Class of 2021 Bonds During Ignite! Freshman Retreat
The Class of 2021 spent the first weekend of November on campus for the annual overnight freshman retreat, where they bonded through games, spiritual reflection, and group activities. Thanks to Brendan O'Kane, Director of Campus Ministries, and Steve Morrill, Director of Technology and Cyber Science, for organizing this year’s retreat. Also, thanks to more than 100 faculty, staff, and student volunteers who helped create this memorable experience for our Dons.
Hear from Brock Pivec ’21 below about his Ignite! experience:
After attending the Ignite! Freshman Retreat this past weekend, I must say it has been one of the greatest experiences I’ve had so far at Loyola.
Upon arrival, the grounds crew consisting of upperclassmen greeted me and other members of the Class of 2021 and made us feel very welcomed and enthusiastic to start the exciting weekend. Sophomore Austin Maultsby, one of the grounds crew members, carried my bag and sleeping bag. He led me to the table where I received my group number and assured me that I would have an amazing weekend. I received my group number and walked over to the table assigned to my group.
I was instantly greeted by my fellow group members—some of whom I knew and others I did not— and my two group leaders. We went to the Father George Lounge in the basement of Wheeler Hall and watched a slideshow of our Freshman Orientation. We all had a good laugh at the photos and reflected on the awesome experiences we had at the beginning of the school year. This gave us all a sense of comradery that we share as a freshman class.
Next, we visited our room where we would sleep that evening. It was filled with lights and a disco ball, and the room was covered in vintage sports jerseys. I was the first to put one on, a throwback John Stockton jersey. My group leader, senior Conner Hepting, provided the jerseys and told us we could wear them all weekend, which already got me excited. Then, we started sharing our favorite word with the group. I chose “antidisestablishmentarianism” because it was the longest word I knew. My roommates chose words such as “buffoon,” which everyone got a kick out of—it was chosen because it was a 6th grade vocabulary word. The bonding started there.
After we all shared our favorite words, we did a spiritual reflection and went around the room. This is when I really started to get to better know the friends I already had in the room, the guys I was not as close with, and the student leaders. Many more activities and a lot more fun and bonding ensued.
The most noteworthy part of the retreat—something that I will remember for a long time—was the Mass. It was a two-hour service that lasted until midnight, and at the end of it, students participated in something called Witness Talks. It was a voluntary talk where we had the opportunity to go up to the podium and share our personal stories with the entire freshman class. It brought us together as a whole under one common thing, our love for God.
This retreat was an eye-opening, breathtaking, and momentous event in my life. It bonded me with my fellow classmates, gave me insight to make better decisions, and most importantly, got me out of my comfort zone. Mr. O’Kane and Mr. Morrill deserve a lot of praise for planning such an important retreat for so many people. I hope we will have more retreats like this during our time here at Blakefield, and I cannot wait to participate in the same retreat as a grounds crew member and as a student leader.
