STUDENTSTUDENT

May Term 2012May Term 2012

This past May Term, I went to John’s Island, South Carolina on a mission trip. I was a bit nervous about going, but not because I had to shower outside or sleep on a concrete floor. Rather, I was nervous because I had never been on a mission trip that did not involve orphanages, extreme poverty, and languages beside English, and therefore did not know what to expect from this trip. But, why should that make me nervous instead of all the more excited to spend a week doing what God needed me to do to better His kingdom? With this in mind, I set out to make the most of this trip while trying to uncover God’s reasoning for sending me to John’s Island.

Upon our arrival, we went to the typical Sunday church service at the church where we were staying. Though the service was two hours long, it was refreshing. These people are on fire for the Lord and what He has planned for them. And they are willing to share that mission and the message within the mission to anyone who visits them, even if those visitors are 40 high school kids from Cincinnati. The atmosphere of community and humility surrounding this church service would set the tone for the rest of our trip as a whole.

Throughout the week, I found that by opening myself and allowing myself to be vulnerably receptive to God’s agenda instead of my own, I took away so much from this trip. In our smaller work group, my group was assigned to a house in which we were to simply tile a floor, fix a door, and install a dryer vent and kitchen cabinets. Though at times these tasks were frustrating and tested our group’s limits as regards patience and tolerance of each other, they taught me a lot. But primarily, I was reminded that things do not always go as planned. But, when the man that lived at the house we worked at all week said “thank you, God bless you for blessing me,” I realized that my plan does not take precedence over God’s plan. A new kitchen floor and cabinets may not seem like much to us, but to the family we helped, it meant that they now have a place to eat, a place to walk, and a place to live in community with each other.

The importance of community struck my heart as a recurring idea that would not leave me alone during the week. In our work project one day, I was asked to paint a mural. I’m not much of an artist, but I didn’t think it would be too hard. I was wrong. But, slowly throughout the day, about four more girls in my group asked if they could help me paint, and I jumped to be the first one to tell them yes. Our mural turned out to be beautiful. Likewise, while we were at the beach, the group that I hung out with decided we were going to make the most out of our day. We swam, sang, ran around, and even built a pyramid. Had I sat by myself for the entire day, I would have missed out on the joy that laughter and community allow for. Even though painting and going to the beach were not necessarily part of a day of working labor, I still noticed how vital these events were for our group as we connected together as a community that began to know each other instead of merely working together. And these two events also showed me a glimpse of what God was aiming to show me throughout this trip: with the help of a selfless community, God was turning this trip, which for me started as a blank canvas, into a work of art in and of itself. He was carefully crafting my experiences throughout this week to be something fearfully and wonderfully made by the work of His hands.

On our last day of work, we helped another group with roofing at the house of a lady named Barbara. I did not get a chance to speak to Barbara personally, but in the nine hours that I was at her house, I gained a better appreciation for multiple things. Why, at the outset of this trip, was I so nervous while people like Barbara were not? Shouldn’t it have been the opposite, considering Barbara was allowing twenty five teenagers to completely re-roof her house with hammers, nails, and shingles that we did not know how to use? But instead, Barbara selflessly spent her entire week getting to know the names of the people who were working at her house. She took time to tell people her story, and aimed to get to know theirs as well. Though I could simply say that by spending one day at Barbara’s I learned how to roof, I know that would be shallow. I did learn to roof, but once again, I was shown the spirit of humility, selflessness, sacrifice, and community that had been appearing to me throughout the entire week.

This trip, in a nutshell, was an experience I will not forget. I learned how to do different types of physical labor that I did not dream of ever learning to do. As a result, I will not take those things like a roof over my head, a kitchen counter to eat over, or a level floor to walk on in my house for granted. But, despite the tangible things I learned, I also learned the following: God’s agenda trumps my own, His plan for me, for my group members, and for the people of John’s Island is not over, and, above all else, when one can learn to live in genuine community with others, life can be so much sweeter and kinder than when lived alone.

Abby ‘13

cutting wood to build the frame

of new kitchen cabinets

the entire John’s Island, SC May Term group

building a pyramid on the

beach with the people I got

to know well on the trip

the finished mural that we painted on the

shower wall

the finished roof that we spent an entire week renovating for

Barbara, a John’s Island inhabitant

Christian ‘15

We began this school trip like any other I assume: frantically scrambling to grab all of our

bags while finding our way through a crowd of bustling students amongst the cries of parents. The struggles of “loading up” were compounded on account of me attempting to lug my 2-tons

of luggage onto the bus. Although this trip is only six days in the Appalachian Mountains, my parents seemed to think that I was preparing to embark on a month-long expedition and therefore insisted on me bringing every small item that could proverbially “come in handy.”

