After their first three weeks of high school, the MC freshmen attended the annual overnight retreat on Saturday, September 10. This is the fourth year in a row that Mount Carmel has hosted this tradition, which was dormant since the 1980s.  The retreat is designed for the newcomers to get a glimpse of what Mount Carmel is all about, and also provide them new opportunities to meet more of their fellow classmates.

Almost all of the freshmen found it be a very fun event and they were glad they were able experience it.

“It was a really great opportunity to meet new people and make some new friends,” noted Sean Goosherst.

Freshmen arrived on campus around 6:00 p.m., bringing sleeping bags and an abundance of snacks with them.  At 6:30, a group prayer was recited and a delicious pasta dinner, prepared by Padre Benjamin Aguilar, was served to the entire class.

After dinner, Mr. Sean Sweany, Director of Student Engagement, addressed the class of 2020.  He instructed them to write down two things on an index card. The first was something great that happened to them in the first few weeks of school.  The second was something they were scared or stressed about.  The freshmen were then told to tear the index card in two, keeping the positive thing to hold onto and putting the negative thing into a bin.

After this presentation, the freshmen went on to listen to four different presentations by MC faculty.

The first of these talks was from Mr. Mark Antonietti, who discussed how Men of Carmel are different from other high school students.  He also noted that, “We were all Men of Carmel from when we were born.  We just didn’t know it yet.”

The next presentation was with Mr. Bill Nolan, who detailed the history and tradition behind Mount Carmel.  He described ways that Mount Carmel has changed over the years, but also how the values of the school have stayed the same.

The freshmen then went to Mrs. Jennifer Smola’s lecture, where they answered questions about their life and their freshmen experience.

“You will never be alone here,” she assured them at the end of her talk.

Lastly, the freshmen heard from Coach Phil Segroves, who explained that real success is defined by more than just money, and provided some suggestions for what they need to do to become truly successful.

After these presentations, the freshmen gathered in small groups to discuss their reactions to what they had just heard.

Following these discussions, the freshmen participated in a variety of recreational activities, including dodgeball, basketball, swimming, board games, or watching movies.

After two hours, the freshmen met back in the commons to prepare for the final spiritual activities of the night.

First, Mr. Lorenzo Nunez led them through a contemplative reflection, after which the class processed to the Prayer Garden to receive their scapulars.

First, as a symbol of their desire to set their fears and anxieties behind them, Fr. Jim Lewis burned the index cards on which the freshmen earlier had expressed those concerns.  Then, after blessing the scapulars, Fr. Jim and other faculty and student leaders placed a scapular around the next of each freshman.

After receiving their scapulars, the freshmen settled down for a short night’s sleep, only to be awakened at 5:40 to the sounds of the school bell summoning them to hike to 63rd Street beach for the sunrise prayer service.

When the freshmen returned from the lakefront, they found that the MC Fathers’ Club had prepared mountains of pancakes and sausage.  After enjoying their breakfast, it was time to clean up and pack up their sleeping bags.

The final activity of the overnight was a special liturgy for freshmen and their families, at which Fr. Leopold Glueckert presided.

The Freshman Overnight, following the orientation programs conducted during the summer, and along with the upcoming Freshman Impact Week of service learning, challenges the newest members of the community to buy-in to the great traditions and opportunities that the next four years will offer.