GCA newspaper - Issue 1 - Fall 2017

More documents

Recommendations

Info

CURRENT EVENTS Record Hurricanes Hit Texas, Florida and the Caribbean Continued By Kristin Burgess and Evie Pasos San Jose and other sites near Rockport, Texas, were hit first by the eye of the hurricane. Harvey's wrath impacted many coastal towns, destroying homes and facilities, and cutting off water and electricity. Similarly, Hurricane Irma began its long, destructive journey through the Caribbean islands on Sept. 5, and up the Florida peninsula, ending on Sept. 10. With maximum wind speeds of up to 175mph, Irma leveled many islands in the Caribbean as it continued in its deadly course. As a direct result of the hurricane, many cites in Florida lost power, including Orlando, and for the first time in three hundred years, the Island of Barbuda had no people inhabiting it, as all living residents were evacuated. The devastation is incomprehensible. With hurricanes that contain so much power, death is inevitable. As the clean-up process continued and mounds of rubble and debris were moved, the body count continued to escalate. In Texas, flooding was a major issue. There were widespread flood warnings throughout the state, and in Houston there was 44 inches of rain covering most of the city. After the storm, the amount of rain water in the state broke national records and caused sewage flooding, resulting in sanitary and public health threats along the Texas Gulf Coast. The main concern was possible chemical leakage in the water that could cause major illness to ones exposed, as well as a risk of electrocution from damaged sources. These fears and the uninhabitable conditions of countless houses caused a large number of people to be displaced from their homes. Florida also suffered from flooding—in some places the water was as high as four feet. In one neighborhood near Fort Myers, sewage water was released to keep a dam from bursting, destroying homes and wrecking yards. In the higher parts of Florida, flooding was mostly caused by rivers where the water had risen well past the height of their banks, swallowing homes nearby. Although devastation permeated throughout, millions never lost hope and were unified in the time of crisis. The beauty of this catastrophe is the love and selflessness displayed by others to help those affected. North Korea – A Student Perspective By Gift Nnakwu Bombs, nuclear wars, and preparations to launch attacks on the United States have been headlines in the news for some time now. Kim Jong Un has threatened to send nuclear missiles towards the United States, and President Trump responded strongly to both North Korea and its president. Tests were allegedly conducted in North Korea on Sept. 3 with a hydrogen bomb underground, and now these bombs might be tested in the Pacific Ocean. This implies that North Korea is more than serious in their threats, and Trump continues to participate in heated exchanges with Kim Jong Un. What really matters though, is this: What does this all have to do with the students of GCA? Why do we have to worry about the nuclear bomb threats? During the attack on Pearl Harbor, there was a factory in Oak Ridge, Tennessee, which manufactured parts for bombs used during World War II. This could impact GCA because Oak Ridge is still an active research facility. If the president of North Korea decides to send nuclear bombs towards this facility, we could be inadvertently harmed. All we have now is hope that the president has solidified a plan to protect the lives of those who could be affected, and pray that nothing worse can come out of this situation. Page 4
SPIRITUAL LIFE Week of Prayer Encourages Students to Think Deeper By Namie Imayuki This year’s Fall Week of Prayer, held from Sept. 4-9, was entitled “It’s About Time,” and featured guest pastor, Jason Calvert. A lively and dynamic speaker, he is currently a youth pastor at the Kettering Seventh-day Adventist Church, and ministers to students all over America through weeks of prayer and other events. Altering the format of a conventional week of prayer, Calvert answered the students’ spiritual and life questions throughout the week. From algebraically describing the steps of a growing relationship, to explaining God’s omniscience and our free will with a stool and a cajon, he connected everyday things to religious matters. He maintained a theme of being authentic and honest in how he interacted with the students. As he met with individual religion classes and answered pertinent questions, Calvert got to know people a little better. Students were enthralled by his energetic character, and many easily clicked with him. “I liked it when he came to our class because he explained what we are supposed to learn in a different and fun way,” said Ashlee Wilson, junior. “He brought up points I had not thought of, and he revolutionized old content.” Calvert also expressed his satisfaction about his experience at GCA. He pointed out how the students took initiative to reach out and get to know him from the very first day. He added that he was impressed with the school, and shared that if he had teenage children, he would send them here. As Calvert worked with the students, it was evident that ministering to teens is his passion. “ What I really love about working with youth is that teenagers are in this beautiful period of life where they’re really searching for what they believe,” said Calvert. “You reach a point where it’s not just your parents’ church and faith, but, ‘no, this is my church and my faith’, and that window is powerful. If I can kind of get involved in their lives at that point, I can make the biggest difference.” As a finale to the spiritually-enriching week, students Stephanie Davis and Jadyn Davis, both sophomores, decided to publicly give their hearts to God. The two were baptized on Saturday, Sept. 9. “Pastor Jason had a really big impact on me”, says Jadyn. “He knew how to connect with teenagers and just made things easier to understand. I can feel God working in my life and helping me be the Christian I want to be. The thing that influenced me the most was the title [of the week]. I had wanted to get baptized for a while and the theme, ‘It's About Time,’ made me realize it was time for me to publicly show my faith.” It is thanks to pastors and teachers like Calvert that many teenagers make the decision to give the rest of their lives to God. Page 5
Page 1 and 2: The Jag Wire Fall Issue 2017 The GC
Page 3: What everyone appreciated about SA
Page 7 and 8: MUSIC Soul Café Strikes a Chord By

GCA newspaper - Issue 1 - Fall 2017

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?