Retreat Recap
A look at what happened at the first-ever Peace & Justice retreat, and what to expect at the next one, maybe next semester?
Nathaniel Lange, Staff Writer
Issue date: 11/24/08 Section: Perspectives
Take a trip to the beautiful Trinity Mountain Ranch Retreat House in Golden Gate State Park, about 30 miles northwest of Denver. Once you are there, imagine a mansion in the heart of the mountains where iconic religious statues juxtaposed by eerie clowns, Porsche advertisements from the eighties that hang next to landscapes of colossal mountains, and a ridiculous amount of enormous mirrors hanging in close proximity to an equally ridiculous amount of off-colored grandfather clocks.
Now fill the mansion with a dozen college students who each share two inherently related interests: peace and justice. Throw in some delicious food, a bunch of activities, and some profound philosophical discussions; what you have is the setting for the first annual Peace and Justice Retreat on Oct. 24 and 25!
The first annual Peace and Justice retreat was planned by the Peace and Justice department team, including Dr. Byron Plumley, justice education coordinator; Fr. Jerry Stookey; TJ Bowen, administrative assistant for the Institute of the Common Good; and students Colleen McGoff, Amanda Moritz, and Kasey Miller.
So what was the point? The Peace and Justice Retreat expanded on the ideas of, well, Peace and Justice in not just its modern contexts, but in its purest conceptual and ideological contexts. I have to admit, it seemed as though each of the seventeen students came to the retreat not knowing what to expect in the next few days, and I believe most of us certainly left with even more abstract feelings of what to expect for the future in general - which is definitely more exciting than it sounds. The retreat offered its participants precious time to reflect on the virtues of patience, to accept the desire to recognize the world for what it is, and more importantly, what the world really can be.
So, you may ask what exactly did we do on the Peace and Justice Retreat?
We discussed the fundamental principles of peace and justice, how we can live our lives using these principles, and how abiding by these principles will shape the future. If those concepts look exhausting on the page, I have devised an easier way to explain what we did on the Peace and Justice Retreat - we watched movies, played games, painted pictures, and enjoyed one another's company.
Now fill the mansion with a dozen college students who each share two inherently related interests: peace and justice. Throw in some delicious food, a bunch of activities, and some profound philosophical discussions; what you have is the setting for the first annual Peace and Justice Retreat on Oct. 24 and 25!
The first annual Peace and Justice retreat was planned by the Peace and Justice department team, including Dr. Byron Plumley, justice education coordinator; Fr. Jerry Stookey; TJ Bowen, administrative assistant for the Institute of the Common Good; and students Colleen McGoff, Amanda Moritz, and Kasey Miller.
So what was the point? The Peace and Justice Retreat expanded on the ideas of, well, Peace and Justice in not just its modern contexts, but in its purest conceptual and ideological contexts. I have to admit, it seemed as though each of the seventeen students came to the retreat not knowing what to expect in the next few days, and I believe most of us certainly left with even more abstract feelings of what to expect for the future in general - which is definitely more exciting than it sounds. The retreat offered its participants precious time to reflect on the virtues of patience, to accept the desire to recognize the world for what it is, and more importantly, what the world really can be.
So, you may ask what exactly did we do on the Peace and Justice Retreat?
We discussed the fundamental principles of peace and justice, how we can live our lives using these principles, and how abiding by these principles will shape the future. If those concepts look exhausting on the page, I have devised an easier way to explain what we did on the Peace and Justice Retreat - we watched movies, played games, painted pictures, and enjoyed one another's company.
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