Academy Day Visitors Brighten DAA
On Thursday, April 1, thirty-five potential academy students arrived for DAA's annual Academy Days, ready for an exciting weekend filled with friends, a chance to make new friends, and to experience the DAA school life. Thursday evening was filled with introductions, games, and a swimming pool for our students and visitors. The schedule was in place for Friday but little did the academy staff know what was planned for the next day.
Halfway through our DAA Academic Bowl, the power went out. A snow storm had blown into town, knocking down several power lines on Highway 83. While the generator kept the cafeteria cooking and several lights on around the building, the majority of the school was without power.
Luckily everyone at DAA, visitors included, is resilient and did not let dark ruin their day. Between classroom visitations and a scavenger hunt, EduFest judging and a gymnastics clinic by Union College's Gymnaires team, the Academy Days visitors had a great time in the relative dark. Amidst the soft glow of the setting sun, our vespers service was moved to our cafeteria and was a wonderful way to bring in the Sabbath. Roughly thirty minutes after everyone went back to their respective dorms, the power came back on.
Sabbath morning, everyone was glad to have electricity again. During the sermon, Loren Nelson, Senior Youth Director, used students to illustrate the intricacies of the Sanctuary. After Sabbath afternoon activities, a Vespers Sing-Along closed out the Sabbath with guests and students worshipping together. During the following awards ceremony, visiting students were awarded scholarships based on the scores of tests taken during the classroom visitations on Friday. Scholarships were also awarded to students for outstanding musical talent and for participation in EduFest science, history, and art fairs.
The evening concluded with a very entertaining performance by the Gymnaires, who involved the audience during most of their show. As the weekend ended, it was wonderful to see the Academy Day students make friends with each other and our students, and hopefully we will see them all this fall at DAA!