Senior Retreat Unifies Class of '21
For some, the idea of a retreat brings to mind peace, rest, serenity, and comfort. But for the Class of 2021, Senior Retreat—at Leelanau Outdoor Center on the shores of Lake Michigan—involved physical and mental challenges. Whether they were tasked with pulling a school bus (yes, an actual bus), climbing a 10-foot wall, cooking a meal, running a long and hilly road, or conversing beyond their usual social circle—the seniors were frequently outside their comfort zone and hardly at rest. So, why call it a retreat?
The act of retreating means to pull back. For the seniors, it was a week to retreat from self, pull back from any sense of limitation, and welcome new experiences and friendships. For many students, this was their fourth excursion in a series of annual, fall character expeditions designed to develop teamwork, cooperation, leadership, and character. Lessons learned from earlier trips have equipped students with the skills and mindset to overcome academic, career, and life obstacles. “It doesn’t feel like it’s benefiting you in the moment,” Charley, a senior, said. “But when you come across a challenge later in high school or [eventually] your career, you look back and think ‘I got through a hailstorm in a canoe, I can definitely get through this.’”
The group began the week as a collection of 51 individual attitudes and ended with a single, unified class mentality. Dean of Boys Clark Shutt explains that achieving a broader, unifying effect for the class as a whole is a key purpose of Senior Retreat. “The bonding comes through challenges,” he says. “When adversity hits, that is when we want to see the kids pull together, forget about themselves, and think of others first.”
An unplanned incident on the final evening proved that a higher level of unity, respect, and love among classmates had been established. The students gathered—without chaperones—at a bonfire, reflecting on their experiences, sharing gratitude, and remarking on their personal growth. One student sat quietly. Earlier in the week, a physical challenge had appeared to prevent him from participating in the Basch Road relay (a seven-leg, four-mile course riddled with hills). The student spoke up, admitting he hadn’t run for selfish reasons and acknowledging regret for not giving to his Crew. He stood up and departed toward the course, determined to run and fulfill his contribution to the class. He didn’t ask anyone to go with him, yet one-by-one, every single classmate followed him up the hill. The chaperones, who were meeting elsewhere, heard a commotion. They approached and found the entire class running down the hill, cheering the student on, ending in one, big, proud group hug.
Reflecting on the week, McKinsey remarked, “People ask, ‘What do you want to get out of a trip?’” “Now, I think it is more important to go into it thinking, ‘What am I going to give?” Makenna agrees, “It wasn’t about winning or losing—as it has been in the past. We all realized it was about supporting others and everyone giving their best.”
Support of each other carried over to a special keepsake referred to as a ness book—short for happiness and neccessity—a blank notebook each student received at the start of the retreat. Throughout the week, they were asked to write notes in each other’s books, which became a record celebrating the best of oneself—from others’ perspectives. “It was amazing to see what people thought of me and how much I inspired them,” said Charley. “That really made me feel good, to learn that I had helped them. But also, writing in them was amazing because I realized how much these people really meant to me.”
A citation from the retreat week’s Christian Science Bible Lesson fit the experience perfectly: “If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit” (Galatians 5:25). “We were certainly living in that Spirit up in Michigan,” Shutt said. “They breathed it, embodied it. And now they’ll walk in that same Spirit here at Principia.”
Take a peek at some of the week's activities: