Red Lion Christian Academy "The Roar" Spring 2016

the

roar

A student publication of Red Lion Christian Academy

Flying High

Three of the Pargoe children cheer for MOT All-Stars Page 10

also inside

Hands-On classes Students learn more by doing Page 6 Teacher Profile Mr. Jeff Jackson Page 14 and much more... redlionca.org

issue 3 spring 2016

RED LION C H RI S T IAN ACADE M Y Spring 2016

ADVISER Aaron Hamrick EDITOR IN CHIEF Evelyn Chen

A Word from the Principal

STAFF Zachary Albano Cole Boulanger

We have once again arrived at the time of year

order to validate their educational program. The result

when graduating students across the nation don their

of the review is that Red Lion is being recommended

Lilly Cera-Proulx

caps and gowns and accept their diplomas ready to

for another seven year accreditation.

Ben Geoghegan

transition to the next phase of their lives. Red Lion

The seniors traveled to the Dominican Republic

Nicolette Short

seniors are no different. They have been looking

for their annual mission trip. The students had the

forward to this day since the first day of their senior

opportunity to share the Gospel and the love of Jesus

year.

Christ to children and adults alike.

The class of 2016 will be the 15th class to graduate

Both the upper school and middle school students

from Red Lion Christian Academy. Since the school

attended fall retreats this year. The upper school

was founded in 1980, thousands of students have

traveled to Harvey Cedars in New Jersey and the

had the opportunity to grow academically, spiritually,

middle school traveled to Sandy Cove in Maryland.

artistically, and athletically. In addition, hundreds have

The students had opportunities to worship and come

graduated and continued their education in college in

together as a student body.

Catherine Tu Lee-Ann You

1390 Red Lion Rd. Bear, DE 19701 www.redlionca.org admissions@redlionca.org 302 - 834 - 2526

ON THE COVER Anastasia Pargoe falls into the arms of her teammates during a competition with the MOT Stars.

Photo by Linda Pargoe

order to prepare them for a career and to impact the

Students also had the opportunity to use their gifts

world for Christ. This year is no different. God has

in fine arts and athletics. Our choirs and visual arts

blessed the school tremendously and many exciting

students earned accolades at the ACSI Fine Arts

things have happened this year.

Festival. The high school choir earned top recognition

One of the most exciting things that occurred this

and the middle school choir and other individual soloists

year is the merging of Tall Oaks Classical School with

won several ribbons. Our visual arts students also won

Red Lion and Glasgow Christian Academy. This

ribbons with a couple students winning Best of Show.

merger allows for three different types of education

In addition our athletic teams performed very well this

– traditional, classical and homeschool. Parents now

year with our Basketball team advancing to the State

have the opportunity to choose which type of Christian

Tournament. In addition, four students have received

education best meets the needs of their family. Now all

athletic scholarships to colleges for next year.

students have an opportunity to participate in athletics

God has blessed Red Lion, and we expectantly look

and a wide range of other co-curricular activities.

forward to what He will do in the future through not

Red Lion went through its reaccreditation review this year. Reaccreditation is essential for private schools in

only our seniors, but all of our students and faculty.

Mr. Sam Osbourn, Principal

Inside This Issue page 4

Events

page 6

Hands-On Classes Upper School

page 8

Hands-On Classes Lower School

page 10

Team Pargoe

page 12

Senior Profiles / Sara Tatnall and Daniel Mihalko

page 14

Teacher Profile / Mr. Jeff Jackson

page 16

My Story / Victoria Pope

page 18

Spring Sports

page 20

Back Page / Daddy Comes Home Students flood the dance floor during the junior-senior prom at the Newark Country Club on April 15th.

Photo by Aaron Hamrick

Where are the seniors going?

Red Lion Events

Lauren Adamek-Dean, Wilmington University Randi Agard, La Salle University James Bansbach, University of Maryland Baltimore County Cole Boulanger, New Jersey Institute of Technology Jaret Bush, Wilmington University Nathan Campbell, Delaware Tech Evelyn Chen, University of Texas Lamirah Coleman, Cheyney University Michael Collins, Valparaiso University Jazmine Corley, Delaware Tech Katie Crawly, University of Delaware Gabby daPonte, University of Delaware Andrew Davis, University of Delaware Alex Feeney, Wilmington University Kaylee Hazewski, East Stroudsburg University Colton Herbein, University of Delaware Noelle Holiday, Georgetown University Morgan Holt, Liberty University Jisoo Hong, University of Delaware Darin Kellam, Goldey Beacom College photo by Aaron Hamrick

Victor Kim, University of Delaware Michael Markakis, University of Delaware Briana McCray, Temple University Daniel Mihalko, Liberty University Sam Ogunwande, George Washington University Kristen Parker, Delaware Tech Bradley Sewell, American Musical and Dramatic Academy Julia Shaw, Towson University Rain Sheng, Wilmington University Katelyn Shoemaker, Geneva College Maddie Smith, Liberty University Jarinat Sola-Rufai, University of Delaware

The senior class elected Katelyn Shoemaker as the Prom Queen and Alex Feeney as the Prom King.

