 A campus ministries fusion group, FŪZ Small, helped the House of Neighborly Service (HNS) food pantry in November by going out into the community and collecting much needed food items. Before the pantry items were collected, the group spent an evening baking cookies. They packaged them up and added a flyer explaining what they were doing, what food items were most needed by HNS, and when they would be back by to pick up donations. Then the group went out to distribute the cookies into a nearby community and a few days later, returned to collect the donations. Collecting pantry items was well-received. Many people had bags and some even had boxes of food ready to hand-off. One house asked if they were the “cookie people” and said the cookies were a big hit with her kids. HNS happily accepted the pantry items and were very thankful. Jessica Singon, a senior in the group commented, “I was so proud of us girls because we are such a small group yet we are still capable of making a difference.” FŪZ Small leader, Honali Marin, says, “partnering with a local organization that is well known in the community really helps the positive reception. People know about HNS and what they do for our community and are happy to help.” Residents in the neighborhood were also more prepared to give to the collection drive because of the cookie deliveries. “Taking the time to make something tasty to give in advance to the people who are being asked to help, also helps us to make a positive connection in the neighborhood,” explained Marin. “It gives us a chance to give the residents a heads-up as to what we are doing and when we will be back, so they can plan and be prepared.”  FŪZ Small plans to continue to build a relationship with HNS and to provide food items to their pantry throughout the school year. Campion’s Fusion worship and activities happen on Wednesday nights to provide students with an additional spiritual focus and mid-week refresher. In the coming semester, Campion plans to create and encourage more students to join small fusion groups such as FŪZ Small. 
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 World cultures came to life in Campion’s student center last Sunday during the semi-annual geography project presentations. Students demonstrated skills in a variety of technology and art mediums as well as in-depth knowledge of a country in this semester’s group projects. Headed by Nate Marin and assisted by art teacher, Jim Hughes, and librarian, Lindsey Santana, geography class is one of Campion’s most unique and innovative courses. At the beginning of the semester, students were divided into groups to complete an in-depth study of their selected country, with the groups representing at least five continents. Each group researched and learned about their country’s physical features, economy, government, history, culture and more. On parent-weekend, students performed a traditional dance from each country. For the final projects, they took this information and presented it in a variety of creative ways at booths to students and visitors. Students demonstrated graphic design skills by creating infographics with basic facts of each country, tri-fold brochures, and interactive maps on google. They gave visitors a taste of their countries by cooking and serving unique regional desserts. The physical mobiles were the visual highlights and allowed students to represent their countries in artistic and symbolic ways. Each mobile included students’ representations of the art, flags, maps, famous people, and religions of the countries. To create each piece of the mobile, they learned how to use a variety of tools for artistic expression including Campion’s newly acquired Glo-forge laser cutter, 3-D printer, as well as the more traditional mediums of clay and paint. Freshman, Blessing Simamora, studied about Thailand with her group. “My favorite part of the project was learning to cooperate with my group members in order to build a unique mobile that was eye-catching,” she commented. “I also had fun getting to know my group members.” At the presentations, students interacted with a group of judges from the school and community who evaluated their work. The students were able to talk at length about the details of their chosen countries and explain the symbolism behind each piece of their mobiles. “Having to talk with the judges was really nerve-wracking for me. It was an experience that I wasn’t used to, but it helped me gain confidence in speaking,” said Simamora. As part of the group studying Venezuela, freshman Brisa Maldonado enjoyed getting to know new people in her group as well. “I liked the project because I got to learn about a country that I didn’t expect to know about and I learned details that not a lot of people know. It was fun because I got put in a group of people that I didn’t know, but I got to know them as we learned about a new country together,” she explained. Anyone interested in learning a bit more about the world is welcome to attend the presentations at the end of each semester. It is truly an impressive presentation and learning event! Jill Harlow, Communication Director  Campion broke a record this weekend for taking the largest S.W.A.T. (Students with a Testimony) trip ever! The entire music department, which accounts for about half the school, made the journey to share their musical ministry with the Seventh-day Adventist churches and community in Durango. This was a giant task and a great accomplishment for the head of the Music Department, Yves Clouzet. He comments, “The music was really well-received, and it was an honor to worship with the Durango and Pagosa Springs churches.” We faced some challenges such as forgotten instruments and small performance stages for the large groups, however all 75 of us were able to perform two concerts in the Durango SDA Church, and the Pagosa Springs SDA Church. The music inspired the congregations and even some tears were shed. Not only did we perform music, but we also participated in the church service. Freshman Christine Eagan-Foster told of her adventures in Africa for the children’s story. Seniors Josie Reeves, Cristian Marin, Hilary Simamora and Austin Rotinsulu led-out in the song service. Freshman Shelby Waller, who is from Durango, was able to pray for her congregation. Student chaplain, Pastor Esequias Perea gave the sermon. In addition to being a blessing to another community, Campion students are always drawn closer together on trips such as these. When asked about her favorite part of the trip, junior Beverly Onsoe stated; “My favorite part of the trip was getting closer with people that I wasn’t close to before and sharing a host home with them.” Lots of laughter and life-long memories were created this weekend.
