CALVARY WIREThe

A Student Led News Forum

Contents

6

3 Calvary Spotlight

11

CALVARY WIRE/MAY 2013

Meet the seniors

Genuine Faith Biblical Worldview Academic Excellence

5ENtertainment

4End of The World

Senior missions

MEET THE STAFF

JUNESu Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1 2 3 4

5 6 7 8 9 10 11

12 13 14 15 16 17 18

19 20 21 22 23 24 25

26 27 28 29 30 31

UPCOMING EVENTS & CALENDARS

MAY 1 6th Grade Field Trip

MAY 3 Prom

MAY 6 7th Grade Field Trip

MAY 8 12:15 Dismissal

MAY 9 & 10

PTF Plant Sale

MAY 13-15 11th Grade Field Trip

MAY 19 Calvary Day at Calvary Lighthouse

MAY 23 Talent Show

MAY 27 No School

MAY 31 Business Law Field Trip

DATES & EVENTS:

VERSE

THE MONTH

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1

2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 10 11 12 13 14 15

16 17 18 19 20 21 2223 24 25 26 27 28 29

F“There is no one holy like the Lord; there is no

one besides you; there is no Rock like our God.”- 1 Samuel 2:2

NEWSPAPER ADVISOR

EDITORS

STAFF WRITERS

Mrs. Chase

Jesse Tyler (Layout Editor!Michael Santulli (Web Editor!Ashley Kafton (Junior Editor!

Larry MaloneyRachel Belle IsleAndrew Cozzini

Thomas PottigerTamazin MoffettAndrew Pennock

of

MAY

Christy Morales

CALVARY WIRE 2

This month’s teacher feature is on Dr. Tapia, our campus pastor. Dr. Tapia was born in California, but moved to Mexico when he was seven-years-old. He moved to New Jersey when he was twelve, where he has lived since. He attended college at Rutgers University and then continued on to Sherman College of Chiropractic to receive his doctorate.

He is married to a beautiful woman named Linda, and has four children, Mike, Sharon, Ana, and Kailey.

Dr. Tapia has been working here at Calvary since 2007, and has dedicated countless hours of his time to enriching the school, and the lives of the students. Dr. Tapia has served as a science teacher, a Bible teacher, the leader of servant evangelism, and, most recently, campus pastor. Outside of Calvary he is a chiropractor and a pastor at Immanuel Baptist Church. Dr. Tapia’s love for God and others is evident in his extreme generosity and humble spirit.

Bio by Ashley KaftonVideo by Tom Pottiger

CALVARY WIRE 3

For the last several issues of the Calvary Spotlight, we have highlighted many of the new electives here at Calvary Academy. However, this month’s issue will be a slight departure from this theme, instead focusing on Calvary Academy’s most recent school wide fundraiser, Operation Square Foot. Operation Square Foot was first introduced to Calvary Academy earlier last month in chapel. In this chapel, Mrs. Payne discussed the basics of Operation Square Foot, such as its purpose, rules of participation, and class rewards for classes with full participation. Operation Square Foot’s purpose was effectively to raise funds for the new Joy Center. This was done through the collection of loose coins, which would be brought to school in the form of full socks. In total, the amount of money

per sock should have amounted to around one hundred dollars. If a student achieved this, he/she was allowed his/her own square block in the Joy Center. On this block, the student was allowed to write his/her name as well as a phrase of their choice, such as a Bible verse. As an added incentive, the administration allowed each high school class to come up with special stipulations which have been previously agreed upon with their advisory teachers as a reward for full class participation. With Operation Square Foot now at an end, we can definitely say that it was a success, raising around fifteen thousand dollars towards the new building. With this said, there is no doubt that Operation Square Foot was a financial success, but how was it received by the student body? When asked his opinion on

Operation Square Foot, Calvary Academy senior Edgar Lorenc stated that he thought Operation Square Foot was an excellent fundraiser. He went on to express specific praise of being able to leave behind something behind for future generations of Calvary Academy students in the form of his own square in the new building. As a senior here at Calvary Academy, I fully agree with Edgar that it is important to be able to leave something behind for future Calvary Academy students. In closing, Operation Square Foot not only helped our school to meet its financial goal, but also helped to bring our school together as well.

