Carlmont’s leadership students were seen swinging through the air and jumping out of the trees this past weekend on their annual Associated Student Body retreat.
Every year, ASB students endure a few days at a ropes course in order to bond as a unit. This year, the ASB executive board decided to have the field trip at Jones Gulch in La Honda, CA.
The retreat began the moment students arrived at the site. Immediately after getting out of their cars, the students were ushered into the woods and guided down to the activity courses.
After completing a giant group activity, students were split up into teams to do trust building activities.
“We did this ‘spiderweb activity’ where we had to get each person through one of the holes in a tangled web of ropes. We had to get the person through with out touching the rope. The challenge was that no one was allowed to talk. You’d think that it would be harder that way, but actually it was easier because no one was shouting out ideas or talking over one another. We were able to communicate using our facial expressions and gestures,” said freshman Annie Klups.
Later that night, after more team bonding exersizes, students sat around a large campfire and roasted marshmellows as they listened to junior Drew Jung and senior Shawn Geronimo sing and play the guitar and ukelele.
“Their voices touched my heart,” said junior Tristan Gasperian. “They sounded like angels on their way down from Heaven.”
To conclude the night, ASB exceutive vice president Kayla Tabari led the students in an intense round of team bonding.
“I wanted to get people to open up and be more comfortable with each other,” said Tabari. “I think we were definitely able to do that.”
Sophomore Anna Shutovska explained her experience as “very deep. We talked a lot about our personal problems and now I feel like I have a better understanding of the people in the class. The trust and support levels of the group have definitely raised.”
The next morning students went and conquered individual challenges as they climbed 50-foot trees and did daring stunts like tight rope walking on cables that were strung three stories above the ground. During these activities, the students were attached to harnesses to keep them safe.
“It was really exhilarating and my blood was pumping the whole time. It was scary, but so much fun!” said senior Max McBride.
The retreat concluded with a final activity invovling all ASB students, in which each person complimented another on an action or event that they successfully completed during the course.
“The class has never reached this level of emotional expression before on a field trip,” said senior Syna Zali. “It was a truly amazing experience.”