The return trip in bad weather ended up being an adventure in itself. The forecast for Sunday morning was cold and snowy, yet we still made the trek back to Campion safely. To avoid going over dangerous mountain passes in bad weather, the staff chose to drive the long-way-around through the southern part of the state. An eight-hour trip turned into a 13-hour trip, and we arrived back to Campion at 11:00 pm. When freshman Faleula Matangi was asked if she was scared on the trip back to Loveland, she replied; “No, the people in our vehicle were very talkative, so I was distracted from thinking about the snow, and even though we did skid once, I knew God was going to get us back safely.” The students would like to thank the Durango SDA Church, the Pagosa Springs SDA Church, and our host homes for the hospitality and the fantastic food! We would also like to thank all our supervisors, especially Mr. Clouzet, for all the hard work and planning. Article by Sydney Michalenko, Senior and Campion Academy Orchestra Student  On October 5, Music Department Teachers, Yves and Melissa Clouzet, chauffeured 12 orchestra students to the Macky Auditorium in Boulder, Colorado. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for the Campion Academy Orchestra. This performance was special because the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra (GBYO) was accompanied by the world-renowned violinist, Midori Goto. “As soon as Madi came in (all excited) to rehearsal one day and said that GBYO would be accompanying her (Midori), I knew I was going to be there to hear it,” said Yves Clouzet, Head of the Music Department at Campion Academy. “I was am so glad that AdCo was able to accommodate class and work time for the 12 students that chose to come. This was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity! The experience is right up there with watching LaBron James drop 65 points on the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center, or seeing Tom Brady skewer the Broncos secondary for 5 TD’s and 400+ yards, or following Tiger Woods on an epic -17 final round to win a PGA Tour event. Midori is truly and unequivocally a master violinist.” Midori, a child prodigy, performed for the United Nations Messengers of Peace at age 6. She performed with the New York Philharmonic by the time she was 11. At 14 years old, two of Midori’s strings broke during a performance of Leonard Bernstein’s “Serenade after Plato’s Symposium” under the direction of Bernstein himself. After the first string broke, she traded instruments with the concert master and remaining completely calm, continued to play. When the second string broke, she again swapped violins, this time with the associate concert master, and finished the song without missing a single note. She was given a standing ovation for her performance that night. Midori had handled it with composure and style beyond her years. The Campion Orchestra students arrived early on October 5 to attend a special session with Midori on effective personal practice. Midori suggested setting a goal, practicing without distractions, the need to have a practice plan, and to divide practice time into sections to cover all the material. “The talk Midori gave about practicing was definitely inspiring,” said Megan Michalenko, violinist in the CA orchestra. “She talked about organizing your practice time and making sure you get the best out of every time you practice.” “I’m always looking for ways to improve. Midori’s talk on practice was very applicable and has inspired me to make the most of my instrument,” said Sami Hodges, violinist in the CA Orchestra. “Going to Midori’s concert with GBYO was one the best things I’ve ever experienced!” “The concert inspired me to work on how I practice daily and to never stop improving,” said Caleb Wehling, trumpet player in the CA Orchestra. Madeline Jordan a student at Campion Academy and a member of the Greater Boulder Youth Orchestra Symphony, had the rare opportunity to accompany Midori for this performance of Mendelssohn’s “Violin Concerto in E Minor.” “It was a dream come true to play the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto and it is was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to accompany such an amazing violinist,” said Madeline. “After many hours of practice, I was super excited to finally perform this piece with the Symphony and Midori!” The third movement of the “Violin Concerto in E Minor” by Mendelssohn is a beautiful and well-known piece. It is a technical piece and is played at a very rapid tempo. “I have heard live renditions of this Concerto by classmates (now colleagues) and professors at Andrews University during my time at the Music Department there. Midori is on another level. Out of this world. We’re talking not-even-in-the-same-galaxy,” says Clouzet. “She played beautifully