Senior/Junior Prom April 15 The junior/senior prom was held at the Newark Country Club in Newark, DE on Friday, April 15th.

Approximately 70 students and chaperones attended the formal affair. Photos were taken outside, a buffet dinner was served and the senior superlatives were announced. Then the junior and senior court were announced culminating in the announcement of the queen, Katelyn Shoemaker and the king, Alex Feeney.

Grace Stollings, Delaware Tech Jacob Stollings, Wilmington University Sara Tatnall, Delaware Tech Maddison Tracy, West Virginia University Jared Washok, Liberty University Isaiah Whetstone, Delaware Tech Collen Whiteley, Delaware Tech

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Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

Spain Trip March 25 - April 3 During spring break, Mrs. Halteman lead a group of twelve students and parents to the country of Spain. The ten day trip was a sight-seeing trip touring different cities such a Barcelona and Madrid. They also enjoyed authentic Spanish cuisine.

Spring Concert May 12

The high school choir applies hand motions while they sing the song, I’m a Believer during the spring concert.

photo by Aaron Hamrick

The annual upper school spring concert was held at Glasgow Church on Thursday evening on May 12th. The program was a mixture of different styles of music from pop to classical.

The middle school choir, high school choir, the upper school band and various ensembles performed in front of family and friends under the direction of Miss Leslie Bailey and accompanied by her sister, Miss Stephanie Bailey, both Red Lion graduates.

Senior Graduation May 27

photo by Aaron Hamrick

Forty seniors will graduate on Friday, May 27.

The ceremony will be held in the sanctuary at Glasgow Church at 7:00. Their senior year has been full of memories such as the overnight retreat at Harvey Cedars in New Jersey, the heart-breaking defeat at Color Wars, the new senior lounge, homecoming dance, the many field trips, the mission trip to The Dominican Republic, the school musical, prom, and AP classes.

The class of 2016 left their mark at Red Lion by showing leadership at the middle school retreat, leading prayer groups, being senior buddies to the sixth graders and showing Christian leadership on the athletic fields.

The seniors gather after a special senior chapel for a group shot wearing shirts of the colleges they plan to attend.

NHS induction May 24 & 25 The National Honor Society (NHS) is a nationwide organization with a chapter at Red Lion. Students are selected to NHS based on four criteria: scholarship, leadership, service, and character. The Red Lion chapter of NHS performed two big service projects.

The first project was a toy drive for a ministry in Allentown, PA called Hope Kids. Over one hundred children were fed dinner, a speaker shared the gospel with the children and they held a dance. Afterwards, the children all received a Christmas gift.

The other project was collecting and distributing household and personal items to Elkton High School for their students who are homeless.

The middle school NHS induction ceremony will be held on May 24 and the high school NHS induction ceremony will be held on May 25. Both will begin in the Red Lion sanctuary at 6:30 p.m.

8th grade promotion June 8 An eighth grade promotion ceremony will be held on Wednesday, June 8th at Glasgow Church at 7:00 p.m. This is an evening that honors the accomplishments of the eighth grade students for their work during the school year. Awards are given out, speeches are made, songs are sung, and prayers are lifted up. It’s also a time to look forward to their future in high school.

www.redlionca.org

5

squid dissection One can tell when it’s time for squid dissection in Mrs. Denise Holt’s biology class by the aroma of formaldehyde and fish wafting through the hallways. Dissection is a time for hands-on learning like no other. Students are split into group of two as they work through a ten page workbook that gives instructions on what and where to cut.

The squids do have ink sacks but they are dried up and resemble pearls of congealed ink.

Mrs. Holt said dissection day is crazy for her as she prepares goggles, Biology teacher, Mrs. Denise Holt, helps her sophomore biology class make the right cuts to find the organs of their squids. photo by Aaron Hamrick

gloves, trays, scissors, dissection kits, and the animals.

flower power

The seventh grade students get their hands on flowers during

their introduction to dissection. Students look to identify all the parts of the flower. They took off all the leaves, the sepals, the petals and had to fill out a worksheet on how many they had.

Depending on how many petals the flower had determined if it was a monocot or a dicot.

The seventh grade teacher, Mrs. Sheila Eno, hands out Tiger Lillies to each student that she buys from Shop Rite.

