Freshmen and new Prin students attended a four-day retreat at CedarS Camps called Bridging the Gap, led by Student Life. Their goal was making interfaith connections and friendships during freshmen orientation.
Bridging the Gap is a national workshop designed to help people engage across divisions. It was created by Interfaith America, a nonprofit organization founded in Chicago in 2002, to operate as an interfaith partnership worldwide.
The retreat, which was held in August, was College Chaplain Roger Gordon’s idea. Gordon led a similar retreat last year during fall break at CedarS Camps with religious studies professor, Dr. Heather Martin.
“Dr. Martin and I went to the Interfaith America conference in Chicago in August 2023,” Gordon said, “where we were introduced to the training and concept of Bridging the Gap. We both walked away feeling like we needed to bring it to Principia.”
Gordon said it’s important for Principia’s small community to be tight-knit.
“We are a very small but diverse community,” Gordon said, “which is why it felt beneficial for our incoming class to experience this. We presented the retreat to the rest of Student Life, and they were all for it.”
Gordon also said that Bridging the Gap has many benefits without imposing a specific religion on the students, “It helps ground students in their worldviews, and…motivates them to build bridges with people who have different worldviews.”
CedarS Director of Operations Sam Wade, said the retreat was well-structured for all students of religious backgrounds.
“It was a cool way to embrace the Christian Scientists while accommodating the non-Christian Scientists…The program was favorable and students were bought into it,” said Wade in a Zoom interview.
Wade also said that CedarS was the perfect place for the retreat, “Principia and CedarS are very well aligned as far as mission.”
Principia College President Dr. Daniel Norton praised the retreat during his Fall Convocation address on Sept. 6.
“From all accounts, it was a tremendous experience, as our new students forged many new friendships, learned how to share individual stories, listen more effectively, and approach tension constructively, all while developing important life skills to help support their relationships,” said Norton.
The president also said that building bridges is essential to what Principia was founded on.
“Building bridges across faiths is inclusive and grounded in the principles of Christian Science, the faith that undergirds Principia,” he said.
Student Body President Damir Conci, who was at the retreat as a Residential Assistant, said it was a good way to engage the freshman and new students.
“It bonded them and helped them to make new friends. An experience like that helps you realize that connecting with people makes life better,” said Conci.
Freshman Nina Martinez said the retreat was fun since it was a new experience.
“I was never a camp counselor,” said Martinez, “but being at CedarS was nice with the activities we did. I also learned how to listen better with the different sessions we participated in for Bridging the Gap.”
Freshman Savannah Sierra said the retreat positively impacted her and her first-year experience at Principia.
“The first-year retreat allowed me to connect and build strong bonds.” Sierra said, “Having the opportunity to be at a camp that feels like home with people who will become my family over the next few years, gave me a greater sense of purpose in the Principia community.”
Gordon said he would like the retreat to happen again for new students next year.
“We had a generous donor contribute to what Bridging the Gap stood for,” said Gordon, “which is why we made this retreat happen financially. We hope to bring it back for next year, but we’ll see.”