Nonetheless, we all placed our bags into the cargo hull of the iron giant that would be our home for the next eight hours and 20 minutes, and braced ourselves in front of the bus for a

seemingly endless barrage of camera flashes and the attempt for each parent to take one last photo. From there, all 29 of us climbed onto the bus and plopped

ourselves down with a sigh of relief—each of us dreaming of the endless

wonders we might find on the infamous 2,184 mile long path known as the Appalachian Trail. Setting off,

few knew what to expect, and unfortunately, a few had no idea what

they were about to step into.

We had a general idea of the trip—we were to arrive at Skyland

Resort, Shenandoah National Park that Sunday evening and begin hiking in the morning. We would hike a total of

47.8 miles over a period of four days and then drive to West Virginia to go

white-water rafting on Friday before returning home. We would average

about 12 miles\ a day, rain or shine.

We awoke the next morning at 7:00 and found

ourselves enveloped in a thick layer of fog. No one could see further than 50 or 75 yards, and we were all dreading

the rain that was sure to come. We began our first hike at Swiftrun Gap and began hiking straight uphill. The trail

itself was the most unexpected part of our journey. It is a basic dirt path with overhanging plants and branches and rocks protruding at every turn. After hiking several miles

over varying terrain with light rain we began to split up the group by pace, and each group travelled with a

different chaperone. Five of us started to make distance in front of the lead group and as we began to ascend the day’s final mountain, it seemed as if the heavens opened

up and buckets of water began to fall. The hiking became much harder as we continued to ascend and the water

soon accumulated, creating running water over the trail—essentially we were walking up the side of a mountain up a river. In an effort to find cover we ran uphill to a group

of rocks, and after checking for wildlife, we sat down panting for breath. In a moment we jumped to our feet

and scrambled—the cause unknown until one of the hikers

told us that he saw a timber rattlesnake slither underneath of a rock right beside us. Now

running on a healthy dose of adrenaline we quickly managed to finish the climb and enjoy the long gradual downhill to the bus waiting at Booten’s Gap. Having only completed 11.6 miles of

our journey, many of us were unable to see ourselves finishing but we trudged on nonetheless.

By the fourth and final day of hiking, we were worn and ready to take a break, and when Mr. Vanderkolk

offered us an 8.6 mile hike versus a 12.2 mile hike, many seized the opportunity as a blessing. Unfortunately I couldn’t decline the challenge, and so I

apprehensively decide to hike the 12.2 miles along with six other students. We slowly spread out as we

continued to hike until I eventually found myself walking alone through the mountains. Hiking along silently for some time, I began to daydream while keeping a good

pace. I was suddenly snatched into reality when I saw a dark figure in my peripherals lumbering off to my left.

About 20 feet in front of me was a juvenile black bear which I figured to be about the same size or slightly larger than me. Upon seeing the bear, I quickly stopped

and calmly took out my camera as he stepped out onto the trail and walked across it into the woods on my

right. After a few minutes, I was back to hiking and was met with much surprise on account of my story and

pictures.

Over the course of this trip we were offered an amazing experience that could occur once in

a lifetime. We walked through mountains, stood at the top of the world, and we looked out and saw a beautiful creation. It was a time when we could grow together as we hiked on. It taught

us determination and dedication—never giving up until it was finished. We were

taken to a primitive world where we could see deer,

bear, and more, living naturally. We walked through

meadows, hiked through forests, climbed along cliffs, and saw the world in a new

light. It was a wonderful experience with our

companions as well as alone when we could listen to birds and contemplate in peace. It

was a trip that I wouldn’t give up for the world, and I would

love to return to the Appalachian Trail any time and at any and every

opportunity.

We began this school trip like any other I assume: frantically scrambling to grab all of our

bags while finding our way through a crowd of bustling students amongst the cries of parents. The struggles of “loading up” were compounded on account of me attempting to lug my 2-tons

of luggage onto the bus. Although this trip is only six days in the Appalachian Mountains, my parents seemed to think that I was preparing to embark on a month-long expedition and therefore insisted on me bringing every small item that could proverbially “come in handy.”

Nonetheless, we all placed our bags into the cargo hull of the iron giant that would be our home for the next eight hours and 20 minutes, and braced ourselves in front of the bus for a

seemingly endless barrage of camera flashes and the attempt for each parent to take one last photo. From there, all 29 of us climbed onto the bus and plopped

ourselves down with a sigh of relief—each of us dreaming of the endless

wonders we might find on the infamous 2,184 mile long path known as the Appalachian Trail. Setting off,

few knew what to expect, and unfortunately, a few had no idea what

they were about to step into.