This is the first dissection that prepares the students for other dissections throughout the year such as earthworms and frogs.

Mrs. Eno says the benefits of this project is hands-on learning.

“Being able to see it in the book as a picture and then actually being able to dissect it and see the bundles of the vessels, they are shocked to see that it is the same as in the book.”

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Seventh grade student Amari Boddie uses a magnifying glass to exam a flower to locate the pistol and stamen during a flower dissection project in Mrs. Sheila Eno’s science class. photo by Alex Feeney Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

Learning by doing The upper school students learn science while getting their hands dirty

pig dissection Students tend to enjoy dissecting the fetal pigs because their organ placement more resemble a human’s that the squid. The pigs are fetal pigs which means they are taken in utero. The pigs gestation period is normally 113 days, the pigs that are used for dissection are from 75 to 113 days gestation.

The pigs are ordered from a science supply store for approximately $5 each depending on the size of the pig.

Mrs. Holt said that she used to have the students use scalpels to cut out the organs but she has switched to scissors because a couple students accidentally cut themselves with the scalpel.

Before the cutting begins, students are given lab handouts to read in advance of the big day so that they know what they are to be looking for and what to extract. The day that they cut is a great hands-on experience to reinforce what they have learned in class

After tying the fetal pig to the tray, freshmen biology students, Lexi Bouwkamp and Amanda Tokarski prepared to cut it open. photo by Aaron Hamrick

and from the books.

Most dissections are finished in one class period but the fetal pig dissection takes two class periods. www.redlionca.org

7

biography day Biography Day is a concentration

important quote that they said. Mr.

on a historical person of interest

Petrauschke said that the parent’s

to the student. Many students like

said liked hearing the quotes and

to take on a sports figure but fifth

even asked for a list of all the

grade teacher, Mr. Bill Petrauschke

quotes from the historical figures.

told the students that if they were

Another part of the project

to do a sports figure, they would

was that they had to create a

have to choose someone who is a

powerpoint presentation with the

Christian.

help of Mrs. Kristin Farinacci in the

Many students portrayed historical figures such as Abraham

computer lab.

The biography project combined

Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and

parts of social studies and writing

Albert Einstein.

with grades given for both

The fifth grade students had to do research on their character

subjects.

For extra credit the students

and write a report on them. They

could dress up as the historical

wrote about their education,

figure they were portraying. They

early childhood, and important

would read their report to the

accomplishments that they did

crowd of students, parents, and

during their lives. They had

teachers in the church sanctuary

to finish their report with an

on March 24.

Shelby Murphy portrayed USA softball pitcher Jenny Finch in her presentation to the crowd of students and parents on March 24.

Photo by media arts student

kung fu Robbie Lundgren is the Program

intro classes, kung fu (all levels),

Director and Instructor for the

Tai Chi, Combat Fitness, Combat

lower school after school martial

Defense and special needs students

arts program. He is a 3rd degree

at Glasgow Christian Academy.

black sash, began his martial arts

The martial arts style taught

training at the age of 11.

A Delaware native, he is one of the first students to receive his black belt under the instruction of Sifu Scott in 2008.

His favorite type of Chinese

8

at Red Lion is Shaolin Wushu, the modern interpretation of the oldest of Chinese martial arts.

The goal of martial arts training is not merely to learn how to fight and defend oneself, but rather to

martial arts is the empty hand style

develop one’s character. This is

Chang Quan, and he specializes in

done initially through the practice

the rope dart. In addition to his

of various punches, kicks, forms,

responsibilities as AMAI’s Program

and self-defense skills but the true

Director, Robbie is a coach of the

message of martial arts is the

Demo Team; he also teaches all

discipline of teaching respect.

Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

Second grade student Zion Redic practices the correct stance in the after-school Kung Fu program. photo by Cole Boulanger

green thumb For a few years, parents had wanted to add a garden for the elementary students so that they would have access to the garden for their science curriculum. They would be able to have hands-on activities where they could grow their own food and eat vegetables.

Red Lion was able to secure a grant through Whole Foods for $2,000 to help get the garden built.

Eleventh grade student, Jonathan Huey, organized the building of the garden for his Eagle Scout project. He contributed more funds through fund raising to construct the garden. The construction was finished in May 2015.

In the fall of 2016, the first planting and harvest of the garden.

Mrs. Laura Helton, the Director of Elementary Operations, said, “It was incredible, just incredible. We pulled turnips out of the ground that were 4-5 inches across. We didn’t even know they were there. Kids were pulling them out of the ground and they were huge.”

