The Junior class has had an eventful past two years: they’ve made amazing memories and experienced some unforgettable mishaps that have made for some hilarious inside jokes. Despite all of this, if you were to ask them what their favorite part of high school was so far, 96% of them would say retreat (and that’s only because not all the juniors were present at retreat.) Thanks to those 3 days in the “complete wilderness,” (with amenities such as water, heated cabins, and nice bathrooms), the junior class is more united than ever before and ready to tackle the second half of their high school careers.

During retreat week, the class of 2018 traveled to Ojai, California where they were able to form an unbreakable bond. The retreat team leaders worked hard this year and incorporated the theme, “Make It Shine,” in all the activities. The junior class really connected with each other through discussions, team building exercises, sharing rooms in a cabin, and taking advantage of the little hours of free time they got to do activities such as human foosball, basketball, and zip lining.

Although the junior class has always been friendly and on a first name basis towards each other in the last couple of years, the class never truly interacted on the level they did during those three days away from school.

Retreat meant many things to different people: according to Grace Gruber she learned to, “…not judge people for who they are because you don’t know what their life is like outside of school.” During this short amount of time away from Los Angeles, many of the girls were able to leave the comfort of their typical friend groups and open up to people they never got the opportunity to talk to. Many girls also learned more and came to realizations about themselves. Mariel Sarmiento said, “I feel more confident and comfortable with approaching people in our class after retreat.”

However, this positive attitude and lovingness towards retreat wasn’t always there from the start. Before retreat even began, the junior class was told that not only would there be restrictions on using their phones, but ultimately, they would be taken away. Most girls, myself included, were upset about this rule because in a way, our phones contain our lives in them (not to mention losing those precious, hard-earned Snapchat streaks.) However, after retreat many girls changed their views on the rule and credit having no phones, or really any communication to the outside world, as one of the main reasons why the class is so unified today. Dani Glenn elaborated this by saying, “After retreat, looking back, it really made us think about other things because when you have your phone, you can rely on it when there’s a situation that makes you feel awkward and uncomfortable.” By unplugging from the outside world, the junior class was able to be more open and less afraid of being filmed or judged for their honesty. By not having our phones to act as our crutch, the girls had no choice except to look into their classmates’ eyes, make a connection, and become completely vulnerable, which is often rather scary to do. Through the disconnection of our phones, we were able to really understand each other on a deeper level and form more meaningful relationships with one another, which in turn, made the class of 2018 unified. This then begs the question: Do we really need our phones to make relations and connect? According to the junior class, the answer is no.

After retreat the junior class gained a connection that remains untouchable. They are no longer just a unit of girls, who are friends and confidants working together for a better education; now we are family.