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The Campion Academy varsity soccer and volleyball teams traveled to the annual Union College tournament this last weekend. The tournament was organized a bit differently this year, with the games on Thursday determining if you were placed in the gold or the red division for the next two days. This gave an opportunity for first place trophies to go to both the red and gold championship games for both soccer and volleyball, allowing all teams a fair shot at first place.
The Campion soccer team came in first place in the red division, ending their game 3-0. The volleyball team came in fifth place in the red division, ending with two ace serves by Ashley Herber. Both teams won their last games on Saturday night. Collegedale Academy, from Tennessee, took first place in both the volleyball and the soccer gold championships. Obed Barrera, a senior captain on the soccer team, said, “In the fourth game we were playing to see if we would make it into the red division championship, and at the beginning of the game we were not playing that hard. Then at half time, Mr. O gave us this big speech about how we should keep pushing even if we’re playing for seventh place. Then in the second half we started dominating. It was a big difference and it was a really cool turning point because after that speech we just gave 100 percent.” He continued, “I learned not to give up. I was pretty beat down because I was like ‘we’re out of the (gold) championship game, what are we playing for?’ But I learned to overcome that and just play for fun because that’s what soccer, and any other sport, is all about. If it’s not fun, then why are we playing that sport?” When asked about her favorite part of tournament Delanie Kamarad, a senior captain of the volleyball team, said, “My favorite part was the last game after we won. Even though we had a lot of hardships through the season and in tournament, looking around after the game there was no one else I’d rather be by. The energy we had toward each other all season wasn’t just about the sport or our positions it was about the memories and the friendships we made.” Barrera also said, “One of my favorite parts about tournament was cheering on our volleyball girls. That was hype and it was really fun.” Not only did the Campion teams cheer on each other, but they also cheered on the Mile High teams. Even though Campion and Mile High Academy are typically top rivals, before the tournament volleyball coach Kelsey Cate encouraged the girls to cheer on their sister school when they could. Ashley Halvorson, a senior volleyball player, then made a sign that said “Colorado Proud” so that the volleyball team could cheer on Mile High when they didn’t have a game. This led to both schools showing up to each other’s games to hold up the sign to cheer each other on. “It felt empowering to cheer on Mile High. Not only did it make us feel good about ourselves but I think that people on their team payed attention. One of the moms of the players came up to us afterwards and said, ‘Thank you so much. We really appreciate you guys and this means a lot to us,’” Kamarad said. The Campion teams came away from tournament with great memories, new friendships, and important life lessons. Ashley Herber, Student Editor All photos used with permission from Union College
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 Grant Velbis, senior at Campion Academy, plays the role of Judah Harris on Discovery Mountain. Tune into the children’s audio adventure series Discovery Mountain, and you might recognize some voices from around campus. Since April of 2017, the media ministry Voice of Prophecy has been offering Campion students and staff the opportunity to be involved in voice acting for the Bible-based program which is set in a small mountain town where, as they say, “the air is clear enough to hear your imagination.” Current and former students like Grant Velbis, Tamhelda Yalape, Wyatt Watson, and many more have auditioned and been accepted as voice actors on the show. Several teachers have also played important roles on the show, including Principal Don Reeder who plays the principal at Discovery Mountain Academy, whose character is named after himself. For most participants, Discovery Mountain voice acting is a volunteer position, but those who land larger roles are paid.  Principal Don Reeder voices his namesake character as Principal of Discovery Mountain Academy. “Discovery Mountain has changed my life for the better. When I came to [Voice of Prophecy] I never expected to have some of my favorite experiences there. I grew a love for acting and God at the same time, and I’m excited to still be a part of it!” says Wyatt Watson, two-year voice actor for Discovery Mountain.