Second grade student Mikayla Cox uses a garden hand fork to loosen the soil as they prepare to plant the seeds. photo by Sammi Madanat

history The second grade students in Mrs. Erika Ebersole’s class learned about colonial Williamsburg with a special activity.

They arranged the room to look like a street in Williamsburg with shops on each side. The students transformed their desks to look like a shop from that time period. They displayed several modern objects that could represent those found in his colonial shop.

There were a variety of shops represented such as shoemaker, general store, baker, silversmith, apothecary, blacksmith, milliner, saddle maker, hatter, and candle maker. The second grade students made the social studies chapter come to life with their exciting display.

Exchanging pretend money, Lila Stocker buys some hats from Grace Fleming’s milliner shop. photo by Aaron Hamrick www.redlionca.org

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W

team pargoe

By Evelyn Chen

When people talk about sports, they usually think about football,

basketball, baseball, or soccer. Rarely do they consider cheerleading as a sport, but cheerleading is an intense and demanding sport.

Over the past six years, cheerleading has become a huge part for the

Pargoe family. Anastasia and Hannah joined the MOT cheerleading team when Anastasia was five and Hannah was three years old. Now Anastasia is in the junior level two team while Hannah is in the youth level one team. When they signed up for it, they had no idea what cheerleading was. “It seemed interesting,” Anastasia said with a smile.

The very moment they started practicing, they

fell in love with it. They were fascinated by the stunts, tumbling, and all the techniques they could do with their team. Two months later, witnessing his sisters become so passionate about cheerleading, Joseph decided to be a part

“As parents, we are so proud of all their accomplishments.

It is incredible to see how dedicated they are to unremittingly practice and challenge themselves to do harder stunts. Their commitment is unbelievable.”

Bill & Linda Pargoe

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Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

of the team.

Cheerleading was tough. Even though they

all had excellent flexibility, practicing for three hours every day after school along with other sports practices, regardless of the weather and other circumstances was exceedingly hard.

“I know I have to go because I cannot let my team down,” Joseph explained. Unlike other sports, it is almost impossible to find a substitute for a cheerleading team. Every person has his specific role. Everyone is crucial to the ultimate success of the team. Therefore, no matter how tired team members feel, they always push themselves to be responsible and dedicated.

However, when you devote yourself completely to the task you are doing, God will reward you. On May 7, Anastasia and Joseph, along with their team traveled to Virginia Beach to compete in the U.S. Finals. They performed to the best of their abilities and won the championship. Their hard work paid off, and they were finally recognized. It is such an incredible accomplishment not only because they beat teams across the nation, but also because they are still young and have a strong desire to improve and succeed.

Being a cheerleader is a commitment. It requires time and effort not only from the individual but also from the entire family. “It is not easy, but we absolutely love it, and the kids enjoy it,” Mr. Pargoe said.

Cheerleading has taught the kids how to trust the team, how to be courageous, and most importantly, how to use their talents to glorify God.

photo by www.luminosityonline.com

hannah anastasia

photo by Linda Pargoe

“Sometimes I do not want to go to practice, but in the end I will always go because it makes my team better.” Hannah Pargoe

photo by Linda Pargoe

joseph

“Cheerleading is my favorite thing to do. I hope that by the time I am in college, I get to do what I love the most.” Anastasia Pargoe

photo by Linda Pargoe

“If I push through, I can win. I want to reach level 5 coed, that is my ultimate goal and my motivation to keep me progressing.” Joseph Pargoe www.redlionca.org

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ALL I AM IS YOURS Daniel Mihalko will be attending Liberty University to

Acknowledging that he was no longer the best was

study finance with a minor in youth ministry.

difficult. Soccer had always been a dominant force in his

Though to some he seems to introverted and analytical,

life, and all of a sudden, it seemed to disperse as well as

he indeed has a strong mind and lives out the principle in

his confidence. It took him a long time to reconsider the

which he always believes, “Be slow to speak“.

position soccer had in his life. Finally, he realized that

He has attended Red Lion since his freshman year. “My

it was not as significant as he thought. He was able to

best friend came to Red Lion two years before I did, and

lay down his pride as he recognized the glory was for

he encouraged me to transfer, but after his freshman year

God, not him. God gave him the passion to play soccer,

he left and I was left alone. He was probably the only

therefore, all he had to was to enjoy the sport and do

person to whom I talked, so when he left, I had to learn

his best. He could eventually admit to himself that soccer

how to expand my horizons and become outgoing.”

was not the priority, that God reigns supreme. Without

Though he is still shy and quiet, Daniel has gradually

struggling against himself, he was relieved to simply play

opened himself over the past three years. He has become

soccer for fun and continued it to end of high school.

more active in his interaction with his classmates. He does

Even though Daniel is not sure exactly about

enjoy the spiritual growth and maturation he has had over

the path God has for his future, he knows that

the last four years.

everything he does is for Him. If it is His will,

Over the past few years, he has learned how to set his

Daniel will possibly become involved in

priorities and to care for what truly matters. Earlier in his

ministry. But wherever he is, he will

life, he was extremely devoted to sports. He played soccer

continue contributing to the kingdom

since he was two. Though he understood the entire

by using his talents, knowledge and

ideology about Christianity, he did not spend enough time

work ethic.

to pray, to grow in his faith, and to develop relationships with other people and God. His time and effort were given to soccer completely.

