The Benet sophomore Lenses retreat is a tradition at Benet, as it grants sophomore students the rare opportunity to head to the Morton Arboretum for a day filled with fellowship, faith, and games. The retreat, which took place on November 6, is called Lenses because of its mission to have students look at their faith life and the others around them in a new way, and to see how gifted they are and how much God loves and cares about them.

The day started at 7:45 A.M. with a speech from Deacon Weiland, which initiated the activities. The day commenced in the field with games that fostered friendship, and allowed students of all different groups to meet and interact with one another. Next, the retreat comprised of group-based activities, where students were split into smaller sections of around six students and a senior leader, who encouraged them to share information about themselves and get to know their classmates better. Afterwards, the main event of the day was the scavenger hunt throughout the entire Arboretum, where sophomores were given clues and had to go track down a certain location with their group. This was taken very seriously by students, as a reward of a Starbucks gift card was on the line. Sophomores unanimously agreed that one of their favorite parts of the retreat was the expansive array of lunch options, ranging from sandwiches to homemade chips to mini cheesecakes.

After lunch, Benet students returned to their compact groups, where they joined Deacon in a discussion of faith and goals for the next few years at Benet. Finally, to conclude the event, everyone was brought back together for an opportunity for silent reflection, as well as the Sacrament of Reconciliation offered to everyone. The chance for quiet prayer and listening to music appealed to many students, and was a welcome change from the busy morning. Mass wrapped up the retreat, and students were encouraged to take the lessons that they learned with them and to truly look at the world in a different “lens.”

A member of the 2025 Lenses retreat, sophomore Henry Stratton stated that  his favorite part of the retreat was “communtity building. It was refreshing to talk to people I don’t usually talk to. I would encourage others to go on it because it is great for boosting your relationship with God and with others.”