Written by Andrew Cozzini

ChangeChangefo!

teacher feature

Click above to see an interviewwith Dr. Tapia

Living Like Its

World the end of the

CALVARY WIRE 4

One morning this month I woke up, checked my phone, and saw a notification from CNN. It announced that North Korea had tested yet another nuclear bomb. In large letters it announced “NORTH KOREA TESTS NUCLEAR MISSILE.” In my sleepiness my mind wondered, what if right then a nuclear missile was on its way to America? My life could change so drastically in a few hours if a nuclear war broke out between countries. Of course once I woke up and focused I realized that it had just been a test, an experiment of their technology in far off Asia. Yet I couldn’t help remembering my thoughts as I wondered if imminent death was approaching. I thought of my life, my friends, my family. I thought of my accomplishments, what I have done to be proud of or to leave behind. My “footprints,” so to speak. Have I done anything noteworthy? Not really. How far does “being a good person” and a “nice girl” go? What if good grades, nice clothes, an IPhone and makeup all suddenly didn’t matter? How proudly would I be able to stand before God and say “Look God, this is what I have done in my life with the gifts you have given me. This is what I have done with the precious life you died on the cross to give me.”

All of these thoughts swirled around in my head following that morning. Several days after

that a large meteor passed Earth, and unconnected to that, a meteor hit Russia catching hundreds of thousands off guard, injuring over fifteen hundred and shattering thousands of windows all over the Russian city of Chelyabinsk. I know it sounds silly but all of a sudden life seemed not as sure, not as solid or dependable. A couple days ago I read a story about a sinkhole opening up right underneath a man’s bed. His entire bed was swallowed up, and rescue workers were unable to recover the man’s body even after extensive effort. Sadly his whole family has had to move out, given only half an hour to collect their possessions before the house was demolished. We do not know how many days we have left to us: we may live to be 105, or we could die tomorrow.

These events have challenged me to think of what I am really living for. Am I living as if I really believe that Jesus could return at any moment? Of course the answer was no, or I would be living quite differently. This was a difficult realization for me to come to, as I like doing what I want to do. Proverbs 16:9 says “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Isn’t that kind of a scary thought? Our ways are not God’s ways, our plans not His plans. If called, would I have the courage to follow God to whatever he called me

to do in faith? Abraham left his home land, trusting God when he said his descendants would be as many as the stars. This man even trusted God to the point he nearly sacrificed his own son. In comparison, my faith in God is weak at best.

Live each day as if it is what matters most- as if you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. In a way, is this not what God has called us to do? Live as if you have been justified. This is the message expressed in Romans 10: 9-11: “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

According to what we as Christians believe, the world will only end after Jesus has returned. Matthew 24:42 says, “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” If one lives as if they are justified, there is no fear in being unprepared. If one trusts that God has a purpose for their life and follows after that, death holds no power.

Written by Tamazin Moffett

Behold! The days of bass solos and U2 guitar riffs on every other Hillsong United song are long since over. The synth now reigns supreme! Zion, Hillsong United’s newest album and their 14th full length to date, was released on February 26th in the United States, perfectly reflects the new sound of the world’s most popular youth group band.

Right off the bat, the song Relentless hits hard and brings a rhythm that makes you want to get up dance. It is apparent

when listening that Hillsong United was definitely influenced by popular indie and pop music in their production of Zion. Throughout the album and in songs like Up In Arms, Stay and Wait, and Heartbeats, some say the band sounds much like Imagine Dragons, Ellie Goulding, or M83.

Many are turned off by this new and more “trendy” sound. I personally feel that it is a step in the right direction for United. In interviews, the band members all agreed that this sound came about naturally and was not contrived in any way. As musicians, they came together to worship God with a style that they most enjoyed playing. With this new style, Hillsong United opened themselves up to a wider audience and

were put in a greater position to share their message and love for Christ with people that would probably never listen to a worship album otherwise.

If anyone were to say that this album lacks depth and heartfelt worship, they would be incorrect. In songs like Oceans (Where Feet May Fail! and Scandal of Grace, the band delivers the same sort of lyrical power and beauty that you would expect from a Hillsong band.

If you have not heard this album yet, I definitely recommend it and encourage you to listen to it with an open mind an open tab for reading the powerful lyrics!

Written by Jesse Tyler

Stephanie Meyer’s popularity as a writer boomed after the premiere of the Twilight Saga in 2008, and now her other novel, The Host, is also being made into a movie. The Host is separate from the Twilight Saga and breaks out of the dark romance that Meyer is so popular for. The Host takes a look at what would happen if unseen aliens invaded the earth. The movie premieres March 28 and features Saoirse Ronan from The Lovely Bones, Jake Abel from Percy Jackson, and Max Irons from Red Riding Hood. While the movie looks like a promising hit, let’s take a look at the book that it is based off of.

In The Host, earth has been invaded by unseen aliens that take over peoples’ minds and bodies. Melanie Stryder is one of the only humans left, but even she gets captured. Now, Wanderer, the soul living inside Melanie’s body, is having trouble adjusting to and

controlling the rebellious human that she inhabits. Plagued by memories of Jared, the man Melanie loved when she was human, Wanderer finds herself falling for a man she has never met, and unconsciously discovering the location of an underground human village. Wanderer must come to terms with Melanie’s memories, and also with the realization that her species has enslaved the human race.

At first glance, The Host can appear like a vapid copy of Twilight, but with aliens instead of vampires. Beyond a love triangle, however, the two novels could not be more different. The Host’s leading ladies, Melanie and Wanderer, are strong, independent women that think freely and love fiercely. They encourage making selfless decisions that benefit the world, even if they suffer for them. Melanie and Wanderer understand that the right thing to do is

more important than their own personal gain, which gives them a depth and meaning that is not present in some other modern fictional characters.

The issue of aliens and their existence is a hot topic of debate these days, and as Christians it is our responsibility to add God into the discussion. There is no biblical foundation for the existence of aliens, and we must use our biblical filter when reading this book. Some parents may not want their children reading about such topics, but there is nothing in the book that would corrupt younger readers. There are also many ethical issues brought up in The Host, and although the characters do not consider God’s will in their choices, their decisions often align with Christian morals. I recommend this book for late middle schoolers and high schoolers, simply because of the length and advanced wording of the book.

Written by Ashley Kafton

Book Review

the host

CALVARY WIRE 5

Music Review

hillsong zion

Author: Stephanie MeyerGenre: Science FictionRating: 5 out of 5 stars

For fifteen years, Calvary Academy seniors have been going on mission’s trips to the Dominican Republic. Each year, seniors go to the Dominican Republic to serve the people and impact them with the Gospel. Those of us who went on the mission’s trip to the Dominican Republic can attest to the fact that God did many amazing things on the trip. Each person who went got to be actively involved in ministry and experienced God’s presence in a new way through worship, skits, and service. This was ultimately an awesome time of seeing God work and growing closer to Him through our time of ministry.

When we arrived in Santo Domingo, we experienced a bit of a culture shock, since many of us had never been overseas before. Shortly after arriving, we visited a Haitian boys’ orphanage where we had lunch, played with the boys, and did a brief service. On the second day, we visited La Vega Christian School, where we played with the kids and did a medical clinic. Unidos Por El, a Christian concert, was also held here. During this night of Unidos Por El, we listened to several musicians and speakers and performed a skit onstage. Later that night, Paola was spontaneously called onstage to play the drums for one of the Christian

artists. It was really incredible to see God work that night.

On the third day, we visited Los Rieles Church. During the service, several of the girls had the opportunity to pray over the women there. In addition, during this time, we presented pastor Gemuel with the electric guitar and amp. We were amazed to see his deep gratitude. When he received it, he thanked us, saying that he was indebted to us. Later, we attended our second and last night of Unidos Por El. While there, we ministered to the children, working alongside another mission’s team, played with the kids, and performed the Chains skit onstage.