However, when he was in seventh grade, for the first time in his life, he did not get much time to play for the team. His coach did not like the way he played and considered him “too slow.“ It struck Daniel as he realized his talent was seeming to fade away. Meanwhile, he did not grow physically the same way as other boys did which made the situation even more difficult.

“I would not be the

best

world, but I would still attempt to make the of the

most

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By Evelyn Chen

Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

of

it.”

photo by Aaron Hamrick

unexpected is

Expected

By Evelyn Chen

Sara Tatnall has been at Red Lion since she was in kindergarten. She considers this her second family. “I probably spend more time at school than I do at home.”

She was born in Virginia, then her family moved to Delaware. However, she still has a strong emotional connection to Virginia. Therefore, she aspires to return to at some point. She used to want to spend her college education in Virginia but her mind was changed during the last few months.

The most amazing and important lesson everyone learns from their senior year is that our plan is not His plan.

Senior year has been stressful and magical for Sara. The entire application process was dreary and exhausting. She applied to Liberty University, Shenandoah University, Salisbury University, Texas Christian University and Del Tech. Since the beginning of the application, she was determined to leave Delaware. She longed to be away from home as she starts a new chapter of life. She was eager to move to Virginia, a place where she thought she was meant to be.

No matter how much we have planned, God makes the ultimate decision. He leads everyone to the place where He needs them to be.

In front of all the admission offers, Sara was hesitant. The decision was not easy to make. She struggled from March to April, wondering where she ought to be. Stress, concern and photo by Aaron Hamrick

anxiety plagued her. It was a battle within herself. No matter how much she wished to go to Virginia, God was calling her to

“When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my .”

soul

stay in Delaware. No matter how hard she resisted, God was relentlessly pulling her to His way. Eventually, she surrendered.

She gave herself to her Lord. The entire process of reaching the final decision was difficult, but as soon as she gave up her will, she felt relieved.

This fall, Sara will be attending Delaware Technical and Community College to study nursing for two years, and obtain an associates degree, then she plans to transfer to a larger college to earn her bachelors degree.

Before, she never expected to stay in Delaware, but now she is joyful that she can be closer with her family and friends.

In fact, things that seem unexpected to us are expected because the plan has already been made by God. What we are unable to see at the moment has been there since the beginning.

www.redlionca.org

13

14

photo by Cole Boulanger Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

One of the long-standing teachers at Red Lion Christian Academy, Jeff Jackson has been working both inside and outside the classroom to inspire as many people as he can

Trials, Travels, and Work

By Cole Boulanger

Praising God is necessary when one is faced with life threatening adversity. Jeffrey Jackson, who teaches calculus and physics every morning, experienced this exact sentiment when he learned that he would need a major surgery performed on his heart.

Jackson is a lifelong runner. Because of this, his condition was truly unexpected, and he initially did not see the signs that he was being given that something was wrong. Through God’s grace, Jackson eventually decided that something was wrong and that he needed help. According to him, “He gave me warnings that something was wrong, even though I didn’t recognize it. I knew I had to see a doctor, but I didn’t really expect that anything was terribly wrong. Because I’m a lifelong runner, I try to run every other day a couple miles, but last fall, and even times before that, I was having trouble. How do you separate the pain in your chest from old age? So, in the fall I was running, but I could only go about a half a mile and I’d get this heavy feeling across my chest, and if I

Mr. Jeff Jackson (center) pos es for a photo at Cannon Beach, Oregon with his son Taylor, Andrew, Samuel, s and Charles. The family gath ered there for a family reun ion.

went far enough with it, just kept pushing, I’d get kind of nauseous and dizzy. And I’d stop running and walk and it would go away within a few seconds.”

He soon went to see a doctor and had catheterization, and he learned that he needed more than stints. He needed bypass surgery. Two days after his catheterization, he had the surgery. Without this surgery, he would eventually have a heart attack and likely die because of it. Now, he has regained his ambition and is back at work. He was very thankful about this saying, “I’m just praising God that this was discovered before it killed me.”

