GSAALINKEngaging in ser vice. Training for leadership. Preparing for eternity. Winter 2014

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The new year is off, and running, it seems, very fast. Hopefully

the following information will cast positive light on the activities at

GSAA—the comings and goings.

As we start the second semester, plans have developed to include

new elective classes on campus. The administration has talked

with several individuals in the community to explore providing

industrial arts classes. Three individuals have offered their talents

and experience in heading up these new elective classes: John

Hamel will be teaching auto mechanics, David Griffith will be

teaching sculpture, and Scott Glubay will be teaching welding. An

attempt will be made with a focus on incorporating such elective

classes in the main schedule for next year.

The plans for providing an agriculture program are moving

forward. There is still much to be done. However, the school

received a big boost and support by Bruce Juhl who offered

to provide equipment and support for the growth and sale of

produce. The school has formed an agriculture committee

consisting of Mike Cook, Valerie Tachenko, Robert Beaver, Wayne

Herbel, Dale Maine, Wayne Wentland, Glen Rick, and Steve

Bergherm. Many of these members have offered assistance at

different levels, of which all are important. This meeting was the

first and held via conference call on December 19, 2013, at 6pm.

A Parent Advisory Committee has been formed and had their first

conference call on January 9, 2014, at 7pm. The members are

volunteers that responded to the administration letter asking if

there were individuals interested in

serving on a committee designed

to improve the school program. The

members are Lyle Reeve, Barbara

Herbel, Bruce Salsbery, Yvonne Iwasa,

Doug and Jodi Miller, Gina Yarlot,

Juli Byard, Julie Jansen Nichols, Paul

Jansen, Ronna Lee Esther Bell, and

Todd and Tracy Spainhower. Our second meeting is

February 12, 2014.

Stan Hendrickson, former student at and maintenance director

for Gem State Adventist Academy has been assisting the school

for the last month. His concentration has been to revitalize the

industrial arts building for classroom and functional use. The

administration is actively searching for potential businesses that

would employ students and use the industrial arts building and

other support buildings for industry. Gem State Academy is deeply

grateful for the assistance that Stan and his wife have provided.

Alumni Weekend is a ways down the road but coming fast. Please

make sure that your friends and graduates plan to attend.

“Ante Lucem nox Obscurantissima” is a phrase that we should

never forget: “It is always darkest just before the dawn.” Look

beyond the clouds, the sun is shining. Thank you for the support

you provide to Gem State Adventist Academy; through your help

and prayers many marvelous things are happening.

News from the Principal’s Desk

Wayne Wentland Principal of GSAA

HOMECOMINGS A V E T H E D A T E !

w e e k e n d

April 4–6, 2014 “Growing in the Lord”° Vespers—Dave (1984) & Kathy Iwasa (both staff 2004–11)

° Church—Buell Fogg (staff 1985–90)

° Sabbath Lunch provided (suggested $5 donation per person)

° Mini Concert presented by Jaime Thietten (1994)

° Girls volleyball & Boys basketball games featuring the GSAA

varsity vs. Alumni, organized by Benji Mellish (2001)

“Therefore, as you received

Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk

in Him, rooted and built up

in Him and established in the

faith, just as you were taught.”

Colossians 2:6-7 ESV

http://www.gemstate.org/alumni

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“Don’t let people look down on

you because you are young, but

set an example for the believers

in speech, in life, in love, in faith,

and in purity.”—1 Timothy 4:12

Alexis Lawson and Kelsey Turner, Class of 2016 Sophomores

Amazing changes have been

taking place inside the doors of

Gem State Adventist Academy.

On January 11, 2014, students

who had been chosen as student

elders and deacons were

ordained. Lexi Lawson, Jared Miller, Kitae

Kim, Ruth Sonnentag, Savanna Byard,

and Faith Cambell were selected to be

student deacons. They will be given tasks

such as collecting offering, running the

soundboard, running PowerPoint slides,

and other various activities. Sheann

Brandon, Sarah Martinez, Kelsey Turner,

and Natasha Aquino were chosen to serve

as student elders.

When asked if she saw any negative

effects with this plan, Sarah Martinez

replied, “If the wrong people are ordained,

it can lead the church into absolute chaos!”

As a follow-up, we asked her, “What do

you think about ordaining students,” to

which she answered, “I think it is a great

chance for us to experience possible

positions and leadership opportunities that

will lead more people to God.”