We had a general idea of the trip—we were to arrive at Skyland

Resort, Shenandoah National Park that Sunday evening and begin hiking in the morning. We would hike a total of

47.8 miles over a period of four days and then drive to West Virginia to go

white-water rafting on Friday before returning home. We would average

about 12 miles\ a day, rain or shine.

We awoke the next morning at 7:00 and found

ourselves enveloped in a thick layer of fog. No one could see further than 50 or 75 yards, and we were all dreading

the rain that was sure to come. We began our first hike at Swiftrun Gap and began hiking straight uphill. The trail

itself was the most unexpected part of our journey. It is a basic dirt path with overhanging plants and branches and rocks protruding at every turn. After hiking several miles

over varying terrain with light rain we began to split up the group by pace, and each group travelled with a

different chaperone. Five of us started to make distance in front of the lead group and as we began to ascend the day’s final mountain, it seemed as if the heavens opened

up and buckets of water began to fall. The hiking became much harder as we continued to ascend and the water

soon accumulated, creating running water over the trail—essentially we were walking up the side of a mountain up a river. In an effort to find cover we ran uphill to a group

of rocks, and after checking for wildlife, we sat down panting for breath. In a moment we jumped to our feet

and scrambled—the cause unknown until one of the hikers

told us that he saw a timber rattlesnake slither underneath of a rock right beside us. Now

running on a healthy dose of adrenaline we quickly managed to finish the climb and enjoy the long gradual downhill to the bus waiting at Booten’s Gap. Having only completed 11.6 miles of

our journey, many of us were unable to see ourselves finishing but we trudged on nonetheless.

By the fourth and final day of hiking, we were worn and ready to take a break, and when Mr. Vanderkolk

offered us an 8.6 mile hike versus a 12.2 mile hike, many seized the opportunity as a blessing. Unfortunately I couldn’t decline the challenge, and so I

apprehensively decide to hike the 12.2 miles along with six other students. We slowly spread out as we

continued to hike until I eventually found myself walking alone through the mountains. Hiking along silently for some time, I began to daydream while keeping a good

pace. I was suddenly snatched into reality when I saw a dark figure in my peripherals lumbering off to my left.

About 20 feet in front of me was a juvenile black bear which I figured to be about the same size or slightly larger than me. Upon seeing the bear, I quickly stopped

and calmly took out my camera as he stepped out onto the trail and walked across it into the woods on my

right. After a few minutes, I was back to hiking and was met with much surprise on account of my story and

pictures.

Over the course of this trip we were offered an amazing experience that could occur once in

a lifetime. We walked through mountains, stood at the top of the world, and we looked out and saw a beautiful creation. It was a time when we could grow together as we hiked on. It taught

us determination and dedication—never giving up until it was finished. We were

taken to a primitive world where we could see deer,

bear, and more, living naturally. We walked through

meadows, hiked through forests, climbed along cliffs, and saw the world in a new

light. It was a wonderful experience with our

companions as well as alone when we could listen to birds and contemplate in peace. It

was a trip that I wouldn’t give up for the world, and I would

love to return to the Appalachian Trail any time and at any and every

opportunity.

Elizabeth ‘12

A five hour time difference would affect any ordinary traveler on his or hers first day in London, but for the CHCA group, this tiredness was hardly

noticed when compared to the sights of the Thames, Covent Gardens, and Big

Ben. As the days followed, we wandered the streets, battling the dangers of pickpockets and braving the crammed evenings in the “tube” (British jargon for

subway). We immersed ourselves in the wonders of museums, Trafalgar

Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the eerie wonder of Westminster Abbey. After spending a day in the beautiful countryside of Bath, we dared our taste buds to

try the mineral waters at the Roman Baths, which made the city famous in Jane

Austen’s day for its healthful 42 minerals. We closed our days in London with theater performances of Wicked in the West End theater district and The 39

Steps, a comedic play in Piccadilly Circus.

With the aid of Matt, our tour guide, we found the best places and spots to

take pictures, the little stalls in the markets that sold the best trinkets to bring home, and, of course, the best places to eat. But do not be fooled, we did not

limit ourselves to just fish and chips, however delicious they were. London has a

large, diverse population of Indian, Muslim, and Asian citizens, and many

restaurants boasted such respective dishes for our sampling pleasure.

After our adventures in London, we boarded the Eurostar, one of the fastest trains in the world to take us through the Chunnel, an underground

tunnel leading from the London Station, below the English Channel, and into

Paris. Eager to explore the City of Lights, we wandered through the Louvre, seeing iconic works like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. And who could

forget the beauty of the Seine as the sun set, or the beauty of Notre Dame?

