GCA newspaper - Issue 1 - Fall 2017

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STUDENT LIFE A Day in the Sun at SA Picnic By Isabella Eklund and Aleyra Gonzalez Class against class, green against yellow, the annual Student Association Picnic began on Sept. 4, <strong>2017</strong>. The all-day event that often results in sunburns and class pride is a time when students can forget about rules and logic. As little as one point can be the difference between failure and success. Throughout the day there were many events that required involvement from the entire class body, including a tug-of-war, which the whole class must participate in, and the watermelon eating contest, which the class must cheer on from the sidelines. What brought Daniel Burke, junior, out on the field was competition from the other classes. “I came out here because the seniors were talking trash about the three-on-three. So you know I had to come to show ‘em what’s up,” said Burke. There are others who simply came to support their class. Freshman Ally Saltsman expressed how she was able to interact with her class. “We are allowed to cheer people on and to give them the motivation to do better, which is really awesome,” said Saltsman. Things became tense in some of the games, as classes worked together to get ahead. Every cheer, every dive, every jump, was one step closer to victory. Coming together was key to winning gold, and was not something that could be won on the back of a single person. Though many classes had to compete with a significant lack of numbers, Zach Kirstein, junior, stated that, “class spirit makes up for numbers.” The officers’ influence sparked the competitive drive in the hearts of the classes, but class officers did more than just yell chants. Behind the scenes, the class presidents were trying to find ways to get their entire class involved. Sophomore class president Devin Schlisner explained that his priority was, “to keep things organized so that everybody can still have fun.” Another duty of the class officers was to make sure that the class was able to bond. When the officers organized their class successfully, the events became more exciting and brought the class together. It is not always an easy thing to accomplish, but Lismary Rosales, senior class president, was able to do just that. “[Officers] bring the class together because it is competitive against other classes,” said Rosales. “But it’s fun to do with your own class and see what your class can do.” In addition to the class officers, sponsors and teachers of all subjects came out to support their classes, despite the heat of the bright September day. Some were cheering from the bleachers, while others were out on the field, keeping the ball rolling and hyping up the games. Kaleb Leeper, math and religion teacher, saw that some people tend to stand on the sidelines, and he brainstormed some ideas of how to get them involved in the years to come. “We could do a survey at the beginning of the year [that asks], ‘What are some things you’d want to see for SA Picnic?’” said Leeper. “Then the student body would get a feel for some of the events that are going on.” Sporting a bright red shirt, Kimberly Carr, English and geometry teacher, remained optimistic in support of the junior class, despite their small numbers. “I don’t think we’re going to come out on the top, partly because not all of our class is here,” said Carr. “But we have a lot of spirit for the people that are here, and I’m proud of that.” Page 2
What everyone appreciated about SA Picnic was its ability to bring students closer together, both as classes, and as a student body. Robbie Herr, math teacher and sophomore sponsor, felt it was a valuable opportunity for classmates to learn more about each other. “In bonding between classes in your successes and failures, you find out that some people you didn’t know were superstars are truly superstars,” said Herr. “[You see] people that all of the sudden have some incredible talents you always knew were there, but not like that.” After all the competing, racing, swimming, playing, and speed-eating, the shocking results finally came in at dinnertime that day. The class presidents stepped up on the pedestals and received their medals. In a drastic turn of events, the seniors won gold with 1st place, followed by the juniors in 2nd, sophomores in 3rd, and freshmen in 4th. Reset! – Senior Retreat Starts Year Off Right By Annabelle Harper On the Sept. 1-2, the <strong>GCA</strong> Class of 2018 went on their senior retreat to Camp Woodmont. The class participated in many team building activities with the goal of bonding both spiritually and socially. During every activity the word “reset” was a dreaded term amongst seniors. For each activity, if anyone broke a rule or stepped out of bounds, the game would start over no matter how far the students had gotten. It was the one thing no one wanted to hear, and if you were the cause of the reset, everyone knew. No one wanted to “reset,” but sometimes it is necessary. The activities ranged from being blindly led, to being pulled over a wall. Although each game was aimed at team building, some learned to be in certain uncomfortable situations and others conquered theirs fears. The very first activity was called the Amoeba. With no personal space, the goal of the activity was to work as a team by appointing one person to be the nucleus, and guide the others around the course. The nucleus was the only person allowed to talk. If someone other than the nucleus talked, then the game would reset. For many, the goal in mind was to be silent and follow instructions without argument. For others it was giving advice or helping the nucleus. This exercise taught several students about listening and leadership. Many students rejoiced when they could roam freely after being released from this restrictive environment. When the activities were over, the seniors would engage in games such as hacky sack, ping pong, or mini golf. The most popular game was tetherball. During every break, two or more students would play this game, but no one could beat the master, Briana Castro. “I had not played tetherball in so long,” said Castro. “I really enjoyed getting to play with my friends.” One of the most interesting aspects of senior retreat was eating together. The camp sets out the food “family style,” which was quite a change compared to the cafeteria. Many students liked this style of eating because it brought back a sense of community and joy. Though some students originally dreaded going on senior retreat, it was a fun and spiritual experience for them as they bonded as a class. “Resets” were not looked forward, to but they are sometimes necessary in order to start the year off right. Page 3
Page 1: The Jag Wire Fall Issue 2017 The GC
Page 5 and 6: SPIRITUAL LIFE Week of Prayer Encou
Page 7 and 8: MUSIC Soul Café Strikes a Chord By

GCA newspaper - Issue 1 - Fall 2017

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