From now on, the elders

will be in charge of Sabbath

School at Gem State Seventh-

Day Adventist Church. We

invite you to come and

worship with us!

TomorrowLeaders of

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“To broaden

our learning

horizon, we

must first

make room

for change.”—Unknown

Inspirational Art

Making the Lost New

Calisha Johnson, Class of 2016 Sophomore

Philip Reeve, Class of 2016 Sophomore

Relaxed, fun, and very insightful: art is

an amazing class to take. During our first

semester we have learned how to use

charcoal, colored pencils, and pastels.

Also, the value of thin and thick lines has

become one of our techniques. We have

learned techniques like pointillism and

how do draw specific things: landscape,

still life, snow, and abstract art. It was so

much to take in yet we all seemed to

do great. During the second semester

we will be learning to paint and possibly

experiment with stained glass and pottery/

clay work.

The revival of the Industrial Arts (IA)

buildings began with Gem State’s Principal,

Mr. Wentland. One of the first steps he

initiated was a survey throughout the

student body to determine what electives

the students would be most interested in.

These choice electives included welding,

led by Mr. Glubay, sculpting led by Mr.

Griffith and auto mechanics led by Mr.

Hamel. On January 16, 2014, a meeting

was held with some of the students that

were interested in the electives offered.

The welding and sculpting classes are

scheduled to be held on Tuesdays and

Thursdays from 4 to 5pm. Auto mechanics

I am looking forward to this semester—I

will be learning something I have never

quite grasped: painting. Art is a break from

school—doing something you enjoy—and

it’s taught me so much. Another thing

I love about art class is that we listen to

music, which enhances the experience.

When interviewing the art teacher, Miss

Mitchell I asked how happy she was with

the art classes’ progress. She said she was

very pleased; they have improved greatly.

Everyone seems to believe in themselves

a little bit more and pushes themselves to

do more. Miss Mitchell also explained how

will be held on Mondays and Wednesdays

from 4 to 5pm.

Before any of these classes could take

place, however, the space that they would

require had to be provided. Several

people helped in the cleaning and

organization of the IA buildings. Thanks to

Mr. Wentland, new elective opportunities

are being made and the Industrial Arts

buildings are in use once again. Many

students are taking advantage of this

opportunity to broaden their areas of

learning, further expanding Gem State’s

academic offerings.

inspired she is by our enthusiasm. When

we work on our drawings outside of class,

it proves to her that we really are trying

and interested. Every day in class she

always has a good handout, has a good

idea, or just gives us time to finish our

projects. There is no rush, no pushing, but

she makes us want to finish and to make

each project look amazing.

I am excited for the new challenging

semester and for the annual art show in May.

What it means to be a Gem State Student,

for the most part, is being able to share

my faith and talk about God with others.

A fellow student, who asked to remain

anonymous, said, “Gem State Academy

changed my life forever, and I’m glad I got

the opportunity.”

I went to public school for most of my

non-high-school life. This meant that I

was literally the only Adventist out of 650

students, and one of only a small handful

of Adventists out of an entire town. It was

hard to share God with others because,

frankly, they didn’t want to hear about it.

Ian Griffith, Class of 2016 SophomoreFinding Hope My entire elementary through middle

school years were like this. I lived in a

secular environment in a horrible world,

for a length of time that was far too long. I

finally joined Gem State for my freshman

year, 2012–2013. I can honestly say that I

am very happy to be here, and that there

is no place I’d rather be than at Gem State

Adventist Academy.

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Ted Carpenter (att. ’66–’68) knows what it means to “wait

on the Lord.” On November 8, 2013, Typhoon Haiyan, the

“strongest tropical cyclone on record to make landfall” hit the

region he calls home in the central Philippines. Carpenter

is an environmental engineer and travels worldwide in

For Menchie and Triksi, Typhoon Haiyan

roared for about 7 hours, with a terrifying

gap while the eye—perfectly distinct and

symmetrical, indicating its maximum

strength—passed over. At one point, the

tsunami siren sounded falsely, so they fled

further inland through the storm to the

local school, which was being demolished

by the winds. A second time it sounded,

driving people again to flee to escape the

imagined tidal wave. Menchie and Triksi

eventually went back to their house. With

winds almost 200 mph, Typhoon Haiyan

carved a huge swath of destruction.