Without a doubt, this was an amazing trip to two of the most historical and

diverse cities in Europe.

A five hour time difference would affect any ordinary traveler on his or hers first day in London, but for the CHCA group, this tiredness was hardly

noticed when compared to the sights of the Thames, Covent Gardens, and Big

Ben. As the days followed, we wandered the streets, battling the dangers of pickpockets and braving the crammed evenings in the “tube” (British jargon for

subway). We immersed ourselves in the wonders of museums, Trafalgar

Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the eerie wonder of Westminster Abbey. After spending a day in the beautiful countryside of Bath, we dared our taste buds to

try the mineral waters at the Roman Baths, which made the city famous in Jane

Austen’s day for its healthful 42 minerals. We closed our days in London with theater performances of Wicked in the West End theater district and The 39

Steps, a comedic play in Piccadilly Circus.

With the aid of Matt, our tour guide, we found the best places and spots to

take pictures, the little stalls in the markets that sold the best trinkets to bring home, and, of course, the best places to eat. But do not be fooled, we did not

limit ourselves to just fish and chips, however delicious they were. London has a

large, diverse population of Indian, Muslim, and Asian citizens, and many

restaurants boasted such respective dishes for our sampling pleasure.

After our adventures in London, we boarded the Eurostar, one of the fastest trains in the world to take us through the Chunnel, an underground

tunnel leading from the London Station, below the English Channel, and into

Paris. Eager to explore the City of Lights, we wandered through the Louvre, seeing iconic works like the Mona Lisa and the Venus de Milo. And who could

forget the beauty of the Seine as the sun set, or the beauty of Notre Dame?

Without a doubt, this was an amazing trip to two of the most historical and

diverse cities in Europe.

Kaity ‘13

For May term this year I got the opportunity to be able to experience the Treasures of Ireland. This probably had to be the best Intersession that I have gone on because I had a

personal connection to Ireland. My mom’s side of the family is Irish, so I have lots of cousins who live in Ireland. While I was there I got to meet one of my cousins for only the second time. The

last time I had seen her was when I was eight years old. It was truly a thrill to be able to see her again and get to see a little bit of the town that she lives in, which is Galway. I feel really blessed

to be able to not only visit Ireland, but also see some of my family there.

In Ireland we got to go to many different places travelling in a big tour bus. Our bus driver, John, could get around any curve or turn there was, and there were a lot of really tight

turns! Jill, our tour guide, knew almost everything one could know about the history of Ireland and what is going on now in Ireland, she was also very sweet. John and Jill contributed in making

our trip very special.

We traveled to many different places all over Ireland. We flew into Dublin and stayed there for a few nights. We got to see many different Cathedrals and Monasteries, and also visited

different castles along the way. But of course the best thing of all was the landscape. Ireland is simply gorgeous. They have plush green hills, beautiful lakes, tons of sheep, mountains, etc.

One of my favorite places on the trip was Blarney Castle. I got to kiss the Blarney Stone! This stone is very special because it is supposed to bring you good luck and lots of happiness. To kiss the stone you have to lie on your back across a large hole at the top of the castle, then lean

over and kiss the stone. It can be very scary for some people, but I was more excited than scared. My other favorite place to visit was the Cliffs of Mohr, and they were absolutely

spectacular! I cannot begin to describe how beautiful the view was from on top of the cliffs, it is just absolutely breathtaking. The cliffs drop of into the water and you can see for miles and miles

the ocean below. There are so many other things I also really enjoyed on this trip. For example, the scones are amazing! Everywhere we went they were homemade and absolutely delicious.

All in all the trip was great and I am so blessed to have been able to experience such a

wonderful country.

Me, Nicole, Piper and Lauren in front of the cliffs of Mohr

Me and my cousin Kathy in Galway

Kissing the Blarney Stone

Me in front of the claddagh town

Morgan ‘14

Out of all the incredible experiences Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy High School

offers to its students, my favorite would be the chance to explore God outside of the classroom during Intercession. This year, I had the opportunity to travel to Cancun,

Mexico with Back2Back Ministries, and I discovered how God needs to be the ultimate Source in our lives. Each morning, our group would delve into individual devotions and

meaningful small groups to better understand the way we go to other “sources” to sustain ourselves daily. From money, to relationships, to even doing good deeds for the

wrong reasons, I found that each of us crave Living Water – we just look in all the wrong places.