and effortlessly. On top of that, her tempo was at least one-third faster than anything I have every heard live. I was already in tears before she finished playing the first phrase.” Midori is unique because she is using her God-given talent of music to connect people, encourage community, and promote change. “What is most impactful is that an artist of her caliber would choose to focus this part of her career on working with young kids and youth to make sure that are exposed to excellent instruction and training,” reflected Clouzet. “It was a truly emotional, inspiring, and galvanizing experience that I will remember until I am an old man.” In a GBYO rehearsal last week, Midori spoke of “leading from the middle.” We often think of leadership as being first, but she shared that doing your best and helping others wherever you are seated in the orchestra can be a benefit to others. This is a model of servitude that Christ showed us when He came to this earth to share the love of Heaven with broken and sinful souls. It is with appreciation to the Music Department and the Campion Academy teachers, that I write this article. Thank you for supporting Madeline and granting the CAO students a rare opportunity to enjoy music! Article by Carey Jordan   Last weekend we were pleased to have so many students’ families join us for parent-weekend. On Friday evening, the seniors shared the spiritual lessons they learned from Senior Survival. On Sabbath, the Music Department provided all the music for the church service and all groups performed at an evening sacred concert. That night, the gym was packed for the annual Fall Festival. On Sunday morning, parents had the opportunity to sit down individually with each of their student’s teachers. The culminating activity was the showcase of student-projects from English, World History, Geography, Art, and Physics classes. For the first presentations, the students from Nate Marin’s Geography class performed traditional dances in costume from a variety of countries. In Geography, students are divided into groups to do an in-depth study of one specific country throughout the semester. They present their learning in multiple formats throughout the semester including dances, food, infographics, digital maps, and physical mobiles. Eloi Dos Santos, senior, commented on the work involved in creating these projects. “In my group I am responsible for providing typical food from Venezuela, I’ve been working on the 3D-Printer, the clothing for our dance, and providing some ideas for our physical mobile. Studying about Venezuela wasn’t an easy job because their culture is quite contrasting, but it was interesting to learn about their lifestyles, religions, traditional foods, and dances,” he explained.  For the second set of presentations, the sophomore class had an opportunity to share what they have been studying. English students have been reading Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar and World History students studied the social classes of ancient Rome. Students shared a newspaper they had produced with articles they wrote on historical information, what daily life was like, and societal problems that needed correction. Finally, they wrote and performed satirical skits depicting some of those problems for the audience of parents and students. Their understanding of ancient Roman societal issues and their sense of humor were clearly evident in their skits!  "Fly Fishing" by Conner Cizek Creative students’ artwork from Jim Hughes’ art class was on display in the Hankin’s Hall tower. His class was asked to create visual puns; where each student chose a pun and had to communicate the idea through their choice of visual media. Their work included many thought-provoking pieces with paintings and mixed-media sculptures.    "Brainstorm" by Emily Zelaya "Think Outside the Box" by Faith Paden "Butterflies in My Stomach" by Ashley Reyes Finally, Kent Kast’s physics class tested their miniature bridge models. The students were tasked with designing a mini-bridge from wooden popsicle sticks using the laws of physics to determine their potential strength and durability. The structural integrity was tested by placing weights on each bridge until it collapsed. The winning bridge, designed by Jordi, Caleb, and Nathaniel, held up all the weights available—about 150 pounds!   Each of these projects represented hours of deep academic content learned in classes and it was meaningful for the students to have the opportunity to share a small piece of what they have been learning with their parents. As Dos Santos put it, “It was a great opportunity for the parents to spend time with their children and see the great things that they have accomplished.”
Article by Jill Harlow Photos by Jill Harlow, Kent Kast, and Jim Hughes |
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