The Monarchs attended their sophomore class retreat on Wednesday, March 22. Students arrived at the Greek Orthodox Church of the Holy Cross in Belmont at 8:30 a.m.

The day began with a welcome by NDB alumna Kristen Menzel ‘05 who introduced the theme of community and its importance for the class. It continued with Director of Mission and Ministry Amy Jobin leading students in prayer. Shortly after, sophomores participated in many icebreaker activities in order to start the retreat off in a positive way.

For the majority of the day, students spent time in groups, so different students were able to interact. Each group was led by a designated teacher and, for one activity, they came up with skits about what a day in the life of an NDB sophomore looks like. They then presented their skits to the rest of the class, with several of them choosing a comedic approach and others choosing to be serious.

After the presentation of their skits, the Monarchs began to fill out reflection questionnaires, write affirmations for classmates and offered advice to their peers.

After a quick lunch provided by Epicurean, students gathered back inside for a few more activities, including a reflection by Menzel, emphasizing community.

The purpose of class retreats is to promote bonding outside of the classroom, and this opportunity is greatly appreciated by many.

“It was really fun because we did a lot of movement activities which made it more interesting as opposed to just sitting all day. I’m super glad I got to go,” said Sianna Kiebler.