Everything for many miles had been

completely flattened. The schools, malls,

and larger buildings that people escaped

to for shelter were also flattened. No

building can withstand a 200-mph storm.

Ted says, “there is no safety in anything

that man has made; the only safety is

in God.” And here is where the miracle

happened: In spite of the complete and

total destruction surrounding them, the

Carpenter family home was undamaged—

not even a single window had been

broken! The ocean, which had been 300

feet from their home, was now 60 feet

away. Ted says, “the mighty waters did not

reach us!” When the road was cleared,

Menchie drove south to the tip of the

island where she could use the mobile

In God’s Hands

his work. At the time of the typhoon he was in the United States

while his family (wife, Menchie and 15-year-old daughter Triksi)

endured the terrifying experience. For three days, eight hours,

and 17 minutes (Ted was obviously counting) they were unable to

communicate with him in any way regarding their condition.

phone service to contact Ted. That was

probably the best phone call of his life!

It will, of course, take years for the

Filipino people to rebuild their country. A

disaster like this brings not only physical

devastation, but social and political turmoil

as well. It will also mean changes for the

Carpenter family. They will not be allowed

to live in their home permanently due to

national shoreline restrictions (now that

it’s closer to the ocean), and their many

friends have experienced great loss, but

they are praising God for his protection

and marveling at His ways.

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Alumni Update—Young Love

Terry Mace (’71) and Tricia Cawdery (’72)

met at GSAA but didn’t

date until Terry had

graduated. His brother,

Perry was the one who

noticed the pretty girl with

long red hair and pointed

her out. Terry proposed on her graduation

day, although her father clarified that

a marriage wasn’t going to happen for

a long time! They attended Boise State

College (now BSU) briefly before joining

the Heritage Singers in October, 1972. They

married August 18, 1974, and continued

touring with the Heritage Singers until July

1976. At that point, they moved to Tricia’s

home town, Wenatchee, WA where Terry

began working with her father in the long-

Dale Maine and Lynn Levis (’82) met in

chapel, but things didn’t

start out well there. Dale

got Lynn in trouble by

talking to his friend seated

on the other side of her.

They didn’t get together

as a couple until Senior Trip. Due to a

shortage in seating on the bus, Dale

ended up sitting with Lynn one day. She

didn’t mind. She had been praying about

a future mate and she had had her eye on

Dale and another classmate who skipped

the trip. (Too bad for that guy; no one

should skip their Senior Trip.) Then there

was a baseball game—he’d been flirting

with her—and in an exciting moment of

the game he grabbed her hand and just

never let go. Following graduation Dale

attended Walla Walla College for awhile,

but later transferred to BSU to be closer

to Lynn. On August 19, 2014, they will be

married 30 years.

term care facilities business. Their two

grown sons, Reggie and Taylor, were born

there. Over the years, when not actively

raising kids, Tricia enjoyed work with a

health food store, and in a specialty paper

store. In 1998, Terry became CEO of the

corporation which he and his father-in-

law had built up to nine entities. In 2009,

Maces sold their interest to their partner

and moved to Boise where they now own

and operate Northgate Senior Village.

Terry still enjoys using his musical talents

and can be found regularly praising God

with his brother, sister-in-law, and friends

at the Cloverdale SDA Church.

Their favorite memories of GSAA include a

ski trip to Sun Valley, intramural basketball

and softball with Coach John Woodbury,

and whitewater rafting trips with the

Drurys. Their experience at GSAA was

“98.9% positive”. They made good life-long

friends. Tricia and her “gal pals” still make

an annual weekend getaway together.

Terry says, “A small school like GSAA

throws you together, but you become

close friends with your classmates, your

teachers, and the principal.” They both feel

blessed that they got to attend GSAA.

Over the years the Maines worked in

various jobs, she in health care and he at

Rhodes Bake-n-Serve as a plant engineer

for awhile and other things. Now they own

and operate Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics.

Dale and Lynn are very happy with the

education they received at GSAA, with

fond memories of their

teachers, especially. Favorite

memories include science

trips, working on the farm,

having Mr. Wentland as a dean

(for Dale) and choir trips.

Having gone to public school

until seventh grade, Dale felt

the difference was like night

and day. The element of fear

that he had felt at school

before was missing when he

got to attend church school.