Throughout the rest of the trip, we went from place to place doing the same basic service, although it varied from time to time. It usually began with a couple of Spanish worship songs. One of these, Levanto Mis Manos, basically says, “I raise my hands when I have no strength. When I raise my hands, you give me strength.” We also did Cambiare Mi Tristeza, the Spanish version of I’m Trading My Sorrows. One of the coolest things about worship was that even though we did not all speak the same language as those we ministered to, we were able to praise the same God. After worship we would usually perform a

few skits. One of these, Sin Chair, was a comical depiction of people getting stuck to a chair, representing sin. At the resolution, those who were stuck to the chair are freed by the Gospel. In another, the Chains skit, a man is bounded by chains, representing the power of sin in his life, and is tormented by those sins. At the conclusion of the skit, Jesus frees him, casting out the power of sin in his life. After the skits, Dr. Tapia or Paola Mendez would usually give a sermon or translate. When we closed with worship, occasionally we had the opportunity to pray over the people there.

All who went on the trip were impacted in some way or another. We were deeply blessed by being able to serve and to minister to the people that we met in the Dominican Republic. Although our mission’s trip has ended, the mission continues. The senior class plans to continue prayer and fundraising for the church of Los Rieles. It is our goal to raise $10,000 for the church. In addition, we are convinced that God’s work will continue in our lives as well as in the lives of those that we ministered to. We encourage you to be praying for God’s will to be done in the Dominican Republic. We are excited to see what God will do.

Written by Andrew Pennock

DR 2013 SUMMARY

When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) God can be completely real in your life if you allow him to be. Before going to the Dominican Republic, so many thoughts ran through my head and I had begun to question what my purpose for going on this trip would be. I continuously prayed every day that God would reveal the answers I was searching for. The week before departure, I read Proverbs 1:5, “Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance.” I didn’t read too much into it, but this one verse was the foundation for how the rest of my trip would turn out.

God’s presence was everywhere, especially at a church in the poorest area in the city, “The Rails,” where I was given the opportunity to pray with a woman who truly was a woman of God. During worship

and altar call, she passionately worshipped God and praised him despite her circumstances. Romans 1:16 says we shouldn’t be ashamed of the gospel because God gives us strength and we only receive it through him. These people are extremely strong in their faith and aren’t afraid to lift up their hands and praise the Lord. As the body of Christ, this is the example we should be setting as Christians for unbelievers.

God intended us to be missionaries in whatever we decide to do in life and to not allow the desires of the world to interfere. If I claim Jesus Christ to be my savior, I shouldn’t be ashamed of him; I should have the ambition to want to share the glorious news of salvation. Towards the end of the trip, I hit a low point, and I distanced myself from my friends and from God. As we were leaving our children’s service for the rails’ kids, I purchased a small painting from the Pastor without realizing what verse was written on it. The verse was Jeremiah 33:3

which says, “Call unto thee, and I will answer thee and show thee great and might things, which thou knowest not.” At that moment, the puzzle I’d been trying to configure finally came together. All along, I was searching for answers that were right in front of me.

I feel that my purpose for going on this trip was to learn a lesson. The farther away I come from God, the more I look within the world for solutions to all of my problems. When we were given alone time to read our bibles, I prayed that God would be more real in my life and I decided to give it all to him. I realized this situation was out of my hands and the only place I needed to turn to was within the Bible. My motto for the trip as a whole would be that when you feel you’re at your lowest point and you’re lost looking for answers, turn to God, and he’ll bring you to your highest point.

Written by Rachel Belle Isle

What I learned IN theDominican Republic

CALVARY WIRE 8

About two months ago, the senior class took part in a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. Upon returning, the impact was something that will not be soon forgotten. I believe every student who went on the trip was influenced in their own way.

When talking to Edgar Lorenc about the trip he said, “I really enjoyed the trip and recommend that everyone goes on it.” For Edgar, there were three main aspects of the trip truly made a lasting impression.

The first thing that made a lasting impression was the culture and environment. He really enjoyed encountering new people and foods. After spending time in the village known as “The Rails” he was blown away by how little they had in comparison to us. During the second and third day, we spent time at a Christian concert where Edgar had a great time playing with kids.

He talked about how since he does not have any siblings, he really

enjoyed being able to spend time there because he was amazed on how much love they showed him when they didn’t even know him and had never met him before.

The second aspect is the amount of gratitude they have for their belongings. He noticed that, although they had very little, they were still incredibly appreciative. When we went to the village previously mentioned it was amazing to see how happy and appreciative they were, with so little they had. During a Sunday morning service there, we donated a new electric guitar as well as an amplifier.

