Spring break the kidnapper (Mocktower)
Gymnaires stolen for a week
Throughout the history of school, Spring Break (we’ll call him Spring for short) has always shown up to shoo away bleary-eyed students and clear all event-ridden calendars, but never has it committed a kidnapping. The Gymnaires, the poor souls, were caught unaware as the tide of spring snows swept them off campus and to the west side of the continent. Spring, feeling mischievous and wanting to cause some trouble, demanded that the Gymnaires showcase death-defying stunts in exchange for safe travels back to their somewhat spring-like, possibly snow-covered home in Nebraska. The Gymnaires, having never backed down from a challenge, obliged.
They started on a bus at 8 pm on a Wednesday evening. Of course, Spring thought this should be a horrible start to the trip, but it turned out to be just fine for the Gymnaires. They slept soundly through the night. The next afternoon, they arrived in Arizona at Thunderbird Adventist Academy. In a few days, the Gymnaires had a clinic for the kids and put on a performance. But all too soon, Spring insisted on leaving Arizona to take the group to California. Along the way, Spring saw the tired faces of the Gymnaires and decided to take a small detour. He found a beach along the California coast and dropped the athletes off for an afternoon. After spending hours flipping through the sand, the acro team reboarded the bus, sunburnt and happy. Spring even smiled a little.
The rest of the break flew by in a blur. The Gymnaires stopped at three academies in California and performed at each one. Somewhere along the way, the crew had planned to stop at Redlands Adventist Academy, but the bus slowed to a stop on the side of the road, huffing and puffing. Spring could see the disappointment in the team's eyes, so he did his best to find the parts to fix the bus. Soon they were cruising down the highway, but the trip to Redlands had to be taken off the itinerary.
Sofia Creitz, a freshman IRR/education major, had a great time spending break with the Gymnaires team. She said, “It was a great connecting opportunity for us to just spend quality time together. It was also a great opportunity to show what we do to schools that we normally wouldn't be able to go to, share a little bit of who we are and what our mission is, and inspire kids.”
At the end of the week, Spring Break shook hands with the team, thanking them for their sacrifice of time. When asked if it was worth it, Sofia said, “Oh, 100%... Spring break wouldn't be normal if it weren't busy, you know? Plus, what else are we gonna do? Homework?”
Spring’s kidnapping turned out to be a good thing. But, as with each year, break must end, so the Gymnaires are now safely back doing their studies and working on their next big project: a home show at Reiner Wellness Center on April 11. The team hopes to see you there!
By Sami Hoffer