One sun-scorching

morning, our ministry team ventured to the under-

construction home of a widow who had been

dreaming of a home for her family for years. The only

thing she wanted was a roof to protect her children. Our

mission for the day was to pump water from a make-

shift well, shovel rocks and

sand, mix concrete with shovels, and haul the

concrete in buckets to the top of the house where it

would be poured to form a roof. All this had to be

completed in one day and in the 90 degree weather with

no mixing machine and also with no shade. Just pumping water from the well was hard work; it took intense labor from at least 3 people to fill up a single bucket of water. The

shoveling was vigorous, and even the strong football players were struggling to lift the concrete to the roof. After approximately 3 hours, we heard discouraging news – we

were only about a fourth of the way done, yet all of us felt like we were going to fall over and die. Even the Back2Back staff said it was the hardest day of work they had

experienced in Cancun.

A staff member called us into the house for a little pep talk. “You are getting to experience what it really means to give your whole body to Christ,” he explained. “We

are physically incapable of finishing this job today by ourselves. We are dehydrated, sore, tired, and frustrated. Our bodies are dying. But with God’s help, we can complete

this job and give these children a home.” Not only were we dehydrated physically, but

we were dehydrated spiritually. Without the Living Water of God inside of us, we could not complete the task at hand. We needed God to be our Source to give us the power to

continue.

We prayed “popcorn style” over the

house and over the people who would live in it, and then the staff member prayed in

Spanish. I have never experienced such a waterfall of the Holy Spirit like this before.

Though I could make out phrases of what he was saying, many others could not

speak Spanish at all, yet the whole of us experienced the same effect. We could

sense the Spirit of God in the room with us. After this, we completed the roof with

God’s strength. We encouraged each other and picked each other up. We reminded

each other to keep hydrated both with a physical source and also with the Source of

God. The theme of the week, at least for

me, was perfectly depicted in this tough situation.

My favorite Bible verse states: “The fear

of God is a spring of Living Water so you won’t

go off drinking from poisoned wells” (Proverbs 14:27). As I learned throughout the week in

Cancun, we all need to drink from the right Source in our lives. God has given us many

sources to draw from, such as community or success, but if we drink only from those

sources, we aren’t drawing Living Water from the right well. Poisoned wells might quench

our thirst for a little bit, but eventually they will make us sick and can even lead to death.

God is the one Source that we should be drinking from daily, and the more we refresh

and hydrate ourselves in Him, the less we will be straying off from the right path and trying

to satisfy our bodies and our souls with other

sources. However, if we drink the Living Water and we turn to the real Source, we can

accomplish anything and can bring glory to His kingdom.

Out of all the incredible experiences Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy High School

offers to its students, my favorite would be the chance to explore God outside of the classroom during Intercession. This year, I had the opportunity to travel to Cancun,

Mexico with Back2Back Ministries, and I discovered how God needs to be the ultimate Source in our lives. Each morning, our group would delve into individual devotions and

meaningful small groups to better understand the way we go to other “sources” to sustain ourselves daily. From money, to relationships, to even doing good deeds for the

wrong reasons, I found that each of us crave Living Water – we just look in all the wrong places.

One sun-scorching

morning, our ministry team ventured to the under-

construction home of a widow who had been

dreaming of a home for her family for years. The only

thing she wanted was a roof to protect her children. Our

mission for the day was to pump water from a make-

shift well, shovel rocks and

sand, mix concrete with shovels, and haul the

concrete in buckets to the top of the house where it

would be poured to form a roof. All this had to be

completed in one day and in the 90 degree weather with

no mixing machine and also with no shade. Just pumping water from the well was hard work; it took intense labor from at least 3 people to fill up a single bucket of water. The

shoveling was vigorous, and even the strong football players were struggling to lift the concrete to the roof. After approximately 3 hours, we heard discouraging news – we

were only about a fourth of the way done, yet all of us felt like we were going to fall over and die. Even the Back2Back staff said it was the hardest day of work they had

experienced in Cancun.

A staff member called us into the house for a little pep talk. “You are getting to experience what it really means to give your whole body to Christ,” he explained. “We

are physically incapable of finishing this job today by ourselves. We are dehydrated, sore, tired, and frustrated. Our bodies are dying. But with God’s help, we can complete

this job and give these children a home.” Not only were we dehydrated physically, but

we were dehydrated spiritually. Without the Living Water of God inside of us, we could not complete the task at hand. We needed God to be our Source to give us the power to

continue.

We prayed “popcorn style” over the

house and over the people who would live in it, and then the staff member prayed in

Spanish. I have never experienced such a waterfall of the Holy Spirit like this before.