Upon receiving this gift, the members of the church went wild in applause and a congregation member even went so far as to say, “We are in your debt.”

The last thing was the atmosphere of worship. After attending multiple services, we quickly realized that we would truly have to take hold

of worship. In other words, he thought it was amazing to see so many students break the language barrier and experience a pure form of worship.

Overall, the trip made a great impact on Edgar’s life. He even challenged himself to speak in front of a congregation when he felt God led him to share his testimony. Many of the people in his class and at the church were moved by his honest and powerful testimony of how God changed his life.

Edgar was not alone though, each student of the 2013 senior mission trip grew closer to God and was challenged to step outside of theiur comfort zone. No article could really express the change that happened in each student’s life, though. For that, you’ll need to ask a senior for yourself.

Written by Larry Maloney

Testimony from theDominican Republic

CALVARY WIRE 9

Click here to see a video

from the DR 2013 trip

At first glance, the churches of the Dominican Republic would hardly be recognizable as such when compared to most in America. There isn’t any flashy worship band, just people singing at the top of their lungs praising God, with perhaps few instruments on the side. It’s not dull worship though, but lively and truly a “joyful noise.” The flow of the service isn’t slickly planned out, but rather, moves spontaneously. Most of these churches are not in traditional church buildings, but in houses, schools, and outdoor parking lots. I was struck by how simple the services were, yet how powerful the presence of God was in these gatherings. These churches echo what we often hear but don’t always see: that the church is truly defined as the gathering of believers, not the building or the service format. This was especially evident to me coming in as a foreigner who did not speak fluent Spanish. At first, I was not sure how I would feel ministering in Spanish churches. But even though I did not always understand what the

pastor was saying, God was able to use me in the churches. I had several opportunities to pray with members of some churches, and while we were praying in different languages, the presence of God was clear and present. I felt united with the people of the Dominican Republic, as a part of God’s global church.

“the church is truly defined as the gathering of believers, not the building or the service format.” 1 Corinthians 12:13 says, “For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body-Jews or Greeks, slaves or free-and all were made to drink of one Spirit. For the body does not consist of one member but of many. In the Dominican Republic, I observed God’s believers come together as I

had never seen before. This atmosphere I observed in the

churches of the Dominican Republic

was one of the things that impacted me most on the trip. I visited thriving, established churches, as well as new church plants in the more impoverished parts of the city. Though their congregation sizes varied, what amazed me was the passion for God and generosity towards others amidst such poor conditions. I had never seen anything like it, and it changed my perception of church. Yet I wondered after the trip, why was I so shocked by the churches I saw? Shouldn’t all churches be passionate movements of God; communities of believers praising Him in all circumstances?

This is what I resolved to strive towards when I got back from the trip. I want my definition of church to overflow from just a Sunday gathering to a daily fellowship with believers and service of others. Perhaps it is something we can all work toward.

Written by Michael Santulli

CHurch Culturein the dr

SENIOR BIOS

What are your college plans? Washington University

What are your favorite things to do?Watch NBA and play video games

Unusual Talent?Playing tennis

What can’t you leave the house without?iPhone

If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 things with you, what would they be?Phone, water, Chinese food

Describe yourself in one word?Kind

What are your college plans? 4 year college in New York City or Los Angeles

What are your favorite things to do? Watch movies

What nicknames do people have for you? Tomcat

What can’t you leave the house without?Money and phone

If you could be a superhero, which one would you be?Monkey King

If you were stranded on an island and could only bring 3 things with you, what would they be? Boat, food, GPS

Tom Cruz

Jackie

CALVARY WIRE 11

CALVARY WIRE 12

What are your college plans? Major? Washington State University

What do you like to do in your spare time? Read novels

What nicknames do people have for you? Kage

If you could be a superhero, which one would you be?Batman

Describe yourself in one word:Optimistic

What can’t you leave the house without?Smartphone

Oscar Wang

What are your college plans? Cedarville University

What nicknames do people have for you? Lammy, Lambchop, Lammyson, Secret Asian Man

What is your favorite album at this time?Ascend the Hill’s self-titled album

Childhood fear?The dark

If you could be a superhero, which one would you be?The Avatar

Ryan Lamsen

class of 2013