Community Council members travelled to Anaheim for a two-day retreat to bond and discuss the upcoming year.

Chaplain J. Young said that he and Director of Student Affairs Jordan Church decided to host the retreat for the first time to foster a cohesive environment among the students.

“The Community Council plays a vital role in achieving one of the main tenets of the mission statement so the council’s advisers, Father Young and I, felt the group needed additional training and support to progress,” Church said. “Like with the Prefect Council retreat, the major goal is to bond as a group.”

Throughout the retreat, Church and Young held discussions about the influence of community service and the action that they plan to take throughout the year to help students gain valuable experiences from their service. The students also began planning events and talked about how to be a larger presence in the community.

“It was moving and inspirational to witness the personal dedication the members of the group have towards community service,” Young said.

This is the first time that a Community Council retreat has been held. Members of the council were able to bond through games and spend time together swimming, watching Disneyland fireworks and eating at the Anaheim Packing District.

Attendees also got to know members of the Prefect Council, who stayed in the house the night before for their annual retreat, through a series of icebreakers.

Members of Community Council said that they enjoyed the retreat and felt that they bonded.

“My favorite part was getting to know everyone,” attendee Bella Carino ‘19 said. “It was really nice to become so close to everyone there. I am very much looking forward to the year with them.”