“I have four sons, no daughters, twelve grandchildren; you got to go see your grandchildren,” says Jackson when asked about his recent travels. Jackson’s family is spread all over the country. His sons live in Oregon, Texas, Massachusetts, and New Jersey. As a way to visit his family wherever they are, he came up with a plan that would allow him to see his family and not be a burden to them. Jackson says, “You could fly, and then they have to put you in a room, find a space for you, and that sometimes gets a little awkward. So we decided we always wanted to get a retirement place on the water, someplace, and we decided one day, ‘Let’s get a camper where we can park it on the water any place.’” There is more to his plan than just visiting family, however.

Two years ago, Jackson and his wife also visited Fairbanks, Alaska for ten days on their trip to visit their son in Oregon. While they were there, they visited natural areas to camp and to enjoy the wilderness. They plan to go back in a few years because they loved it so much and would like to spend more time there.

Jackson is a passionate teacher who takes pride in his work. He used to be a school administrator, but someone with his knowledge in math and physics is much rarer than an administrator. He enjoys teaching much more than working in administration. This is especially true when it comes to inspiring students. Jackson says, “I enjoy making engineers and inspiring students to want to go into engineering. And I’ve created quite a few or inspired quite a few over the years. I’m kind of happy about that. I get a kick out of students coming back from their freshman year at college and saying, ‘Oh my, my calculus course was so easy because of what you did,’ or, ‘My physics course was really easy because I knew a lot of this stuff already.’” Jackson’s work means the most to him. He follows the example of Solomon when it comes to what is valuable in life. He says, “As you get older, your work means the most to you, more than anything else. If you retire, it’s the work you did, that you identify with because it’s our life’s goal. And all you have to do is go to Ecclesiastes.

Solomon wrote, ‘Vanity, vanity, all is vanity.’ He goes through this long argument of trying to find out what’s the purpose in life. He tried to fill up his life with pleasure, with work, and when he found that nothing satisfied he came to the conclusion, “The only worthiness of life is to work, take pride in your work, serve the Lord, and whatever you do, do it well.” He pours his heart and soul into his work because it’s what he does for the Lord. Like Solomon, he finds that is all that matters.

www.redlionca.org

15

Dynamic Life Static Faith

By Evelyn Chen

“God does not move you randomly. He allows me to meet more people.

And He meets me wherever I go.”

–Victoria Pope

photo by Aaron Hamrick

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Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

Victoria Pope is a sophomore. This is her first year

After two years, the Pope family found it hard to

studying in Delaware, however, Delaware is the fourth

maintain their living with the expectation of a new

state where she has lived and gone to school.

baby with no extended family around. Thus, they

Victoria was born in St. Paul, Minnesota where

decided to move back to Minnesota. Unfortunately,

she spent her childhood and attended school from

this option was not God’s plan, and another route

kindergarten to fourth grade. At that young age, she

opened for them in Wausau, Wisconsin. Though it

never thought about moving to another state. She

was a three-hour drive from their family in Minnesota,

enjoyed being close to all her family members and

it was exceedingly closer compared to the family-

visiting her grandparents for Easter and Christmas.

isolated Arkansas.

Out of her parents’ desire to live in the south,

Initially, her parents planned to allow Victoria to

things began to change. Her father, who works for

finish the entire high school there, but in reality, they

3M, had the flexibility to be relocated to other plants.

stayed only three years. By the time they had to

In the meantime, a job position became available in

move again, Victoria felt so disappointed. She had an

Arkansas. Although her family originally aspired to

expectation of being with her friends for six years. She

move to Alabama, they finally decided to accept the

was excited to start a stable life.

opportunity and moved to Arkansas.

Plans were altered again. One of her father’s

Arkansas was drastically different from Minnesota,

coworkers constantly spread negative influence and

and the transition was tough for a younger Victoria.

attempted to get people fired for ridiculous reasons

After the family sold their house in Minnesota, they

which greatly dismayed her father. Later, her father

lived in an apartment while they were searching for

applied to be the plant manager, but was declined the

their new house in Arkansas. She could no longer

promotion opportunity for false barriers. Unwilling

play with her best friends and she missed her family in

to stay in a negatively charged workplace, he decided

The Pope family traveled to New York City this past Thanksgiving to see the Macy’s Day parade. Standing in front are Victoria’s sisters Charlotte, three years old, and Hannah who is seven years old. In the back are her father, Chad and mother, Sheri. Victoria is on the right.

Minnesota tremendously. This first moving experience,

to find a new place. Two days later, a plant manager

extremely hospitable, providing her with security

however, also marked the beginning of her maturation.

position opened in Pennsylvania, and he applied.

and confidence to start this new chapter of her life.

