On Friday, Jan. 9, Bellarmine’s centennial class, the Class of 2029, attended Bellarmine’s third annual on-campus Ignite Freshman Retreat. The day featured numerous activities, speakers, small group discussion, and more, all with the overall purpose of igniting the fire within the freshman class and fostering a strong sense of community.
Upon entry, freshmen were asked in interviews about their expectations for the day. Most came in with high spirits, stating that they hoped the retreat would be fun. Freshman Chella Wilson, when asked what she hoped to gain from the retreat, said, “[I hope to ] meet new people, and I think just enjoy everybody’s company, and just have fun.”
Throughout the day, students rotated through a variety of engaging activities. Some events included service-based ones such as making blessing bags and assembling sandwiches for those in need within the Tacoma community. Others included racing on a massive bouncy house stretching across the width of the Names gym.
The highlight of the day was by guest speaker and accomplished Catholic magician Giancarlo Bernini, who wowed the freshmen with a show filled with mystery, leaving everyone in the audience stunned.
Even in the calm moments during group sharing time, the freshmen had chances to reflect and connect to the experiences of student speakers who gave vulnerable and heartfelt reflections.
In recent years, there has been critique surrounding the overall structure of the retreat following its transition from being off-campus initially. But after considering suggestions from years past, this year’s campus ministry leadership team worked tirelessly to improve the retreat. Senior activities leader Maggie Kranick stated, “The entire retreat is student run and to plan every single detail from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. is a lot, and I think we did a really good job.”
After hearing perspectives from freshmen at the start of the retreat, most unanimously stated they were hoping for fun games and free time. But after hearing from a few that following Monday, many actually stated they wanted more small group time and opportunities to bond with more of their classmates. Freshman Grace Shuster said, “I really liked it, and it was a good time to get closer with people I’m not normally close with.”
Retreats are a highlight and a staple part of the Bellarmine experience. Students are granted the opportunity to grow deeper in their friendships, faith, and grow in their love for each other and themselves, which is what brings life to campus. The effort and energy to put into these events is such a rare thing compared to other high schools. As Bellarmine’s centennial class, this group of freshmen represents a historic milestone in the school’s legacy, making the retreat especially meaningful. After seeing how the freshmen grew through group time and connection, the future of this centennial class is one that will undoubtedly go down in Bellarmine’s history.
