Students are constantly bombarded with information from the news and social media. At times, this becomes overwhelming, prompting us to disconnect. A “retreat” is a deliberate step back—a chance to withdraw to a quiet space, reflect, collect our thoughts, or simply embrace stillness.
On Feb.7, Ignite! Social Justice and Leadership Retreat, hosted by Otter Cultural Center (OC3), brought together 24 Cal State Monterey Bay (CSUMB) students to spend three days at Redwood Glen, amongst the redwood trees and banana slugs.
Ignite! Social Justice and Leadership Retreat takes place every spring semester and has been held since 2014. Its vision is to “Inspire individuals and communities to form coalitions and come together to fight oppressive systems.” The OC3 encourages sharing stories to help break cycles of disempowerment and create healing opportunities for communities.
Full disclosure, I was a participant in the weekend’s activities and found the experience both enjoyable and rejuvenating. Newfound friendships and love for affirmations blossomed in the retreat facilitated by Peter Xiong, Victoria Gomez, Diana Ballesteros, Rudy Medina, Mikayla Castillo, Mia Corona and Monce Navarro.
In the cabin, we were divided into mushroom-themed groups. I belonged to a group of eight called “Hedgehogs” where we often gathered on the patio, listening to a bird or a bat nesting in one of the nooks and crannies of our cabin while we talked about what our own life experiences, or “rivers,” look like. Our life. Our experiences. There was shared laughter, some tears and anger. About being away from family. About not being accepted in society for being gay. About health care being unaffordable. About living a life so dependent on money to thrive and survive.
Learning to be OK with being angry was the biggest takeaway.
“It’s OK to be angry. Being angry means you know that there’s a problem. Being angry means that you are dedicated to finding a solution,” said Lilyann Aguilar, a second-year kinesiology major, whose bed was adjacent to mine by a window overlooking the evergreens of Santa Cruz County.
With over 60 qualified applicants for this retreat, I was chosen along with 23 other aspiring leaders in the local community who attend CSUMB. I must be doing something right – or perhaps angry enough to want a change in the current political and social reality. Amongst the chosen applicants were Liliana Garcia, the president of the Otter Dreamers club and Yefry Mata Diaz, a third-year collaborative health and sciences major who worked closely with Project Rebound, a program at CSUMB that helps people who have been incarcerated get their degrees, as their student coordinator/transfer ambassador.
The attendees were expected to follow an outline throughout the weekend. Activities such as Inner Child Time, Affirmation Mailbox, Team Builders, making s’mores around the campfire, having a general session about The Power of Storytelling, hiking, karaoke, dancing salsa, and Passion Mic were named some of the attendees’ favorites.
“I hope participants gained the skill of being able to understand their own emotions and feelings of being, uncomfortable, critical, challenged but unharmed,” said Peter Xiong, one of the facilitators of the event. “That one person cannot know everything which may be why we need each other alongside having the desire to continue growing and being curious about how social justice shows up for themselves connected to the community. At minimal, that they are not alone,” he said.
“I thought Ignite was amazing,” said Valerie Madriaga Elder, a fourth-year sociology major. “It was eye-opening and it challenged me to be more vulnerable with others as well as being open-minded. I felt excited to be IGNITED.”