Dorm Retreat 2k19

By Onyu Kwak

Finally! It was the time that many dorm students had waited for-- the dorm retreat to Cameron Highlands! Everyone was excited about this annual trip and people would mark their calendars to count down the dates.

“Dorm retreat helps us to bond as a whole dorm, as it helps us to get to know new people better. Cameron Highlands is one of my favorite dorm retreat sites that we visit, as well. The strawberry farm that we visit every dorm retreat is fantastic,” Megan Septon (11) mentioned as she was thrilled for the retreat. 

One of the most unexpected events that happened during the trip was the bus breaking down in the middle of nowhere. It was already a long bus ride. People were tired and some were even sick to begin with, so the malfunction of the bus did not bring out positive reactions from people. Everyone had to either wait in the bus or stand by the roadside for approximately 4 hours until it was functioning again and ready to go.

However, like a rain soothing the ground after a drought, when the bus was fixed and started to move, everyone was impressed by the sunset that appeared around the corner.

Riley Philips (12) shared her thoughts regarding the bus ride event, “Having the bus breakdown extended our journey by 4 hours, making our retreat feel very rushed. Everyone was tired and in desperate need of a bathroom. Standing on the side of the road in the Highlands for a long time has taught us many things like how to decorate people’s hair with leaves, how to remain patient, and for many, how to use the bathroom in deep shrubs. While it was not the most enjoyable experience, we were all rewarded for our time when the bus finally made it around the corner of the mountain and the sky was glowing through the clouds as it was setting over the other mountains.”

When we reached Cameron Highlands, we were welcomed with the cooling weather and delicious food. After we finished our dinner, we encountered the main theme of our dorm retreat-- sexuality and sex. Everyone had differing opinions on this subject: some saw no point in this topic because they thought they already knew everything, some thought that it would be awkward, and some thought that this was actually helpful. Unexpectedly, many people found the sessions insightful and took away helpful advice from it.

“I did not expect a lot from it because I thought I knew what I had to know, but I did not have a strong foundation on this topic. In contrast to my expectations, the dorm retreat established a firm foundation in me as a strong Christian man,” said Daniel Choi (11).

Through the many ups and downs, everyone bonded together as one big dorm family. The unplanned turn of events showed us that there are always two sides (positive and negative) to an event, and the seminar taught us to be more confident in ourselves.