Though I could make out phrases of what he was saying, many others could not

speak Spanish at all, yet the whole of us experienced the same effect. We could

sense the Spirit of God in the room with us. After this, we completed the roof with

God’s strength. We encouraged each other and picked each other up. We reminded

each other to keep hydrated both with a physical source and also with the Source of

God. The theme of the week, at least for

me, was perfectly depicted in this tough situation.

My favorite Bible verse states: “The fear

of God is a spring of Living Water so you won’t

go off drinking from poisoned wells” (Proverbs 14:27). As I learned throughout the week in

Cancun, we all need to drink from the right Source in our lives. God has given us many

sources to draw from, such as community or success, but if we drink only from those

sources, we aren’t drawing Living Water from the right well. Poisoned wells might quench

our thirst for a little bit, but eventually they will make us sick and can even lead to death.

God is the one Source that we should be drinking from daily, and the more we refresh

and hydrate ourselves in Him, the less we will be straying off from the right path and trying

to satisfy our bodies and our souls with other

sources. However, if we drink the Living Water and we turn to the real Source, we can

accomplish anything and can bring glory to His kingdom.

Olivia ‘14

CHCA’s unique two week

intersession is one of the coolest things about being a

student (or faculty member) at the school. And while it is

normally the two weeks following Christmas break,

this year was the first year the school has ever tried

doing this intersession in May. May means the end of

track season. And the end of track season means the biggest, most important

meets. And the biggest, most important meets means I was not going to be able to

go on any of the out of town trips. At first, I was bummed

that while some of my friends would be touring big cities or surviving on the beach or immersing themselves in foreign

cultures, I would still be in Cincinnati—sleeping in my own bed, being in the same school building, seeing the same old

things. I quickly realized I had made false assumptions.

The May Term I ended up choosing was one that I believed would engage my interests and allow me to enjoy

myself, regardless of whether or not it was in town. I chose Mr. Hilderbrand’s May Term—Diners, Drive-ins and Digital

Pics—because I have a passion for photography. And who doesn’t mind getting to eat some outstanding food along the

way?

Each day our group would spend some time in discussion or Photoshop work in the morning, and then we would proceed to board a school bus

which would take us to a new destination for lunch. Our afternoons consisted of uploading all the pictures we had taken that

day at lunch and some more Photoshop work. We learned what makes a good

photograph, spent time

capturing good shots,

and then edited them

to be put in a

class photo album.

Throughout the course of the two weeks, every place we went for lunch was somewhere

new to me—most of the places, I had never even heard of before. From a restaurant completely dedicated to grilled cheese and tomato soup to a root beer stand to an

authentic Greek favorite, every place was exciting and new and absolutely delicious.

The beauty of intersession is that learning

becomes new and refreshing and something beyond

the classroom walls. While reflecting on my experience I realized that I learned much more than

the rule of thirds or how the use of lines enhances a photo. I learned to step out of my comfort zone. Our

first lunch destination was one called Tom and Chee—a restaurant that specializes in nothing but

grilled cheese and tomato soup. I do not like either grilled cheese or tomato soup…or at least I thought I

didn’t. Seeing as how this place served nothing but grilled cheese and tomato soup, I was forced to step

out of my comfort zone and try something new. It turned out that I loved the grilled cheese sandwich I

ordered! I also gained a new perspective. I like photography, but I had not really shot any

photographs of food before May Term, so I got to see

things in a different light—both literally through my camera lens and in general.

In the end, I discovered that learning outside of the normal classroom setting can still happen without

having to travel thousands of miles away from home. It

was nice to be able to go back to my own house and sleep in my own bed. Being in the same school building

that I had spent so much classroom time in wasn’t so bad.

And I did anything but see the same old things. May Term

surpassed the expectations I originally had; I learned a lot,

had fun getting to know my classmates and teachers on a

deeper level, discovered Cincinnati in a new way, and got

to see the culmination of all that work and fun in a photo book

that our class put together. I

could not have asked for anything more.

CHCA’s unique two week

intersession is one of the coolest things about being a

student (or faculty member) at the school. And while it is

normally the two weeks following Christmas break,

this year was the first year the school has ever tried

doing this intersession in May. May means the end of

track season. And the end of track season means the biggest, most important

meets. And the biggest, most important meets means I was not going to be able to

go on any of the out of town trips. At first, I was bummed

that while some of my friends would be touring big cities or surviving on the beach or immersing themselves in foreign

cultures, I would still be in Cincinnati—sleeping in my own bed, being in the same school building, seeing the same old

things. I quickly realized I had made false assumptions.

