The Sun Rises on Senior year at Cedar Lake Camp

By Yasmin Dennis

After arriving at their respective buses at a painful 6:45 a.m., seniors made the trip to Cedar Lake Camp for the second time in the past two years. Feelings of déjà vu crept in as the seniors made their way from their rooms to the amphitheater — where they participated in a talent show their sophomore year — for an overview of their plans for the day.

The seniors spent their day in Big Bear alternating between team-bonding activities with their advisories and climbing the ropes course. That night, after dinner and free time, students gathered by the bonfire for s’mores. Trivia and an advisory karaoke competition served as entertainment for the evening, and friendly competition and Disney tunes filled the night air.

“I loved spending time with my friends climbing rocks and walking around the camp, but I also had so much fun doing the ropes course and getting closer with my advisory,” senior Grace Kao said.

The following morning, after stopping by the cafeteria to wake themselves with coffee and hot chocolate, the seniors made their way to a nearby lookout point to enjoy the sunrise as a class. Marking the beginning of their last year together, the sunrise was a bittersweet moment for the seniors. After enjoying exceptionally delicious cinnamon rolls, the class packed up their belongings and began the drive back to school.

Many seniors, like Arietta Goshtasby, spent nearly an entire week at Cedar Lake Camp guiding the freshmen as SAME members and Peer Counselors.

“As a SAME member, I’ve been assigned a freshman advisory every year,” Arietta said.

“This year was especially meaningful as it allowed me to look back on the past four years, not only through my leadership role in the freshman advisory, but also through my own activities in senior retreat.”