Shen-Val-Lore The Student Voice of Shenandoah Valley Academy
Shenandoah Valley Academy
October 11, 2023
Volume 93, Edition 1
Activity Filled First Weekend Sets Tone for First Semester Samuel Girven
What started with a handshake ended with mattress surfing. An activity-filled first weekend capped off a busy first week of school at Shenandoah Valley Academy. The weekend activities, which began on Friday, August 25, and ended on Saturday, August 26, allowed students to deepen their new and existing friendships as a fledgling school year roared to a start.
After the debut of a new Friday schedule and the final chapel of the week, the penultimate day of the week culminated in an exceptional evening vespers that included a candle-lit dedication service and sacred singing at center campus. SVA Vice Principal Kaleb Leeper was the speaker for the evening worship service hosted in the New Market Church. In
an interview, Leeper said that his message, based on Romans 15:5-6, advocated for a unified school—a school of one voice and one mind. “I would describe it as a call for unity, and to come together as SVA family—as students, faculty, and staff—and to glorify God in unity,” he said. Following Leeper’s message, students filed out of the church and organized into groups led by college religion class students. Each group went to various classrooms on campus and prayed with the teachers in each department. The groups asked God to lead the school, its teachers, and its students in the new academic year. The evening concluded with the groups returning to center campus, where students received a lit candle. Pastor Tim Harley, a religion teacher at SVA, led the finality of the dedication service. As the students held the candles, they prayed over the school and sang several praise songs. For Emelia Gude, a sophomore and a new student, the vespers service was her first on SVA’s campus. “It was the first Friday where I could feel what SVA was going to be like—the difference between my old school and this school,” she said. “It was so incredible. I felt so good and happy that I called my parents and told them, ‘Wow, I really want to stay here. I feel the presence of God on this campus.’”
lead them to the finish line, while “bad” people tried to lead them astray.
Upcoming Events October
13-14
Dorm Retreats
“I think one of the unique aspects 15 of the Seventh-day Adventist faith and Adventist Education is the ability to run everything through the context of The Great Controversy,” Leeper said of 16 the games. “I have a burden to help students think about real controversy in their lives and the choices that they make.” 17
NHS Blackfriars
After the games, the groups from the previous evening reconvened to have a short Bible discussion based on the ideas they practiced during the games.
20
ROK Meet and
“I liked having the individual groups,” said Tabor Parker, a senior who led one of the discussion groups. “We could ask questions and answer them,” she said. “It was very nice having the small group. It felt kind of like a Bible study,” added Zaevon Dalhouse, another senior leader. “It felt like family.” According to Harley, the Nature Sabbath activities originated as an all-day affair during the administration of Principal Spencer Hannah, making Nature Sabbath at least a decade old. Nature Sabbath was initially known as “Hideaway Sabbath” and has changed form and function as the years have progressed.
21
Church Connect
22-23
Academy Days
24-29
NACA
Later that day, the student association-sponsored “Almost Anything Goes” event kicked off 7:30 p.m. Each class formed a Erica Lopez, a senior, also felt that at and played a series of games. the vespers service was profound. team The first game, mattress surfing, “I’m a four-year senior, and it’s involved having each person in happened every year I’ve been class lie on the floor while here,” she said. Lopez realized that the passing a mattress with a student this was the last time she would on it back and forth. ever experience the service, and she said in an interview that she fully realized how decisive the Other games included a shoe toss, moment was. “The candles held roulette, “Hungry Hippos,” and symbolism that was more than a paper airplane toss. Ultimately, just playing with fire,” she said. the senior class took first place in the event, while the junior class took second place. The The weekend pursuits continued sophomore and freshman classes after church on Saturday. A took third and fourth place, large group of students and staff respectively. walked approximately two miles from the school to a pavilion along the Shenandoah River, “Almost Anything Goes is so where the students participated much fun,” Lopez said. “It was in games that symbolized the really interesting to see the new “Great Controversy” and had SA officers and sponsor and how an opportunity to wade in the they worked together,” she said, smooth river. aptly pointing out that the event is the debut of the new SA team. The games included a complicated task: each person participating was blindfolded, and “good” people attempted to
Theater Trip Senior Portraits PSAT
Greet
(Volleyball) 25-29
Homeleave
31-5
NACA (Soccer)
November
5
SAT
6
Picture Day
8-12
Preview SAU
11
Music Outing
15
Senior Religion Trip
16
Thanksgiving Lunch
17
Faculty Family Vespers
18
Church Connect AY Outreach
19
Holiday Banquet
21-27
Thanksgiving Break
28
J2B Dress Rehearsal Thank-a-thon
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 First Weekend
2 Senior Survival, New Staff 3 SA Picnic, Week of Prayer 4 Church Connect, Music Retreat
December
5 Parents’ Weekend, Boys’ Club
30-4 10
ACT (Seniors)
6 Soccer, Volleyball
12-14
Music Rehearsals
15-16
Candlelight and
7 Flag Football, SALT
J2B
Pops Concerts 19-21
Final Exams
21-2
Christmas Break