Any ND student will tell you that the first few weeks of freshman year can be some of the most physically, mentally, and spiritually exhausting weeks of your life. With Frosh-O, Domerfest, first classes, football games, and the loss of close friends and family, the beginning of freshman year can be confusing, chaotic, and even a little scary. One medium that allows students to settle down and take time to reflect on what it means to be at Notre Dame is the annual plethora of Campus Ministry retreats that not only help create an easier transition for students, but also give freshmen time to reflect on their experiences and connect with a tight knit, faith based community.
With that in mind, one retreat that deserves to be highlighted is Latino Freshman Retreat, an annual 24 hour retreat that takes place in Blair Lake Bible Camp in Southwest Michigan and this year runs from September 19th to the 20th. Latino Freshmen Retreat (LFR) attempts to create an inviting space for Latino freshmen, as well as any other student on campus who wishes to become part of the Latino community on campus.
Fortunately, I was able to interview some of the amazing student leaders who form part of the LFR planning committee.
Amanda Varela, a senior English and Sociology major from Cavanaugh Hall and member of the Spirituality Committee on the LFR team, said the experience of both participating in the retreat in her freshmen year and becoming involved as an organizer has helped her to find a unique place on campus.
“The Latino experience at Notre Dame can be a unique one. It’s not the same for every Latino, of course, but LFR does a good job of bringing that to light and specifically catering to those with a Latino background. There are so many ways of ‘being Latino’ and LFR is a safe and welcoming space to get in touch with that, however it may be that you express it,” Varela said.
Kenneth Colon, a sophomore Neuroscience major from O’Neil, said one of the things that made LFR such a unique experience was the aspect of personal anecdotes on behalf of upperclassmen.
“We have speeches called ‘testimonios’ in which some of the leaders volunteer to speak about their personal lives and experiences with Notre Dame. I have always felt that this part of the retreat really helps unify us because of the openness and acceptance that comes through these talks,” Colon said. “Freshmen can expect to have a great time getting to know their family here at Notre Dame, growing in their faith, and getting away from all the craziness of the first few weeks of school.”
According to Colon, this year represents one of greater changes to the structure of LFR in the way the retreat will be planned and organized this year will provide a new kind of experience for freshmen students.
“The LFR was formally led by Fr. Joseph Corpora. But this year Abby Salazar in Campus Ministry is spearheading the project. She’s an amazing woman and is doing a great job of providing us with all we need to make the best retreat possible for our freshman class. But the real man in charge is her senior intern, Juan Rangel. He works tirelessly to oversee all of the different committees and is constantly coming up with new ideas we can use for our retreat,” Colon said.
Jessica Gomez, a sophomore Biology major from Ryan, stressed how the new, student lead structure to LFR has helped the team reflect on what activities and traditions they would incorporate this year.
“I can’t disclose all the events because some of them are a surprise, but there will be great food and fun activities. We will be designing candles for each other and be placed into ‘families’ so that the experience can be made more personal,” Gomez said. “Since we’re going to be the ones planning everything this year, I feel that we will be able to plan a retreat that compiles some traditions from previous LFRs and new things that will separate this year from the rest,” Gomez said.
Cecilia Ruiz, a senior aerospace engineer from Pasquerilla East hall and member of the LFR committee, noted that one of LFR’s strongest aspects was its ability to connect freshmen with upperclassmen who represented different clubs and organizations across campus, as well as the interaction between freshmen and upperclassmen.
“The whole familia aspect of it, putting us in little families and then bigger families was one of the more touching parts,” Cecilia said. “Bringing together a team that’s very diverse in terms of organizations and major is shows first year students that we are involved all across campus. We’re all very excited to meet the freshmen and welcome everybody to our LFR familia.”
For information on registration, see here.
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