“We’re incredibly thankful for our relationship with Campion Academy. Having the talented students and staff willing and available to play large roles and smaller—but no less vital seasonal and Bible character roles—has allowed the program to have the rich variety that we only could’ve dreamed of otherwise,” says Discovery Mountain writer Jean Boonstra, who has worked directly with Campion in recruiting and organizing students for roles in the ministry. Each fall, the Voice of Prophecy team can be found on campus holding auditions and recruiting new Campion students to the team. Director Doug Bruce and Producer Steve Phillips make an appearance in Wednesday chapel, and occasionally pull students from Bible class for auditions. While fall auditions have passed this year, anyone can still get involved by visiting discoverymountain.com/auditions and uploading an audition file. The series is available for listening on discoverymountain.com as well as on streaming services like Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Naomi Boonstra, Student Editor Over two weeks in October, Campion Academy’s Vice-Principal of Finance, Dean Helm, and May Forshee, an independent agent, marketed Campion’s international program at educational fairs in Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Jakarta, Indonesia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Seoul, South Korea; and Bangkok, Thailand. They traveled with International Student Network, Inc. (ISN) and over 5,000 students, guidance counselors, and international agents attended the events.
Helm and Forshee manned a booth for Campion Academy complete with interactive activities, Helmdini magic, Campion gear, and brochures outlining the international program. Campion was the only high school that traveled with 19 universities representing their programs. While the expos were mainly marketed for students interested in universities, a large percentage of the attendees expressed interest in Campion’s high school program. “When visitors found out we were a private boarding high school from the U.S., we had a great deal of interested students, parents, and agents wanting to find out more about our program,” explained Helm. “You could visibly see faces light up repeatedly as they realized what we were all about. We had a prize wheel at our booth that drew interest from nearly everyone who entered the fair location.” The recent tour visited countries where Campion has not previously marketed its program. Helm explains, “I was very satisfied with the overall reactions and support that we received from interested parties, as well as from the universities we traveled with. I would consider the trip a success. This was the first step in opening up new international markets for us, which I feel supports our overall mission of our school. Relationships are very important as we seek to find students from around the world to minister to, while they seek out educational opportunities. This trip started new relationships that we intend to keep developing as we walk through the doors that God opens for us. When we receive actual applications from potential students, it will be easy to gauge the success of this trip in human terms. But until we see actual applications, we will continue trusting God to touch lives through us in ways we can't measure.” Campion Academy has been intentionally building its international program over the past five years and currently has students from China, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal, Mexico, and Japan. Principal Don Reeder explains that Campion has a goal of having about 20 percent of its student body be international students. “Campion sees recruiting internationally as part of our mission of telling the world about Jesus,” Reeder comments. “I believe that having diverse cultures in our school enriches the experience of all of our students. It is important that all students learn that God is the Father of all nations and He seeks to reach the whole world. Students who attend and graduate from Campion Academy will be prepared to live and work together in this world where cultures are so intertwined.” Jill Harlow, Communication Director  Jeremy Matondo is one of the soccer team captains and is an international student from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Standing at the sidelines of a Campion Academy soccer game it is easy to notice two things. The first is how well this team knows and enjoys the game, and the second is how different they look from the teams that they play in Northern Colorado. The Campion soccer team is very diverse, with people from all backgrounds and ethnicities such as Latinos, Asian-Americans and international students from places like Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo. With so much diversity comes many languages including English, Portuguese, French, and Spanish.
One would think that with so many different languages there would be a lot of confusion, but that is not the case. “Some of the newer Brazilians don’t really understand English that well, but if you try to explain it, it will be easier (for them) to get it,” Jeremy Matondo, an international student from the Democratic Republic of Congo and a captain on the team, explained. “There are not many miscommunications. It’s kind of funny, for the people who don’t understand English as well, the people that can speak their language will explain it to them when Mr. O is talking,” Grant Velbis added. Even their coach, Randy Ottschofski, speaks a different language, naming many of his plays after German words and names including Mueller, kimmich, and angriff, which means attack. Erick Maldonado, a captain on the team said, “He’ll call it out and yell, ‘Go Kimmich, go Kimmich!’” “Then everybody will go Kimmich, it’s like a chain reaction,” Caleb Wehling added. All of this diversity on the soccer team has only enriched the game for the players. “It’s cool how all of us, even though we’re from different backgrounds and speak different languages, have been able to work together really well and we’ve had a really good season this year,” Velbis said. The Campion soccer team just finished their regular season undefeated 9-0 and 1, and it is safe to say that one reason for their success is that they have been able to benefit from everyone’s unique view of the game. The team is heading into their final tournament of the year at Union College this week. “It’s fun to play with people from a different background. They have different ways to play the game and a different understanding of the game and it’s such a nice thing to do with them, to play with people who are not from where you are from, and it just brings you closer,” Matondo explained, “Sometimes we don’t talk to each other in the dorm, and soccer is a way to get closer to each other and be friends.” Campion’s international program and soccer team have brought people together at Campion because even if the players are very different, they can still enjoy the beautiful game of soccer. Ashley Herber, Student Editor  Abby, center, feels the family love with her mom, sister, aunt, and four new brothers. Abby Segovia, a senior at Campion Academy, shares how the unexpected growth in her family led to unexpected blessings in her life.
