Retreats are a very controversial topic among students. While many see them as a way to connect with their classmates, others see them as a waste of time. Although they are supposed to be a break from the stress of school, many students come back to work they have to make up, adding to the anxiety that retreats try to escape. The activities are well received by most, but many find the sitting and listening to be boring and tedious.
Sophomore Elizabeth Mitlyng enjoys the opportunities to be in groups and enjoys many of the activities the sophomore class participated in the previous year. She believes that the best way to make retreats enjoyable is to make the sections of information dumping more interactive. If there was some way to teach students the same information through an activity, then it would be more enjoyable for all parties. “I would change it so they have more activities and moving,” Mitlyng said
Freshman Sasha Onwonga sees retreats as a great way to bond with her classmates and build relationships but the sitting and lecture make it hard to foster relationships and detract from the experience. Relationship building and group activities are popular with students for this reason. If the lectures are necessary, students should be allowed a mental break before or after them. The retreats can also feel stressful with the amount of information packed into the experience, so perhaps adding a familiar theme and centering the day around it could be beneficial. “[I wish we had] a bit more free time,” Onwonga said
Retreats serve a purpose to bring students closer together while teaching them about faith traditions. A favorite activity among some students was the Labyrinth, which was a calming and meditative experience that provided time to think while not lasting long enough to bore students. Another popular activity was writing letters to students’ future selves. Fun activities like this engage students and keep them interested in the experience. By having more interactive elements and the occasional brain break where students can move and stretch, students will find the experience more enjoyable. To reduce stress, ensuring a day off of school without work assigned would allow them to focus more on relaxing and immersing themselves in the retreat experience. “It’s nice to have a day off school to think about faith,” Mitlyng said