Her father worked sixteen hours a day, her younger

Eventually, after three interviews, the offer was made.

Though she was a little scared inside and was unsure

sister, Hannah, required attention, and then her

Now, with a final decision made to move again,

how long she would stay in Delaware, she still desired

mother became pregnant with her little sister,

and away from family, her father explained the

to develop new connections with her classmates. She

Charlotte. Victoria had to be independent to alleviate

situation thoroughly to Victoria. Filled with dismay,

joined the basketball team in winter and is now a

the stress for her family. She learned to be responsible

she attempted to rationalize the choice and got

member of the varsity soccer team. Through sports,

for schoolwork, establish new relationship with people

ready for another new chapter in life. They moved

she is able to make a lot of friends and create a sense

around her, and carry out some basic chores for her

during the summer and stayed in Pennsylvania first.

of home. She is no longer alone; she is involved and

parents.

As they settled, her parents wanted to find a church

accepted.

Most people do not like change.

But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail.

They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. Jeremiah 20:11

Victoria does not like changing, moving or adjusting either, but she can do it. She is grateful that God has blessed her with the ability to communicate with other people which helps her fit in relatively easier. Even though the transition was hard to accept at first, she later realized there

Victoria attended two different schools in Sherwood,

that was close to a school district. They wanted a

was purpose behind every move. She has grown

Arkansas. The first school was not well-developed and

house that was close to school; therefore, only one

tremendously since they began moving. She became an

its academic program was below her ability. Since her

parent needed to deal with distance-travelling. In the

independent young woman who can not only handle

new friends from church also went to the school, it

end, they found the right place: Red Lion Christian

her own issues but also help her younger sisters go

was easy for her to make friends and get used to the

Academy.

through the dynamics and hardships of life.

new environment. Having felt a sense of acceptance,

The first day she joined Red Lion, she was surprised

Uncertainty is scary for anyone, especially a teenager,

she started to like her new home, Arkansas. Later,

and amazed by the size of the school. Despite the

but it is a test to see if one truly trusts the Lord.

out of her parents’ desire to seek a better academic

fact that Red Lion was not a large school, it was

God is constant and faithful. When we think we have

program, she transferred to another school.

bigger than her previous schools. The teachers were

nobody around, we have Him. www.redlionca.org

17

spring sports GIRLS LACROSSE

BASEBALL

GIRLS SOCCER

March 22 Howard

4pm.

March 22

at Newark H.S

3:30 pm.

March 22

at Newark Charter 4pm.

March 24

at Sussex Academy 4:30 pm.

March 24

at Tome School

3:30pm.

March 24

April 5 Sanford

at Brandywine

4pm.

April 11 Indian River

5:30 pm.

April 5 Sussex Central

3:30 pm.

April 11 Delcastle

1pm.

April 24 DE Country

3:45 pm.

April 9 Sussex Academy

1pm.

April 12 Glouster

4pm.

April 21

5:45 pm.

April 12 Tome School

5:45 pm.

April 14

3:45pm.

at Tower Hill

at AI Dupont

3:45pm.

April 27 DMA

4pm.

April 14

April 18 DAPS

3:30.

April 28 Brandywine

4pm.

April 19 Laurel

April 21

4pm.

May 5

at DMA

4pm.

April 21

at Wilm Christian 4pm.

6pm.

May 6

at Christiana

3:30 pm.

April 25

Willam Penn

6pm.

April 26 Mckean HS

4pm.

May 9 Sussex Academy

4pm.

April 28

at Delmarva

4pm.

April 28 Delmarva

4pm.

May 10

4pm.

April 29 Christiana

4pm.

May 3

at Saint Andrews

April 25 Tome School

Wilm Friends

at Hodgson

at Archmere

4pm.

4pm.

4pm.

May 16 Newark Charter

4pm.

May 6

at Appo

3:30pm.

May 5 DAPS

4pm.

May 17

6:30 pm.

May 9

at Hodgson

4pm.

May 7 Tatnall

12pm.

May 10 Saint Andrews

4pm.

May 12 Christiana

4pm.

May 16

at St. Thomas More 3pm.

May 17

at Sanford

at Newark H.S

“The best game was against Christiana. We won. Everyone participated, everyone worked together on offense and defense. I think our team improved a lot because we have more girls who can handle the ball well and I feel like I trust on the field. I think my favorite season was this year, my senior, it was fun teaching all the girls about the sport that I love. We’re a young team so I hope that our team will succeed in the years to come.”

Morgan Holt, 12

4:15 pm.

“I think the best game was against Tower Hill. We came with a victory 4 - 2. They were a tough team because they’ve been to the playoffs for the past couple years, but our team managed to beat them. It

“The best

felt great to be undefeated most of the season cause it tells us that all of the

game was

hard work has paid off

and we just have to

keep our head straight

going forward.”

