Register for CD 18

Libby Bullinger, Copy editor

It is that time again. Time for “the weekend you didn’t know you needed!” That’s right, the 18th session of the Carpe Diem Retreat is happening on March 25-27.

For those who are not aware, the Carpe Diem Retreat is a Mercyhurst tradition dating back years in the university’s history. This retreat is organized by Campus Ministry but is open to all faith backgrounds, not just Christianity.

Although most of the retreat is kept a secret in order to encourage all Mercyhurst students to attend at some point in their time as Lakers, the retreat does guarantee fun, games, conversations in small and large groups, storytelling and more. Over the years the retreat has garnered topnotch reviews from students, many of whom return to become leaders in following years.

One unique aspect of the retreat is that it is completely run by student leaders. All of the student leaders on the retreat have gone to a previous Carpe Diem experience as an attendee and then go through an application and training process to become retreat leaders.

Student leaders are currently working on getting to know one another as they will be working closely together for the weekend of the retreat. These leaders are also spreading the word about the event and encouraging registration.

Julianne Johnstone, a junior forensic science major, is one of the handful of student leaders going on Carpe Diem 18. Johnstone first attended the retreat in the fall 2020 semester during her sophomore year and this will be the first retreat she is a leader on. As is common with most students who attend the retreat, Johnstone mentions how amazing of an opportunity the experience is.

“My favorite thing about my retreat that I went on was getting to meet new people and connect with them over the course of the weekend. For students who are thinking of signing up I say do it, you will not regret it. It truly is the weekend you didn’t know you needed.”

Johnstone also mentioned that her favorite aspect of being a student leader is planning the event with an incredible team.

There certainly is a lot of work to be done to get students prepared for this once-in-a-lifetime experience, so the student leaders are hard at work ensuring everyone has just as amazing an experience as they did on their own first times.

The retreat is set to be held at Camp Kon-O-Kwee Spencer, located about 40 minutes outside of Pittsburgh. Students attending the retreat as well as the student leaders will be bussed to this location and will stay overnight for two nights during the retreat.

The cost of the retreat is $20, but there are student scholarships available. Students interested in attending this campus tradition for the first time are encouraged to fill out an application, which can be found on the Campus Ministry page on the student Hub.

Remaining questions about the retreat can be directed to Michelle Scully at mscully@mercyhurst.edu.