The May Term I ended up choosing was one that I believed would engage my interests and allow me to enjoy

myself, regardless of whether or not it was in town. I chose Mr. Hilderbrand’s May Term—Diners, Drive-ins and Digital

Pics—because I have a passion for photography. And who doesn’t mind getting to eat some outstanding food along the

way?

Each day our group would spend some time in discussion or Photoshop work in the morning, and then we would proceed to board a school bus

which would take us to a new destination for lunch. Our afternoons consisted of uploading all the pictures we had taken that

day at lunch and some more Photoshop work. We learned what makes a good

photograph, spent time

capturing good shots,

and then edited them

to be put in a

class photo album.

Throughout the course of the two weeks, every place we went for lunch was somewhere

new to me—most of the places, I had never even heard of before. From a restaurant completely dedicated to grilled cheese and tomato soup to a root beer stand to an

authentic Greek favorite, every place was exciting and new and absolutely delicious.

The beauty of intersession is that learning

becomes new and refreshing and something beyond

the classroom walls. While reflecting on my experience I realized that I learned much more than

the rule of thirds or how the use of lines enhances a photo. I learned to step out of my comfort zone. Our

first lunch destination was one called Tom and Chee—a restaurant that specializes in nothing but

grilled cheese and tomato soup. I do not like either grilled cheese or tomato soup…or at least I thought I

didn’t. Seeing as how this place served nothing but grilled cheese and tomato soup, I was forced to step

out of my comfort zone and try something new. It turned out that I loved the grilled cheese sandwich I

ordered! I also gained a new perspective. I like photography, but I had not really shot any

photographs of food before May Term, so I got to see

things in a different light—both literally through my camera lens and in general.

In the end, I discovered that learning outside of the normal classroom setting can still happen without

having to travel thousands of miles away from home. It

was nice to be able to go back to my own house and sleep in my own bed. Being in the same school building

that I had spent so much classroom time in wasn’t so bad.

And I did anything but see the same old things. May Term

surpassed the expectations I originally had; I learned a lot,

had fun getting to know my classmates and teachers on a

deeper level, discovered Cincinnati in a new way, and got

to see the culmination of all that work and fun in a photo book

that our class put together. I

could not have asked for anything more.

Trenton ‘14

Coming into this trip, I honestly did not know what to expect. Looking back, I am

glad I didn’t have any sort of high expectations, because this trip was nothing like I could have anticipated. Our group of around 30 traveled down to an island named Cayo

Costa, off of the coast of Ft. Myers, and for nine days we had experiences that were unforgettable. Originally, this trip started out primarily as a fishing trip, which really

excited me, yet it developed into an experience based off of the show survivor, complete with no access to electricity and other amenities. We were divided into 3

tribes of about ten apiece and participated in various competitions to earn points for our tribe. The reward for the winning tribe was a boat ride over to another island for a

nice dinner, while the other two losing tribes stayed back at camp and ate freeze-dried astronaut food for dinner. With that in the back of each person’s mind, we began our

adventure.

Every day, we would have one or two tribal competitions as a chance to earn points. Our second day on the island, we spent 4 hours on a scavenger hunt across the island

while other events throughout the week included an all-day fishing derby, sand castle contest, tug-of-war competitions, and even what we called a quadrathalon: unlike the

traditional triathlon with three events, ours had four. We ran, swam, biked and kayaked, which in the end yielded thirty exhausted students. This was all fantastic, but

our trip wasn’t called Survivor: Cayo Costa for nothing. Our chaperones took us five miles down the beach, away from all civilization, dropped us off, and said “See you in

twenty four hours!” With a bag of rice, some tuna, graham crackers, water, a few

apples and bananas, and our backpacks, we survived on the beach for a whole day as a tribe. Besides our competitions, memories were made other ways too. Each team

prepared about two or three dinners during the trip, which included cutting and grilling steaks, fileting fish, and preparing many other foods. Each evening was either spent

around the campfire or on the beach, under the stars. We would also spend the beautiful evening’s shark fishing on the beach, waiting to bring in the big one.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the sharks we hoped for. Another great memory for me was the performance aspect of the trip. To provide a little background, we had some

Danish neighbors who were living in the cabins next to ours for most of the trip. One evening, they spent some time with us around our campfire, which turned into a night

of performance. We heard from two of our talented vocalists, a drum performance on buckets, and many more until the grand finale: the Danish national anthem. We were

able to convince our Danish friends, who unlike most of us were not musically gifted, to sing their national anthem. Although it didn’t sound the greatest, it was great to share

an evening of fellowship with our Danish friends.

