Each year, the senior class heads up to Oakhurst to kick start their final year of high school. Calvin Crest hosted a herd of 68 seniors for a night of bonding and activities on Sept. 8-9.

Senior president Samantha Krikorian feels the retreat succeeded in motivating the senior class? school spirit.

?Everyone got into the activities and had a blast,? Krikorian said. ?The trip set the tone for the class this year.? ?I can honestly say that our class is a family. I have no problems with talking to anyone in the class because we are so close and personal with each other.?

The class received their traditional senior shirts, designed by classmates Rachel Balint and Krikorian, and headed to the cabins to determine sleeping arrangements. They then congregated for lunch, followed by a series of team games and challenges, including ultimate Frisbee and a flume competition.

?On the flume, I was pushing myself faster and faster when a stream of water shot into my eye and ripped out my right contact,? Stephen Willems said. ?I?m thankful that I brought my glasses, or else I would have been blind for the rest of the trip.?

After the activities, the seniors were allowed free time and dinner. They then met up to create group skits, and concluded the evening with the annual night walk, led by campus pastor Scott Falk. After the students had returned to their cabins, the boys held their traditional wrestling competition.

?The activities were exhausting and fun but I think there were too many of them,? Michael Bowen said. ?The wrestling was mind-blowing; people were throwing each other across the room. There was some serious smack-down going on.?

The unity of the class seemed to impress the staff that attended. Although Molly Sargent, dean of women, has attended the retreat for the past 13 years, she particularly enjoyed this year?s experience.

?I was very impressed with the overall attitude of the class,? Sargent said. ?Everyone was encouraging and positive; the seniors seemed to get along very well. The retreats in the past were great, but this particular retreat was just amazing. It was trouble-free and an overall positive experience.?

Sean O?Neal, Kim Swift, Ryan Martens and Kara Linkowski organized and planned the activities for the event.

?The seniors that planned the trip were so outgoing and really wanted to make this trip fantastic for everyone,? Sargent said. ?These students were going out of their way to plan more, they were asking for extra meetings and making sure everything was planned around the senior class. This trip was as good as it could possibly be. I couldn?t have asked for a better group of people.?

On the way back to campus, the class stopped for lunch at the Pizza Factory in Oakhurst for some food and football. They arrived back around 2 P.M.

?The trip went better than expected,? O?Neal said. ?The activities were incredible because everyone was involved. Quality time spent together bonded us.?