Covered by a cloak of darkness and surrounded by twinkling stars, the seniors blindly stumbled over the uneven mountain ground as they attempted to find their way back to the camp. The yearly night walk presented both a formidable obstacle and surmountable challenge at the senior retreat.

Seniors gathered for worship and bonding time together while in the mountains near Oakhurst at Calvin Crest on Sept. 13-14.

Scott Falk, who has supervised the retreat for the past five years, enjoyed the chance to get away and focus on Christ through worship.

“The retreat is an awesome where kids can be with their class away in the mountains; it’s a great time every year,” Falk, campus pastor, said. “Worship up there is special; students concentrate better in smaller groups. It’s a comfortable atmosphere, and there aren’t as many distractions.”

Robert Foshee saw the time away as a time for the seniors to come together and form friendships that will last for a lifetime.

“It’s a great time for everyone to get to know each other in a social atmosphere and not just in a class,” Foshee, civics teacher, said. “It’s a time for the seniors to solidify as a class. They’re getting ready to graduate, so it’s a great time for them to be with each other, praying, singing, and having fun.”

Teachers are not the only ones who relished the retreat.

“It’s great to get away from school, even if it’s just for the weekend,” Marcy Froese, ’04, said. “I really love spending quality time with my friends and bonding as a class. Everyone from last year said that the retreat was a lot of fun so I’m sure this year will be great too.”

Eunie McEntee greatly anticipated the retreat, which she has attended for many years.

“We have alumni that went this year, and they helped and stayed in the cabins for a change,” McEntee, cheer coach, said. ”It’s just fun being with the kids; they did skits and initiatives, and the worship was neat. Each year is an emotional time. I love it, and I love the kids.”

Most students enjoyed the event, but for some, the aspect of being in the mountains tainted the trip.

“Spending time with my friends was fun,” Justin Shanen, ’04, said. “I was kind of disappointed that they drained the flume. I was really looking forward to that. The other bad thing was that we had to bring bug spray, and I did not enjoy the bugs.”

The positives seemed to outweigh the bad. In spite of the hardships presented by the mountain setting, the class gained many lifelong memories and made lifelong friendships.

For more information on group camping at Calvin Crest call 559-683-4450.