Retreat

Each fall the new cohort of Sheedy students and the program directors go on a weekend-long retreat in Michigan. Some of the time is devoted to intellectual inquiry, such as masterclasses in reading poetry and dialogues about the purpose of education. The rest is centered on community building. We cook together, take walks, play games, and converse around a campfire. 

The goals of the Sheedy Retreat are two-fold. First, students build skills at the heart of a liberal arts education, including close reading, dialogue, and philosophical debate. Second, the retreat strengthens the sense of community among Sheedy Program members, creating a foundation that makes all of the interactions to follow – both inside Sheedy classes and outside of them – richer. As one Sheedy student described it, “The retreat was the turning point for our cohort. Once we came back from retreat, the whole program – the meaning, the relationships – was just better.”

Dates

The Fall 2023 retreat is Friday, September 8 at 5 p.m. through Sunday, September 10 at 10 a.m. at Maranatha Retreat and Conference Center in Muskegon, Michigan. Transportation will be provided.

Participating in the Sheedy Retreat is a requirement for all Sheedy students during their first semester in the program. Students who were/are studying abroad participate the following fall semester instead.

Returning Sheedys, you’re invited to attend a kick-off dinner the Friday evening of the retreat. For Fall 2023, the kick-off dinner is from 5:30 to approximately 7:30 p.m. at River Saint Joe, a “farmstead restaurant” in Buchanan, Michigan, about 25 minutes from campus. You are in charge of your own transportation since the group bus will continue straight to the retreat center.