Therefore, their commitment

to sending their own two

girls, Shanoa and Sarah, to

Adventist schools was strong. Dale even

turned down tempting job offers out of

the area because they wanted their girls

to attend Gem State Academy. This solid

commitment is still evident in the many

things they do to support the school:

coaching, church involvement, etc. They

want to make sure the opportunity is there

for others to attend GSAA as well.

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that it is good to start off as friends and

that there is no need to rush. They advise

being nice to everyone as you never know

who will end up becoming an important

part of your life.

Candi Maxwell and Jesse Zappia

graduated from GSAA in

2001. They began dating

the last month of their

senior year after Candi had

indicated her interest by

inviting Jesse to a banquet

via email. The two had been friends

throughout their academy experience

and have fond memories of their time at

GSAA. A particularly fond memory was

their Senior Class trip. They both feel that

their class was especially close, and they

enjoyed the time spent together bonding

with their friends. Their senior trip was

also when they had their first kiss. Both

Candi and Jesse went to Walla Walla

University where they stayed for two years

before transferring to BSU where Candi

received her degree in Health Promotion

and Jesse got his Business degree. Jesse

later attended ISU to receive his Nursing

degree. The two were married in 2004.

Candi, Jesse and their 14-month-old

son, Jayden, live in Meridian and attend

the Kuna SDA Church. Jesse works at St.

Luke’s in Boise. Candi spent 8 years at the

Elks Rehab Hospital before becoming a

full-time mom. She also works part-time

at the KTSY radio station. Of high school

relationships, both Candi and Jesse say

Haily Montgomery, Class of 2016 Sophomore

What it means to be a GSAA StudentAs the sun rises over a misty valley in

Idaho, life is already teeming in a red brick

building. Dormitory students are preparing

for their busy school day, and, in homes

close to the school, village students are

getting ready as well. Locks click, the

doors unlock, and the little brick school is

opened to the new day.

I’ve never met anyone, at Gem State now

or in the past, that isn’t fiercely loyal to our

school. It’s a like a big family that you can

feel comfortable around, even on the first

day of school. The teachers, faculty, and

students all know each other and it’s easy

to feel at home.

Spencer Glubay, a sophomore, says, “Gem

State is different, because at a public

school you won’t get to know everyone

and it won’t be as close or tight-knit.”

Some of us have relatives that have

attended Gem State, and already have ties

through their family, or even events like

Fall Festival and Senior Recognition. Word

gets out in many different ways about our

school and teens come from all over to

attend.

Gem State Academy has a special feeling

with the small size that brings everyone

together. “Everyone is independent, and

has their own sense of independence at

Gem State, but we still all bind together

with a common goal, and that is to go

to heaven,” says Austin Miller, a junior.

Spirituality is a big part of the Gem State

family, and it affects every aspect of our

journey at Gem State.

Miss Mitchell, the English and art teacher

here at the academy, came to Gem State

herself and feels the same ties now as she

did when she attended. “That same bond

continues with you for the rest of your life,”

she says. “They care about you, even after

all these years.”

An article published in the Gem State

Academy yearbook, by one of the first

principals all the way from the year 1926,

leaves us with an important lesson:

“Let us encourage every young person

of academic age in Southern Idaho and

Eastern Oregon to be with us in Gem

State Academy next year to enjoy another

successful year. Let us conserve our

time and our dimes during this summer;

working with this aim in life: I will prepare;

the opportunity will come. God needs you

in His service. ‘The price of an education is

the desire for it.’”

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Theater of Grace

(once a month

service),

Festival of Praise,

EACS Concert,

Payette SDA

Church,

BVAS Concert,

Eagle Church

Nativity,

Carol of the Bells,

Soundwave at

Pacific Press,

Cloverdale SDA

Church,

Christmas

Concert,

Meridian Nativity,

CAES Concert,

Cool Ringings,

Music Festival at

WWU,

Soundwave Ring-

a-thon,

Soundwave Tour

to Walla Walla,

Kuna SDA Church,

Tenebrae Service,

Joint Concert

with Livingstone

Adventist

Academy,

Spring Concert.

That’s at least 80

times that music

equipment is

packed up, set up,

or torn down.

Our Music Department, led by Sam Derting, is one of GSAA’s best

ministries which means it’s also one of the busiest programs we

have on campus. Here’s a look at what they’re up to this year:

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