this school year.
After serving at Campion for nine years in the boys’ dorm, Daniel Force has accepted the position of Associate Men’s Dean at Union College. “I have cherished my time here at Campion, but I feel this the right move for my wife and I to be together,” he explained. Force’s wife, Roxanne, has been teaching at Mile High Academy and has been making the long commute since they got married last summer. As he reflected back on his time here at Campion and his favorite parts of his job, he mentioned, “The growth you see in the boys from freshman to senior year is a highlight, and especially being able to see them give their hearts to God. Of course, coaching basketball was always one of my favorite things and something I will miss.” Jim Hughes and his family will be moving to Portland, Oregon, where Hughes has accepted a job teaching art full-time at Portland Adventist Academy. “The Lord has opened doors for us to move in that direction. That’s the bottom line,” he commented. “Cheri and I have always made it a priority to be where God wants us to be and follow His timing. Just as He led us to Campion, He is now guiding us there.” The Hughes family will look back on the four years they’ve been at Campion as a God-led, positive experience. “I really enjoyed the deep connection I’ve had with the boys here and being a dean has really facilitated that in big way,” Hughes reflected. “They’ve been a good example of Jesus, who kept a high standard of moral living, yet loved each person where they were at,” commented Don Reeder. “It says in Proverbs 27:17, ‘Iron sharpens iron and one man sharpens another.’ Both of these deans have sharpened the characters of the young men in our dorm and they will be missed.” Both positions are currently open for applications with a deadline of May 3rd for the head dean position. “We have already been receiving applications and have been in contact with several highly-qualified candidates,” Reeder explained. “We are prayerfully considering our options and asking God to lead us to the right people to be spiritual leaders for the boys in our dorm.” Jill Harlow, Communication Director Campion Academy had its annual Junior Senior Banquet last Sunday, April 14. The banquet was planned by the junior class officers and the theme was the 50’s. They started the banquet off by going to a 50’s diner in Thornton and after that heading to a roller rink. Everyone was dressed in their best 50’s style fashion and enjoyed an evening of fun roller skating. Kryssie Starrett, a senior, said, “It was really fun, especially when we got to play dodgeball while roller skating. The malts at the diner were also really good!” We are praying for Mrs. Santana as she injured her hand while skating, but we hope the seniors had a good time at their last Campion Academy banquet. Ashley Herber, Student Editor This past Thursday evening, Campion Academy’s international students held a Festival of Cultures at the Loveland Museum. The performances, including traditional dances, songs, and slide shows were presented by students from Brazil, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Mexico, El Salvador, and Japan. The students also prepared traditional foods and craft booths for the audience. The students had about ten minutes each to present their countries. "It was very fun. I especially enjoyed watching the Kung Fu from the China presentation because it is very different from our culture," Gabriele, a student from Brazil, explained. While the students were getting ready for their presentations, audience members could walk around the booths and ask questions of the students personally. Sinai Rodriguez, a student from Mexico smiled, "My favorite part was the time before the presentations started. I enjoyed each booth and their foods. A lot of people came to my booth too. I was excited, because they wanted to know about my culture." A lot of the students and audience members enjoyed tasting the traditional foods. "I love food!" said Renan from Brazil. "My favorite food was brigadeiro, our traditional sweets." Campion Academy and the Loveland Museum plan to make this an annual event for the community to enjoy. They are already making plans for next year to use a larger space to reach a wider audience. Campion Academy has a diverse and growing international student program. Currently it is home to 24 international students from six different countries. Most of the students come to improve their English and earn their high school diplomas here before continuing on to a university in the United States. All of the students and the audience members had smiles on their faces throughout the event. “As international students, we know it is very important to respect American culture, but we learned it is also important to share our cultures to the world,” reflected Kaname, senior, from Japan. Kaname Kaneiwa, Senior, Guest Contributor with Jill Harlow Campion Academy provided a warm welcome to 100 potential students over Academy Days weekend this year, April 12-13. With the help of enrollment director Jessica Rios spearheading the event and traveling to churches and elementary schools throughout the year, the number of students attending academy days has increased significantly over the last three years. “It went better than expected,” Rios reflected. “It was well attended by both parents and prospective students. A lot of interest was generated about our school and program with some applying for school while here. That's what this weekend was about, and fruit came out of it so I would say it went very well.” The attending students were given the opportunity to stay a night in the dorm, tour campus, meet teachers, learn about the academic and extracurricular programs, as well as compete for scholarships. Sofie, an eighth-grader from Berthoud commented, “The school is really amazing. Everyone was so nice, and the students were very welcoming.” Even students already familiar with the campus and planning on attending Campion next year benefited from the experience. “It was a great learning experience to prepare for next year,” said Bella, 8th grader at HMS Richards Elementary. “We got to meet some of our new classmates and teachers for next year and we got to see the classrooms and learn the campus.” Bella was also one of the students awarded scholarship money through academic and sport competitions. Beyond the fun, Academy Days gives students a glimpse into what it is like to live on a campus that is Christ-centered and spiritually focused. Even students that may not come to Campion next year were spiritually impacted through the worships centered around the theme, “He Knows My Name.” Kaileigh, 8th grader at HMS Richards Elementary remarked, “My favorite part of the weekend was vespers because