Bleary-eyed freshman awoke Friday morning with one less groan in their mouths because instead of spending another repetitive day in school they would be out in the sun bonding with their small groups at freshman retreat.
The student leaders of the class of 2013 outlined the day from the moment of arrival to the exact time of departure and despite the slight drizzle things went off almost flawlessly. Games, a worship time lead by the freshman musicians, discussion groups and even a snack time were among the scheduled events leaving little to no time for students to be bored.
The mood was set the moment the students walked in by the mere sight of all the colorful outfits representing different countries, cultures and mythical, far-off lands as a fun theme for the whole day. The sight of their classmates all dressed up or messed up in some group’s cases was truly something out of the ordinary. Ellie Wenning, freshman, “My groups goal was to look as sloppy as possible because we were ‘the lost girls’ from Never, Never Land but another group had our same idea and did it better so in the end, we were just…messy.”
All groups were required to dream up an out of this world cheer and were judged on the originality and teamwork they exhibited while performing. Small group leader, Parker Briden, freshman said, “There seemed to be a slight lack of enthusiasm in some of the cheers but overall, it was a pretty good time.”
A short chapel was held with music and finally senior speakers offered helpful advice for the lengthy journey ahead. April Johnston, senior, addressed topics such as ‘fitting in’ and the pressures to be cool. “It’s okay if you like to watch the weather channel and be a little different.”
While others like David Alexander, senior, spoke on high school relationships, and the burden it can put on your life. Rhoda Baker, senior, compared of academic growth to an African safari where every day holds a new adventure and amazing discoveries. Aaron Krumseig, senior, encouraged the freshman class to get active in the extra-curricular life at WCA and finally Jimmy Myers, senior, talked about why rules can be a positive thing and ultimately are put there to enhance life and allow us to live more peacefully.
After a period of serious conversations the fun began with a competition between the girl small groups and the boys. With games such as Steal the Bacon, The Longest Line and Hula Hoop races the freshman class worked together in order to compete against the opposite sex. The groups worked together and finished all the games. The overall favorite was The Longest Line and Steal the Bacon.