Jayce Treat

20 May

Reality of Christian life on display at Campion week of prayer

In

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Recently, in early May, Campion Academy students shared personal testimonies with their peers during the final 2020-2021 school year Week of Prayer. They told personal stories which dealt with topics such as severe injuries, depression, and sharing the gospel with others.

Kylie Wehling, Campion Academy junior, shared her story of a severe injury she suffered and how God led her through it. “Speaking for Week of Prayer really made me step back and look at all the times God was there for me, even in my darkest moments,” Wehling remarked. ”Sometimes we forget that God works miracles in our lives every day.”

Isaac Avila, Campion Academy junior reflected on the Week of Prayer, “I liked this quarter’s Week of Prayer because I got to hear from my fellow peers and classmates which made the service more relatable to me.”

Students listened to how God helped their peers deal with some hard circumstances in their lives.

“I know the speakers, they are my friends, but when they gave their talks, I saw them in a different light,” said Jynaya Wright, Campion Academy senior. “They are usually always so happy and positive, but hearing their testimonies made me realize that they have their problems too.”

Wright explained how even though her friends went through some hard times, they gave their struggles over to God. “It was a huge inspiration to me to keep going even though we face troubles in our lives because God’s got your back.”

“I never thought I would share my story because I didn’t think it was important. But as I have heard my fellow students’ testimonies throughout the year and have seen the impact they had, I realized I wanted to help others too,” explained Bentlee Barry, senior. “It can be scary to share God but when you lean on Him and let Him speak through you, it becomes much easier! I feel even closer with God since sharing my testimony; it has changed my relationships with those around me and most importantly with God.”

The student testimonies were live-streamed and can be viewed on Campion Academy’s Facebook page.

–Jayce Treat is a senior at Campion Academy; photo supplied.

18 Mar

CAMPION STUDENTS: HOPE AND DOUBT DURING THE PANDEMIC

In

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Voices filled the air, shoulders rubbed up against each other, friends linked arms and swayed back and forth–Hankin’s Hall was filled with students praising God. Before COVID, this was the everyday worship experience at Campion Academy.

Many students are asking how we can help each other connect to God through a mask. How can we show our love for each other from six feet away?

Milka Mendoza, a senior at Campion, felt it was especially hard being separated from her friends. “COVID has made it a lot harder to stay close with God. A big thing for me is being able to worship with my friends. Because we have had to be home a lot of the time, that has happened less this year.” Despite the circumstances, Milka has managed to stay positive. She explained, “Through this pandemic, I have felt God’s presence closer than ever. Why? Well, because despite everything that has been happening, He has still found a way to bless me and the people that I love. Waking up with good health is one of the biggest blessings.”

The pandemic aroused doubt in many people, including Jayden Anggormas, senior. “My spiritual life was affected a lot by this pandemic. There were a lot of problems and doubts because I was worried about how my life was going to turn out.” Jayden realized that he had to let go of his doubts and just trust God.

Jayden shared that he “started to notice others around me lose their faith because the in-person contact was gone. It was really tough, but I found it to also strengthen my faith. Despite the discouraging setbacks, it reminded me that God is stronger. He can work through situations that are even worse, and by keeping this close to my heart, I was able to become closer with Him.”

Teens may find themselves wondering where God is in the midst of the pandemic, but some have been able to use this time to gain a clearer vision of God’s kingdom. “It honestly feels a little difficult to understand why God has ‘allowed’ COVID to happen,” explained Mark Zelaya, senior.

“However, if the world was perfect, we wouldn’t look forward to heaven. I think that maybe God is allowing this to happen because He wants us to see how messed up and cruel the world is, and the sooner we accept that, the sooner we’ll want to be reunited with Him,” Mark commented.

Despite all the challenges, student are still experiencing God at Campion, and their relationship with Jesus continues to deepen.

–Jayce Treat, is a senior at Campion Academy; photo supplied

22 Oct

ALTER-EGOS ON DISPLAY AT CAMPION

In

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Campion sophomores lived out their English assignment by trying to be someone they were not for a day.

Students changed their styles for a fun alter-ego project based on the play, “The Importance of Being Earnest.” They were tasked with creating an “alter ego” of themselves, and then dressing up and acting as that person for the day.

“Since we are reading ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’, which is centered on a man who creates an alter ego for himself so he can have an excuse to go to town, I thought it would be fun for the students to experience that for themselves,” explained Erin Johnson, Campion English teacher. “I wanted them to apply an old story to their lives in a creative way,” she said.

Pupils changed various aspects of themselves, such as dress, hairstyles, or the way they talked. Some took it further than others, one even shaving his head.

“It was crazy how everyone did so many different things,” said Haley Beckermeyer, Campion sophomore. “The village students went all out, and even some of the dorm students went crazy.”

The participating students enjoyed dressing up and altering their personality.

“It was a fun time because I got to experience my friends in a way I have never seen them before,” Melody Mambo, Campion sophomore, said.

While they had fun doing this for a day, students experienced the meaning of “The Importance of Being Earnest” in real life.

“I learned how difficult it is to be someone that you’re not, and how much better it is to just be who you truly are,” commented Faith Evert, sophomore.

—Jayce Treat, is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied

14 Oct

STUDENTS PROVE THEY CAN SURVIVE WITHOUT CELL PHONES

In

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Campion Academy boys dorm surrendered their cell phones and other electronic devices to disconnect for a weekend and to deepen friendships among each other through fellowship and face-to-face communication, while growing deeper in their spiritual faith.

How did students react to surrendering their devices?

“It was refreshing, because all the guys were willing to hang out and do stuff together,” Isaac Avila, Campion student said.

The theme for the escape-from-the-world retreat was leadership and how everyone is a leader, not just those with a leadership title. Pastor Michael Goetz talked about how men are important leaders, and videos on leadership l, and how we can be leaders without even knowing it was shown.

“Each and every one of us is a leader, and we must let God influence us to be the best leaders,” Jayden Anggormas, Campion senior, said.

Student participants awoke Sabbath morning to a competitive game of Bible trivia.

“My favorite part of the dorm retreat was the Bible trivia,” commented Kevin Perez, Campion senior. “I enjoyed working with my team to try to find the answers for the questions, and although we tied, it was still fun.”

Later in the day, the guys broke into several different groups for a photo scavenger hunt. Each group was given a sheet of paper with riddles to solve. When they solved the riddle, it explained the type of picture the group was to take at various locations around campus.

The weekend retreat concluded with a capture the flag battle in the dark.

“I definitely loved playing capture the flag with all of the boys in the dorm,” explained Angel Villalobos, Campion junior. “All the strategies and plans the boys would come up with surprised me and made me want to give it my all. It was a great time of togetherness!”

–Jayce Treat is a senior at Campion Academy; photos supplied.

24 Sep

DRAMA STUDENTS “ILLUMINATE” STUDENT BODY WITH FIRST PERFORMANCE

In

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado … Students were “illuminated” after the performance from Campion Academy’s newly-formed drama class on September 16 during their weekly chapel.

Campion Academy’s drama class, Illuminated, wrote and constructed the play, which was about trusting God amidst tough circumstances.

It’s been a year of many disasters and disappointments, including the COVID-19 pandemic, and Illuminated wanted to convey the message that through it all, God is with us and will always listen to us.

“I think the most important message we wanted to get across was to always communicate with God no matter what,” Sami Hodges, Campion senior and lead actress, said. “I wanted the audience to understand that even though there are so many distractions, if they are able to keep connected with God, whether it’s through prayer or a spiritual conversation with a friend, it will make it much easier to navigate through life knowing He is always by our side.”

The drama students represented emotional struggles in the play with words, including “fear” and “anxiety”, on black boxes. During the climax of the play, Jesus, portrayed by Francisco Cortez Echeverria, knocked away the boxes piled around the stage.

“The most important aspect of the play to me was the symbolism,” Daniel Garcia-Mencia, Campion junior, said. “With the struggles that teenagers and adults alike may be going through, especially with all the chaos that is around us, we just have to trust in God and know He’ll be there to guide us through it all.”

—Jayce Treat is a senior at Campion Academy; photos by Bentlee Barry

27 Aug

Intramural sports give students an outlet during COVID-19

In

By Jayce Treat – Loveland, Colorado …While varsity sports have been suspended throughout Colorado due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Campion Academy got creative to find a way for students to enjoy sports.

Students formed several intramural teams to allow for friendly competition.

Individuals have a chance to choose from different sports including flag football, volleyball, and disc golf.

“It’s more accessible than regular sports, so everyone has an opportunity to have fun,” explained Randolph Ottschofski, Campion athletic director. “We also get to play some cool sports that we don’t normally get to.”

COVID-19 has caused several events to be cancelled, so intramural sports are a welcome addition.

“I think it’s a great way to replace what would’ve been our soccer season,” explained Andy Obregon, Campion, senior. “Although some of us don’t usually play the sports that the intramurals offer, it’s still a great way to keep ourselves busy.”

With the new social distancing regulations, it has been harder for students to spend time together.

“Probably the thing that has stuck out to me the most about intramurals so far is how it’s bringing people together and creating stronger bonds, especially with the newer students this year.” said Collin Velbis, Campion, junior. “The intramurals give students more opportunities to socialize and bond with one another.”

A lot of students don’t have much free time, but they enjoy playing sports to relax.

“It’s a nice breather to distract from all of our hard classes,” Isaac Avila, Campion, junior said.
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Groups may form their own teams that will compete against each other for a championship.

Ottschofski plans to add more intramural sports later on.
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—Jayce Treat is a senior at Campion; photos by Jill Harlow