Besides making memories, which believe me, I could fill up five pages full of them; we also learned some extremely valuable lessons throughout our experience. One of

these was the idea of community. Whether it be interacting with my tribe during experiences such as the 24 hour survival event or the scavenger hunt, or with the

group as whole, I learned how to support and interact with others in a positive and

encouraging way. Secondly, we learned to appreciate God’s creation. By swimming with

manatees, kayaking with dolphins, and getting glimpses of nature we had never seen

before, we learned to conserve, appreciate, and protect all that God has created. To build on that, Dr. Nicholas, our high school principal, shared with us one evening

around the campfire about how God placed man in dominion over nature, and that it is important to uphold our role as the protector of creation. Lastly, I learned to be

prepared and flexible. A great example of this was while my tribe was lying on the beach in the middle of a storm, and having to be flexible and just put up with it instead

of walking five miles back to camp. Or when our pontoon we took to dinner on the last night began to sink after we had docked, we just had to be flexible and wait for a ride

back to Cayo Costa. Overall, memories and lessons were abundant and Survivor: Cayo Costa sits at the top of my list when it comes to my favorite trips.

Coming into this trip, I honestly did not know what to expect. Looking back, I am

glad I didn’t have any sort of high expectations, because this trip was nothing like I could have anticipated. Our group of around 30 traveled down to an island named Cayo

Costa, off of the coast of Ft. Myers, and for nine days we had experiences that were unforgettable. Originally, this trip started out primarily as a fishing trip, which really

excited me, yet it developed into an experience based off of the show survivor, complete with no access to electricity and other amenities. We were divided into 3

tribes of about ten apiece and participated in various competitions to earn points for our tribe. The reward for the winning tribe was a boat ride over to another island for a

nice dinner, while the other two losing tribes stayed back at camp and ate freeze-dried astronaut food for dinner. With that in the back of each person’s mind, we began our

adventure.

Every day, we would have one or two tribal competitions as a chance to earn points. Our second day on the island, we spent 4 hours on a scavenger hunt across the island

while other events throughout the week included an all-day fishing derby, sand castle contest, tug-of-war competitions, and even what we called a quadrathalon: unlike the

traditional triathlon with three events, ours had four. We ran, swam, biked and kayaked, which in the end yielded thirty exhausted students. This was all fantastic, but

our trip wasn’t called Survivor: Cayo Costa for nothing. Our chaperones took us five miles down the beach, away from all civilization, dropped us off, and said “See you in

twenty four hours!” With a bag of rice, some tuna, graham crackers, water, a few

apples and bananas, and our backpacks, we survived on the beach for a whole day as a tribe. Besides our competitions, memories were made other ways too. Each team

prepared about two or three dinners during the trip, which included cutting and grilling steaks, fileting fish, and preparing many other foods. Each evening was either spent

around the campfire or on the beach, under the stars. We would also spend the beautiful evening’s shark fishing on the beach, waiting to bring in the big one.

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the sharks we hoped for. Another great memory for me was the performance aspect of the trip. To provide a little background, we had some

Danish neighbors who were living in the cabins next to ours for most of the trip. One evening, they spent some time with us around our campfire, which turned into a night

of performance. We heard from two of our talented vocalists, a drum performance on buckets, and many more until the grand finale: the Danish national anthem. We were

able to convince our Danish friends, who unlike most of us were not musically gifted, to sing their national anthem. Although it didn’t sound the greatest, it was great to share

an evening of fellowship with our Danish friends.

Besides making memories, which believe me, I could fill up five pages full of them; we also learned some extremely valuable lessons throughout our experience. One of

these was the idea of community. Whether it be interacting with my tribe during experiences such as the 24 hour survival event or the scavenger hunt, or with the

group as whole, I learned how to support and interact with others in a positive and

encouraging way. Secondly, we learned to appreciate God’s creation. By swimming with

manatees, kayaking with dolphins, and getting glimpses of nature we had never seen

before, we learned to conserve, appreciate, and protect all that God has created. To build on that, Dr. Nicholas, our high school principal, shared with us one evening

around the campfire about how God placed man in dominion over nature, and that it is important to uphold our role as the protector of creation. Lastly, I learned to be

prepared and flexible. A great example of this was while my tribe was lying on the beach in the middle of a storm, and having to be flexible and just put up with it instead

of walking five miles back to camp. Or when our pontoon we took to dinner on the last night began to sink after we had docked, we just had to be flexible and wait for a ride

back to Cayo Costa. Overall, memories and lessons were abundant and Survivor: Cayo Costa sits at the top of my list when it comes to my favorite trips.

Do you have plans?

Something interesting to do?

Someplace amazing to visit?

Someone who will inspire you?

CHCA Intercession,

A cure for the common school year