After months of serving freezies and boiling-hot cups at Surf Shack ‘27, the Class of 2027 traded schoolwork for sand, sunshine, and adventure during Senior Sneak at Little Planet in the small village of Kampong Juara.
The journey to Tioman Island began with a 12-hour bus ride and ended with a two-hour ferry ride. Then, the seniors were loaded into pickup trucks and driven through the jungle until we finally reached our destination. Boys and girls were each split into five rooms, each room filled with friends and different dynamics.
Soon after, the screenagers’ phones were collected by the Class Sponsors. Then, 66 seniors were divided into three randomized groups to break out of their usual social circles and form new friendships.
Josh Lacap (12) explained, “At first I was sad about being the only Beat It Kid member in my group, but I soon realized that it was a good thing. It forced me to get closer to people whom I don’t normally interact with.”
Not only did the seniors participate in kayaking, jetty jumping, snorkeling, and mountain hiking, but they also built a ramp for a community member, learned how to cook traditional Malaysian cuisine, and planted mangroves.
Although we enjoyed every part of the Sneak, the best part was definitely the beach and community time after the strenuous activities. Benefiting from RV’s prime location, we got to enjoy beach volleyball and spikeball every day while we were on the island. Seniors also didn’t mind touching the dead jellyfish that had washed up on the sand, even creating a new game of throwing dead jellyfish at each other. With all the time spent on the beach during and after activities, the dorms were absolutely overrun with sand.
On the last day of Sneak, the rotation leaders from Little Planet organized a little Beach Olympics for us. Each game was a nail-biter, as everyone was desperate to be first in the dinner line and participated wholeheartedly in order to win. The winner of the Olympics remained unclear until the final game: sprinting on sand. Each race eliminated one team when its racer failed to secure the ball first.
With the pressure on, Jackson Closs (12) described the final race: “I knew we'd make it to the finals, and I knew I had to be the anchor. While I was running, I got so dizzy, and it was way harder than I had imagined, but I managed to pull off the win anyway.” The Beach Olympics ended with laughter as both sprinters dove forward, desperately reaching for the soccer ball to secure the win for their teams.
By the end of Senior Sneak, the Class of 2027 had returned with new memories, new friendships, and, most importantly, enough sand to last a lifetime.
Comments
Post a Comment