My family has drastically changed in the past year. We went from a family of three to a family of eight. Through my mom’s work in a preschool, we had gotten close to four little boys that were not in the greatest home. A lot of things happened and we got a phone call one day asking my mom if she would be willing to take all four boys into her home for as long as they needed. Later on that day, they were all in our living room watching a movie. This was one of the biggest adjustments that my family has had to go through. Going from it just being my mom, my sister, and I, to having my aunt come and live with us, and the four little boys, it was definitely a hard task. My mom is one of the most amazing people in my life because of how big her heart is. The boys are part of our family now, and to this day she hasn't given up, even through all the struggles. As a family we have prayed a lot about God guiding us through everything and so far, He has tremendously blessed us. I can say that all my siblings go to an Adventist school, we always have food on the table, we have a beautiful home, we have a church family that loves us, and we never seem to be short of anything we need. God has provided for us through every obstacle we have had to face, and He is still providing and blessing my family with so much more. -Abby Segovia Instead of a normal class period on Friday, the American Literature class enjoyed a spectacular party. The juniors had recently finished reading the book “The Great Gatsby,” and to celebrate, Dean Erin Johnson worked hard to decorate the student center in a roaring 20’s theme. Everyone had a wonderful time eating cupcakes, enjoying activities, and taking pictures at the photo booth.
By far, what was most memorable about the event were the outfits. The juniors went all out on their costumes, hair, and suits and showed up in their best vintage looks. “I liked the way we were all dressed,” commented Lucas Catira. “The music was cool, and I especially liked the game we played at the end.” In addition to all the fun, the junior class took away deeper life lessons from reading the classic text. Jynaya Wright said, “The lesson I learned from reading the book was that people aren’t always what they seem.” Overall, the party was a highlight of the week, and it gave the juniors a glimpse of what life was like in the 1920s. Samantha Hodges, Junior, Guest Contributor  This past weekend was the annual Girls Dorm Retreat. The retreat started on Friday night with the new assistant LE director, Shayna, coming to the dorm to speak for Vespers worship time. The theme for the weekend was “Belong”. She started out by telling us the classic tale of The Ugly Duckling. She ended the worship by playing the guitar while singing us a song. The rest of the evening was capped off with delicious snacks courtesy of Mrs. Helm while we watched a christian romantic movie. The weekend was off to a great start and all the girls were enjoying themselves. On Sabbath morning everyone in the dorm had the opportunity to sleep-in. Our day started with a delicious brunch of poppy-seed pancakes, once again prepared by Mrs. Helm. “The food was well-prepared and I’m glad that we got to have Mrs.Helm’s delicious food!” commented Melody, a freshman. Sabbath worship consisted of multiple little breakout sessions that included games like Jenga, in which each block had a Bible question on it that we had to answer, charades, where we had to act out Bible stories and characters, and painting. The dorm chaplain presented a short film called “Noise”. Each group watched the film and then discussed how all the noise in our lives keeps us from our relationship with God. We discussed how we need silence for God to speak to us. We just have to sit and listen. On Sabbath afternoon, the deans took us to Benson Sculpture Park where we participated in a photo scavenger hunt. Everyone had a lot of fun running around the park looking at the different sculptures, and of course taking a lot of pictures. We came back to the dorm for Mrs. Helm’s big-mac sloppy joes. To end the Sabbath, Kelby Eickmann came to speak to us about overcoming personal obstacles in order to find where each of us belongs. We ended the weekend by watching the movie Aladdin, singing along to every song of the movie, and once again having delicious snacks. The dorm was never silent this weekend, and all