After arriving at their respective buses at a painful 6:45 in the morning, the seniors made the trip to Cedar Lake for the second time in the past two years. Feelings of deja vu were widespread as the seniors made their way from their rooms to the amphitheater — where they participated in a talent show sophomore year — for an overview of their plans for the day.
The seniors spent their day in Big Bear alternating between team-bonding activities with their advisories and climbing the ropes course. That night, after dinner and free time, students gathered by the bonfire for s’mores. Trivia and an advisory karaoke competition were the entertainment for the evening, and friendly competition and Disney tunes filled the night air.
“I loved spending time with my friends climbing rocks and walking around the camp, but I also had so much fun doing the ropes course and getting closer with my advisory,” Grace Kao said.
The following morning, after stopping by the cafeteria to wake themselves with coffee and hot chocolate, the seniors made their way to a nearby lookout point to enjoy the sunrise as a class. Marking the beginning of their last year together, the sunrise was a bittersweet moment that the seniors are sure to remember. After breakfast, marked by the presence of exceptionally delicious cinnamon rolls, the seniors packed up their belongings and began the drive back to school.
Many seniors, like Arietta Goshtasby, spent nearly an entire week at Cedar Lake guiding the freshmen as SAME members and Peer Counselors.
“As a SAME member, I’ve been assigned a freshman advisory every year,” Arietta said. “This year was especially meaningful as it allowed me to look back on the past four years, not only through my leadership role in the freshman advisory but also through my own activities in senior retreat.”
