It's almost Thanksgiving, and the halls are full of hot coffee, big sweaters and tired faces. With second quarter in full swing I think we are all digging in deep again into our schoolwork. With the pouring rain outside, the dark mornings and nights, and the holidays coming up, it is the time of the year when SMA girls are huddled inside with our books and blankets. I Iove November because we all feel at home now; SMA girls have taken the time to feel comfortable and are really absorbing the nurturing atmosphere that embodies the halls of St. Mary's.
This past weekend I had the privilege of being an Encounter student leader, and let me tell you, nothing in this world is more meaningful than Encounter. Every year St. Mary's provides girls with retreats: freshmen year is frosh lock-in, sophomore year is the sophomore retreat, junior year is encounter, and senior year is metanoia. To sleep over at the school on a Friday night and engage in a bunch of fun activities with your classmates started off freshmen year in the right way. Sophomore retreat allowed me to get closer to my TA and have a sleepover in the woods with my closest friends. But Encounter is unique. Junior year you spend two and a half days with 70 fellow juniors at Camp Collins in Gresham, where you participate in so many sacred and special activities that have been kept well known secrets for years. The premise of Encounter is to encounter your feelings about your self and others, where many girls can voice their personal struggles while relating to others in their class. They get to know juniors who they may not have known as well beforehand, and for me personally I know that I always pick up a few life lessons along the way. To be able to lead those girls through such a sentimental experience is awe inspiring, and I am so grateful I got that opportunity. This retreat is one of my favorite things that St. Mary's incorporates into one's high school experience, and I think it really teaches young women to value themselves and others. I can't say much more because it is supposed to be a very mysterious event, but know that Encounter is like nothing else a teenage girl has experienced before.
The first quarter has officially ended, and the year continues with a little less tension in our shoulders and worry in our minds. Conferences are in progress, and when my mother came home we delved into what each of my teachers said about my progress in their class. Hearing the positive feedback was reassuring, and it made me proud of my work thus far. I am more confident knowing that I have picked up on the environments of each class and have felt comfortable enough for my teachers to get to know me so well.
With the new quarter comes new adventures! The Recognition/Halloween assembly went swimmingly and I have received tons of good feedback from faculty and students about our first performance of the year. I was thrilled to start today the new number of the semester: Danza Kuduro by Don Omar. We are finally getting into a more hip hop like genre of dance, and from the comments I received today like "I love this move," and "Can we do it again? It's so much fun!" assured me that we will continue to enjoy dance practices for the rest of the semester.
I am very excited about my last BBW Movie day, where I get the privilege of spending a day with SMA friends watching movies due to our Blues Bridge Walk efforts. Every year I have spent the fun day with someone new, and I am looking forward to getting to know someone better once again while munching on popcorn and watching fun movies. I cannot wait!