the girls got to bond with each other and just have a fun time. “I enjoyed bonding with all the girls in the dorm and also creating new friendships.” -Kylie Wehling, Sophomore “It was a lot of fun and I’m so grateful that I got to bond with everybody that came! This was a dorm retreat that I will never forget!” -Patricia Simamora, four year senior Bela Cinco, Student Editor Photos by Patricia Simamora and Girl's dorm students  The guys had some friendly competition at glow-in-the-dark mini-golf on Saturday night. This past weekend the Men’s Dorm held their annual dorm retreat. The weekend started with a worship on Friday evening by Mr. John Boutot, U.S. History teacher and former marine. His worship was about what it means to be a man of God and how to encourage one another on the journey. All devices of the students were taken and wouldn’t be returned until the following afternoon which allowed for the students to interact more with one another. Erick Maldonado, a Resident Assistant in the Men’s Dorm shared, “At first everyone was upset because we lost our devices, but Friday night ended up being one of the best nights we’ve had in the dorm. Guys talked, messed around, but more importantly, we got closer to each other.”
On Sabbath morning, the deans made breakfast and Mr. Boutot continued his worship talk. Then the guys had free time to rest, relax, or play outside. The afternoon consisted of a campus-wide scavenger hunt. The guys had to look all around the campus and take specific pictures that followed the instructions given. Dinner was made and then a sundown worship was given by the Men’s Club Officers. Saturday night the guys headed to Centerra mall and many enjoyed playing glow-in-the-dark mini golf. The weekend closed with pizza and more time spent together with just the guys. Megan Michalenko, Student Editor This past Sunday, the entire student body divided into groups to volunteer for four hours on various community projects. "We do a community service day to let our students experience the joy and satisfaction of serving others," explained Chaplain Wendy Eickmann. "We also aim to positively impact our community." A few groups stayed right on the Campion campus and helped out with the building project at Campion Church, cleaned-up at HMS Elementary School, prepared the fields for winter in the agriculture department, and worked on various other projects in grounds and the cafeteria. Other groups dispersed to do yard work and clean-up at several community members homes who needed some extra help, as well as at the Estes Park SDA Church and the Lon Hagler Reservoir. Two groups picked up trash along the five-mile section of highway 60 where Campion has been part of the Adopt-a-Highway program and at on the trails at Lon Hagler Reservoir. "We picked up around seven big bags of trash we found around the lake and the trails," commented Lindsey Smith. "It felt good that we did it even though it was hot and tiring." Jill Harlow, Communication Director
 Senior Eddie Camacho found boxing his freshman year between other sports and has been training hard ever since. His first sparring partner was former golden gloves champ Jay Rhine, and he occasionally spars with pro-fighter Mario Sierra, or “Juaritoz”. Eddie’s first official fight was last year in Ulysses, Kansas. “I won by an eight count which is a technical knockout since the kid looked like he was about to drop and wasn’t able to defend himself anymore so the ref stopped it,” says Eddie. Eddie’s victories don’t come without hard work, though. His training regimine not only has him waking up at 5 a.m. to run and going to the gym four times a week, but he also has to regulate his diet. “One month before a fight, I’ll cut out sweets. The week of the fight, I’ll eat as cleanly as possible in order to feel good… I just recently went back to being a vegetarian, and I’m trying to eat plant-based, so I can have more energy when I fight.”  Most importantly, Eddie glorifies God. Social media posts about his fights can be found under the hashtag “#GodGetsAllTheGlory,” and his attitude will tell you the same. “My coach is a Christian… we always pray right before every match,” says Eddie.
Although Eddie doesn’t plan on continuing boxing after high school, he says that it has made him stronger mentally. Naomi Boonstra, Student Editor |
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