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If you're interested in reading more about my experience, please feel free to visit our group's website which can be reached through this link or via the link "B.C. Arrupe" in the left-hand column under Blog List.

Pretrip Retreat

There is nothing better than a mid-semester retreat for a college student.

Last weekend all of the Arrupe groups (50-60 students and faculty members) traveled together to western Massachusetts to a retreat center in the middle of a forest. It is impossible to describe the electricity that was in the air while we were on the way there. At the retreat center we participated in various ice-breakers, low-ropes courses, group activities, and deep small-group reflections. I've never gotten so close to so many people in such a short period of time. This retreat really reinforced in me the importance of truly hearing the opinions of those around you and asking and listening to their stories.
At one of our large group activities we participated in a Hunger Banquet in which all 60 of us gathered in a large circle and sat on the ground with two tables in the center of us. One table was adorned with an ornate tablecloth and a full set of silverwear and glasses whereas the other simply had a tablecloth and some dishes. After we had settled our group leaders came around and chose four people for each of the two tables while the rest of the 50 or so people watched in silence. The leaders proceeded to serve the nice table chicken parmagean and spagetti and seemed to be asking if there was anything else that we wanted. The second table just received sagetti with meatsause whereas the rest of the students simply got rice with which they had to serve themselves. After about ten minutes of this the leaders cut in and started taken turns reading off stunning statistics about the problem of hunger in our world and how our world could easily provide the entire world with more than enough food to live. Every 2.4 seconds a child dies of starvation or an easily treatable illness. The figures really get you to reevaluate how much food and objects you take for granted and simply waste on a daily basis. It was an extremely powerful demonstration which provocated a heart-felt discussion later that night.
After just two days on this retreat we returned back to an unchanged campus, but the same surely did not hold true for each and every one of us. This is just the first of many activities and discussions that we will be having and it has affected my outlook on life tremendously, making me step back and appreciate what I have. I now realize my responsibility to use my position within society to help those who aren't as fortunate as I through educating my friends, family, and aquaintances about what each of them can do to help.

Thanks for listening,
Kevin

Thank You for Your Support!

I first want to thank you so much for your support and interest in my service and immersion trip to Nicaragua in the Spring. Although I do not have any pictures to show you, I cannot wait to update you on my experience. Here is a link if you want to learn more about the Arrupe International Program itself.

-Kevin