BELLAIRE • MEMORIAL • RIVER OAKS • TANGLEWOOD • WEST UNIVERSITY

Emery Sophomores’ Expedition to Eagle Wings Retreat

By Jenna Talisman, The Emery/Weiner School, School Buzz Reporter | January 29, 2018

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Sophomores Julia Strug, Morgan Brandt and Claire Lemel relax after a hike around camp. They enjoyed mountain biking because it was an obstacle that they overcame by the end of the trip.

One of the many ways that The Emery/Weiner School differentiates from other schools in Houston is its annual winter and spring trips. Last week, the sophomore class took their winter trip to Burnet, Texas to Eagle Wings Retreat. The students were optimistic because they were given the opportunity to further bond with their peers. This trip embraced the idea of a community because it caused us to be in close quarters with people that we do not usually talk to at school. The activities were meant to make students bond and trust each other.

Some events included rappelling, mountain biking, hiking and canoeing, all of which required multiple people to trust throughout the activities. Students belayed each other during rappelling, which created an immense feeling of trust between students and teachers. Most kids, including myself, were hesitant to do mountain biking because they felt it would be strenuous and hard to balance. However, we started to trust and encourage each other, thus everyone knew how to ride a bike by the end of the trip.

The lack of technology also embraced the notion of community because we were disconnected from the world of social media and our daily lives for several days. Furthermore, malfunctioning cell reception connected us because we would interact, play card games and live without the constant notifications of reality on our home screens.

We all relished in the challenges we faced during our campfire gathering because we came away knowing that we conquered something we did not think we could prior to the trip. Camp gave us a strong sense of identity because we all felt equal to each other and confident in our physical and mental capabilities. We were able to reflect on our experiences each night with journaling, so we all recognized the important values and takeaways the teachers were embedding within us. Everyone could agree that Emery created a perfect environment for bonding with so many opportunities to connect with classmates and disengage from the burdens of our daily lives.