Over the past few weeks, Notre Dame’s residence halls have been hosting retreats which offer a space for bonding and reflection. These weekend-long experiences give students the opportunity to grow in community and deepen their connection with their fellow residents.
“It’s a great bonding experience with a lot of people in your dorm that you may not necessarily get to know otherwise,” Ryan Hall resident assistant Emma Vales shared. Resident assistants play key roles in planning and facilitating these retreats.
A dorm retreat typically involves small group discussion, motivational talks, activities and moments of personal growth. Students participate in creative challenges, team competitions and discussions designed to foster community development within the hall.
Describing what makes the Lewis Hall retreat memorable, resident assistant Kristen Kelly shared that this year’s highlight was a large bonfire complete with singing and dancing. She credited this bonfire for fostering community.
These retreats have been adapted to accommodate growing interest in attending them following positive reviews from attendees.
“Over the past four years, the retreat has grown from something small on campus to a larger off-campus event where we take as many people as we can fit,” Vales said.
Kelly explained that the Lewis retreat has more than doubled in size since she first went her freshman year. She looks forward to seeing familiar faces as many students attend the retreat for multiple years.
“I made a bunch of new friends who I didn’t know before the retreat,” she said. “It was nice to see a lot of them again this year.”
Howard Hall recently partnered with Coyle Hall for a retreat, giving students an opportunity to bond with their new neighbors next year. Howard Hall residents will move next door to Coyle into Grojean Hall. Lewis Hall also collaborated with Breen-Phillips Hall for a joint retreat that centered around the four cardinal virtues: temperance, fortitude, justice and prudence.
Freshman Autumn Chiu was a small group leader on the retreat. She explained her decision to attend the retreat.
“I wanted to connect with more girls in Lewis and meet new people from Breen-Phillips,” she said. “I wanted to give myself a reminder of what’s really important and step away from campus a little bit for some time to reflect.”
Chiu had never been on a retreat before coming to Notre Dame and shared that the experience exceeded her own expectations.
“I did not really know what to expect, but I was absolutely blown away,” she said. “I left telling the girls on my bus that I am totally doing this again next year.”
This year’s Siegfried Hall retreat was held at Saints Casimir and Adalbert Parish in South Bend. Junior Tom Bohman served on the leadership team of this retreat and explained the benefits of going on dorm retreats.
“I would definitely recommend going on the retreat,” he said. “It’s a chance to get away from the humble and bustle of campus life and reflect on the kind of person you want to be and how you are living that out.”
These retreats have lasting impacts after students return to campus. Chiu explained that her small group stays connected through a group chat that they frequently use to remind themselves about insights they learned on their trip.
Molly Mendenhall, another resident assistant in Lewis, advises future attendees to fully embrace their experience.
“Be ready to contemplate what is being taught and be willing to get to know the other retreat attendees,” she said. “You get to have some meaningful conversations and become a lot closer with the members of your community.”
Bohman also suggests for future attendees to have a growth mindset in order to facilitate a more meaningful experience.
“Be willing to be challenged in your beliefs and practices and then actually take what you learn on the retreat and implement that in your life,” he said.