Pastor Esequias had a really good message. Worship services were a big part of the weekend, so it helped me focus and think about spiritual things.” Jessica Rios reflected on how she saw God blessing our campus during this event. “God blessed by moving on some families to apply to school for next year, but I think it’s easy to forget how much God protects us. With over 100 extra people on our campus, so many things can go wrong, but consistently, year after year, these events go over so smoothly with no incidents.” By Jill Harlow, Communication Director The road was filled with endless conversations as the Koinonia Touring Choir and the Teh Campanas Handbells Ensemble traveled to Texas. The twelve-hour ride would be the beginning of an unforgettable event. The first day was spent performing for the Abilene Adventist Junior Academy. Although it was a small crowd of five students, it didn’t stop them from producing a big applause. Mr. Yves Clouzet allowed the young students to try out the handbells. The next stop was to the home-church of Logan Vega, a senior member of Koinonia: South Austin SDA Church where the students delivered a full performance. After a full night's rest, the students were up and running, ready for a fun day to Six Flags and Riverwalk. “When I rode the boat to tour the river, I was amazed with the beautiful plant life everywhere,” explained freshman Shelby Waller who plays in Teh Campanas. After a day of break, the musicians set up for their next performance which took place at the Hays Nursing Center. Koinonia lifted up their music folders and sang from the bottom of their hearts and Teh Campanas overflowed the room with a moving melody. The senior citizens were touched and some began to tear up because of the music. “We went there thinking it was just another concert, but in the end, we realized it was more than just playing bells,” said sophomore Dominick Maldonado, “it was us sharing the love of God through music.” It was a beautiful way to begin God’s Sabbath on Friday evening. On Sabbath, the musicians performed for the San Marcos SDA Church and took over the entire service with a variety of songs. Students Austin Rotinsulu and Ashley Halvorson participated in the service by leading the scripture reading and prayer. The students toured Southwestern Adventist University and the nursing department. Koinonia was asked to do an impromptu performance for the SWAU students. SWAU asked the students to stay by and watch the Acrofest performances that happened in the gym. It was exciting to see others perform their passion and do amazing things. All of the music department students wish to thank the sponsors and hosts who took care of the students and made sure they arrived safely to and from Texas. Music department directors Yves and Melissa Clouzet, along with Charles and Kristi Reeves, Kent Kast, Bill and Sherry Hay, Clinton and Leah Anderson, and Erika Faría all played big roles in making the trip happen. Erika Faría is a college student from Brazil and is a volunteer this semester at Campion. She is working with the Clouzets to learn how to be a music teacher. She conducted the Teh Campanas performance of “Bound for the Kingdom.”
Obed Barrera, a Koinonia member reflected on the tour experience, “It was fun performing in front of little children and older teens. It was nice to see their smiles! I hope that our tour inspired people to come share God through music.” Christian Marin, Senior, Guest Contributor Last Friday, Campion hosted a girls' soccer tournament. There were four teams that participated: Loveland Classical School, Windsor Charter School, Campion Academy, and the Denver Eagles Home-School team. The Campion girls made it into the final tournament game on Saturday night, but lost to Loveland Classical 4-1. Senior Jessica Singon scored the goal. There were two injuries on our team and all of the girls fought hard during the tournament.
Ashley Herber, Sports Editor A weekend full of greetings from all over the world, colorful flags, and exotic food showed us the value of all cultures. The Campion Church and Academy joined together to put on the international events on both Sabbath and Sunday. Many of our students contributed to these wonderful events by carrying in flags, greeting us in different languages, or making and selling foods from around the world to raise some money. Both International Sabbath and the International Food Fair were a big success in uniting our church members and students in learning more about the different cultures represented here. “I thought it was really interesting to see a lot of the students from Campion represent their cultures,” mentioned Sandra Marin, a junior at Campion. International Sabbath took a lot of work to put together, and all of the pastors were beyond grateful for everyone who volunteered to participate and help with the service. Not only did they carry in flags or sing bright and joyful songs, but the church was full of people wearing different clothing from countries all over the world. “One of my favorite moments was when we sang “Dame la Mano” and people got up to shake each other’s hands. It really brought a piece of home over here,” said junior Fabiola Castrejon. The day continued with all of the Campion students heading over to different church members’ houses. Together they ate the delicious meals that their hosts had prepared for them, and enjoyed games along with a lot of laughter. “It was fun to get to know more about people that I had never really talked to before. It was a really great experience,” explained Brisa Maldonado a freshman here on campus. The weekend was finished off with our annual International Food Fair. Church members, international students, staff, and some classes prepared wonderful meals and drinks from countries that they represented. All were filled with brilliant colors and decor that was eye-catching. Students got to enjoy the yummy food for supper on this beautiful day. Sophomore Nelly Salinas exclaimed, “I only got to try a couple of the booths and it was so hard to choose which ones to go to because everything looked and smelled terrific!” Although the festivities had to come to an end, no one went home without trying marvelous food, experiencing new cultures, or a huge smile on his or her face. Cultures are meant to be shared and certainly this campus was filled with that this weekend. We are blessed to have international students and diverse members in our community! Stephanie Salinas, Senior, Guest Contributor Photos by Jill Harlow |
Archives
November 2024
Categories
All
|
Contact UsFor grades 9-12:
300 42nd St. SW Loveland, CO 80537 Phone: 970-667-5592 Fax: 970-667-5104 Email: [email protected] |
© COPYRIGHT 2017. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
|