Point Park Students Create Space

I am often tempted to avoid leading one-day events because I wonder what impact one day can actually have in the lives of college students. September 22 proved that every day counts. One day can make a difference! 7 Point Park University students and 2 CCO staff joined me at McConnell's Mill State Park for a day retreat designed to build relationships and create a space to step away from the urban rush and be still to listen to God and others. The day was a wonderful success!!! We played and worked on team building problems together in the morning, then gave each student a couple hours to be by themselves for reflection and prayer in the afternoon.

Students and staff work together to solve a "Traffic Jam" problem

My highlight came at the end when our debrief of the day took an unexpected turn. During a photo scavenger hunt assignment, both groups identified the natural surroundings as a pleasingly arranged space, and man-made structures and a parking lot as cluttered spaces. And this from students who live in downtown Pittsburgh! This led to a great conversation about how we can live "uncluttered" lives even in the midst of hectic, urban lives. We didn't answer the question, but I believe that students were challenged to think in new ways.

I enjoyed the day immensely. The design worked well, and the students were so thoughtful. At the end of the day, two small groups were each to create a human sculpture representing one aspect of what they learned or experienced during the day. Look below for what they came up with.

A human sculpture representing these women's experiences during the day.

A human sculpture resprenting how each of us have unique lives and respective problems to deal with, but how we can support each other in the midst of those.