Aaron Holiday, 10

at Sussex Academy, it was terrible weather, it was freezing and raining. We were tied in overtime, they scored, and we came back scoring two.

Red Lion Christian Academy/The Roar

y Rain Sheng photo b

k amric aron H o by A

18

photo by Aaron Ha mrick

ot ph

We beat them by one goal. Our team improved in the stats. We scored more goals than last season at this point. We have definitely improved a lot on offense.”

Ani daPonte, 9

BOYS LACROSSE

GOLF

March 22 Saint Elizabeth

4p.m.

April 5 Lake Forest

April 7

4pm.

Smryna

April 11 Indian River

Tatnall

4pm.

April 6 MOT Charter

April 18

at Lake Forest

6pm.

St. Georges

April 20

at Tome School

4pm.

April 11 Conrad

April 23

at Hodgson

SOFTBALL 3:30 pm.

3:30 pm.

2:30 pm.

March 23

Archmere

3:45pm

April 2

Immaculate Con

2pm.

April 8

at Lake Forest

4pm.

April 14

Appo

7pm.

April 18

Wilm Christian

4pm.

12pm.

St. Elizabeth

April 21 Cape Henlopen

6pm.

April 25 Sussex Central

4pm.

April 12 St. Marks

3:30 pm.

April 23 Polytech

7pm.

April 28

at Delmarva

4pm.

April 14

Wilm Christian

3:30 pm.

April 25 Suessex Central

4pm.

April 29

at Christiana

4pm.

April 18

AI. duPont

3:30 pm.

May 3

3:45pm.

May 3

at William Penn

4pm.

Mt. Sophia

May 6 Dover

6pm.

April 28 Indian River

May 12 St. Georges

4pm.

Woodbridge

May 14

at Charter School 1pm.

May 3

Appo

May 16

at Newark Charter 3:45pm

May 19 Christiana

4pm.

3:30 pm.

at St. Elizabeth

May 5 Caravel Academy

7pm.

May 6 Indian River

7pm.

May 10

Ursuline Academy 7pm.

3:30 pm.

May 12 Middletown HS

7pm.

May 5 Middletown HS

3:30 pm.

May 14

1pm.

May 10 Sussex Tech

3:30 pm.

May 16 Concord

7pm.

May 11 Caravel Academy 3:30 pm.

May 18

4pm.

May 16 Caravel Academy 3:30 pm.

May 24 Padua Academy

at Wilm Charter at AI duPont

3pm.

Delmar HS

“The best game by far

Tatnall

was under the lights

May 19 Salesianum

against Dover. It

3:30 pm.

“Our softball season so far is going well. As a team we are working

was raining the

“My best round for this year was a 34. I think my team

hard together. I

it was worth

and I are coming along, we have four beginners, and

could not have a

it. So far

some returning, so hopefully in the future our team

better senior year.

throughout the

will become better and better. I think my brother and I

The best game so

years they’ve

are pretty equal playing wise. He sometimes has better

far is mostly any game

crushed us,

matches and sometimes

that we beat a team

and this

I have better

we never expected

year we

ones.”

to win. I think

beat them by

Austin Barbin, 9

our team has

whole time but

improved

them 15-11. That was a

a lot, we

nger Boula

ic amr k

and won. Our team is one of the best

nH

went out there and fought our hardest

o

r

they have an amazing team, and we

Aa

Cole

because they are a big school,

y to b pho

very big upset in the state

to by p ho

four goals. We beat

have much more depth in our line-up and on the field. I also think the energy in the

think our team improved tremendously

dugouts has gotten a

over the last two years, on offense and

lot better.”

defense.”

Noelle

Jack Kinder, 11

Holiday, 12

photo by Aaron Hamrick

lacrosse teams Red Lion has ever had. I

www.redlionca.org

19

Red Lion Christian Academy 1390 Red Lion Road Bear, DE, 19701

Welcome Home

Daddy

On May 4, 2016, three year-old Olivia DeJesus was greeted by her father, Senior Airman William DeJesus, after being deployed in the Middle East for the last seven months.

Olivia wore her “Welcome Home Daddy” T-shirt but was still wasn’t aware what was about to happen because she’s too young to read.

The Pre K-3 class was sitting on the floor singing songs when DeJesus arrived. With a cry of, “Daddy!” Olivia jumped up and embraced her dad for several minutes.

Along with her mother, the three left school to eat lunch and spend the rest of the day together. photo by Aaron Hamrick

RED LION CHRISTIAN ACADEMY www.redlionca.org www.redlionssports.com

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