The Awakening retreat is an intentional mystery.

Its organizers hesitate to define it because they want students to experience it for themselves, and this year students will be experiencing a new location for the retreat as well.

Awakening is a student-led community that holds a retreat each semester. Laura Gallien, Awakening advisor and assistant chaplain, described it as, “an experience rooted primarily in Jesuit ideals but it is open to all denominations.”

This year’s Awakening retreat will take place at Camp Whispering Pines in Independence, La., from March 23-25. This is a new location for the retreat, which has been held at Camp Abbey in Covington, La., for the past 30 years. Awakening’s new site and date during the academic year are prime locations.

Students can continue to sign up online for the retreat next week.

“We are already having a greater response than last year,” Gallien said.

Although the Awakening retreat is a mystery, the reason students return is obvious, according to mass communication freshman Kayla August.

“People like me keep coming back because of the friendships you make on the trip. You meet people that you wouldn’t ordinarily meet in class. It’s just a good group of people,” she said.

While students may remedy their academic stress in various ways, Elliott Seyler, mathematics freshman, and the Awakening community invite students to go on retreat with them instead.

“Awakening happens at a point in the semester when stress is high but you go on retreat and everything else in the world disappears. It’s like a shot of peace,” Seyler said.

Seyler is one of the students without a denomination that has participated in the retreat. “I have a self-defined religion that lacks a deity, but I still went on the Awakening retreat,” he said. Seyler has been involved with Awakening for a year and has been on one retreat so far.

“I was attracted to their community because they exude genuine happy and welcoming vibes,” Seyler said.

A retreat has religious connotations but the students involved with Awakening emphasize their communal aspects instead.

“We are more spiritual than religious,” said mass communication senior Emily Hilbig.

“I wouldn’t have stayed at Loyola if I hadn’t gone on this retreat. It’s a great way to make new friends and get involved in other aspects of student life.”

Kathy Martinez can be reached at [email protected].