At a seemingly deserted West Campus two days before move-in last week, 51 undergraduates pulled up, dropped off their belongings at their respective dorms and immediately prepared to leave campus for a few days at the beach.
Three days later, when they returned to Durham from the Student Leadership Retreat in Beaufort, N.C., participants described their trip as "intense," "dynamic" and "enlightening."
Their experience was the fruit of a program that developed into the event that appeals to students of varying backgrounds. From athletes and DSG members to greek officers and students still wet behind the ears in the leadership department, students came together to participate in this program.
"[The Beaufort Retreat] initially started five years ago with the intent of gathering students in leadership roles to get to know each other and decrease barriers," said the retreat's faculty advisor, Andrea Caldwell, assistant dean of students.
The program included workshops such as "Leaving Your Legacy" by Dean of Students Sue Wasiolek, speeches such as a "State of the University" address by Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta, and other group activities.
One of the very first indicators of change was attendance. Nearly twice as many students as last year participated.
"We actually had 65 students signed up for the program," said junior Jennifer Beall, who acted as student facilitator for the retreat. Fifteen people, however, dropped out within the last week before the retreat began, notifying program coordinators that they could not attend due to one urgent reason or another.
"But we were prepared to take all of [the student participants]," Beall said. She attributed the overwhelming response to publicity conducted on campus. "We reached out to a lot of people, asked them to apply and really spread the word."
Students' reasons for arriving on campus a few days early to go to a leadership retreat differed widely, though there was a common thread: a basic interest in leadership.
One participant, Sugandhi Chugani, received notice of the Beaufort retreat in an e-mail from a friend. She echoed the senitment of multiple attendees in that she "wanted to reflect on leadership."
But this year Chugani also becomes a senior, a year she thinks is more challenging to meet other people. So during her free time at Beaufort,
Chugani relaxed on the beach and used the opportunity to bond with various types of students.
Junior Christine Lauro said she was impressed by the list of administrators who were holding workshop sessions.
"There is plenty of housing in Beaufort, plus it is an excuse to go to the beach and it's a great way to meet new people," said Beall.
Newly established at the retreat this year was a project called Beyond Beaufort, where students set specific leadership goals for the school year and try to attain them. Retreat alumni will network with each other and use the information presented to them by participating administrators.
For example, sophomore Sarah Goor plans on using her newly acquired leadership skills to create a club for Christians in the Middle East.
"I met a lot of people--both deans and staff--who I think can provide very valuable resources," she said. "The seminars were very interactive, and we really got to express what we think."
The retreat planning committee is currently studying student feedback, and after investigating the pluses and minuses of the program, they plan to further change and improve the leadership retreat for next year.
Beall said she would like to see the level of structure and freedom in the group project altered.
Her first year at the retreat, she and other participants were assigned a skit about integrity, a project that "wasn't structured--at all." This year, Beall and other organizers made sure to give the participants concrete steps.
"Once we made it more structured, people said they felt like they were being babied. So hopefully next year we can find a medium between totally structured and totally unstructured," she said
Still, with this year's changes, the retreat was hailed by all as a success.
"I'm thrilled with it," retreat co-funder Melinda Roper, assistant dean of student advising and programming. "They've done amazing work--I've heard nothing but good things from the people who are involved with it."
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.