The first few weeks of high school feel a lot like a test you didn’t study for: new faces, new environments and an all-around awkward vibe. For Menlo students, the massive adjustment to high school used to come with a built-in answer key — the freshman overnight retreat. Take it from me, a student who lived through the boring daytime retreat my first year: we need the messy, meaningful magic of the overnight. It’s time to trade the pointless day activities for a sleepover. 

My graduating year, the class of 2028, didn’t have an overnight retreat our freshman year, and while the two days of activities helped us bond, it didn’t feel like quite enough. It felt like real connections didn’t form until a few weeks into the school year, which made for a rough start. I can tell you, with my experience this year, so much more bonding happens during an overnight retreat. We had a whole grade campfire, made s’mores and performed skits. After the campfire, our advocacy went back to the cabin, giving us more bonding time together. This made the experience feel meaningful compared to freshman year, when the retreat felt pointless and awkward. We actually had the opportunity to connect outside of school, which created a different environment. It wasn’t just more fun — it was also a good gateway to discover new friends among old classmates.

Since 2024, Menlo has stopped holding overnight retreats for freshmen because of behavioral issues, focusing instead on two days of on-campus daytime bonding. In 2019, Menlo offered two overnight retreats for freshmen. The shift from two to zero is questionable, considering that even one trip would have helped class bonding.

“It felt like the team building was happening really well during the daytime, so it felt almost extra to also have the overnight component,” former Freshman Class Dean Sabahat Adil said. 

However, Adil now thinks the students have changed and are ready to have the overnight brought back. “I think it gets students to know the school community in a different way,” Adil said. Unlike the structured icebreakers and forced fun of the daytime events, an overnight trip fosters connection by giving students the gift of unstructured time. Real bonding happens when students can choose their own conversations and activities, not when they are told what to do. By sharing new experiences outside of campus, the overnight provides unique opportunities to build stronger relationships that can’t be replicated by just eating lunch together. 

Freshman Class Co-Dean Joseph Rabison also saw the shift in the students’ bonding behavior during this year’s retreats. “While the current retreat model is good, staying overnight is a unique opportunity for bonding and belonging,” Rabison said. The overnight retreats don’t need to look the same as they did before, but the overnight component needs to return. The retreats could be an on-campus sleepover, an event at a campsite or even paired with an off-campus activity during the day. So for next year’s freshmen, let’s bring back the opportunity to bond faster, create more fun memories and enjoy their experience at Menlo from the very beginning.