Leaders trained at yearly retreat
by Carlos Raigosa, editor-in-chief

     Most students are in school because they want to get out of school, so they can get a good paying job, a motivational speaker told participants at the annual leadership retreat at Lake Whitney last weekend.
     Greg Clark, of Clark Expeditions, used skits and group activities to introduce his theme of trust and teamwork to more than 50 students attending.
     Participants climbed onto a high-elements course, which consisted of crossing a gap on a thin wire, to gain self-confidence. They also took part in low element exercises, which took place at ground level.
     “Sometimes we don’t want to let go of a good thing, but it’s actually holding us back from realizing our goal,” Clark said after the group completed the high-elements course. “You must take the first step toward realizing your goal, no matter how hard it may seem at first.”
     Several students were apprehensive of taking the first step off the logs, but after taking the first step, a majority of them finished the course with ease.
     “I felt pressure because everyone was watching me,” Josh Rodriguez, SE Campus student, said. “Relief went through my body when I got done with the exercise.”
Others shared the thoughts going through their heads when they were crossing the 30-feet-tall, 30-feet-long gap.
     “The hardest thing is letting go of your support,” Steven Patino, South Campus student, said. “This teaches you a lot about real life; it was a great adrenaline rush, better than basic training.”
     The group also took part in low element exercises to build trust among the students and student activities coordinators.
Ty Dobelb, a NE Campus student, learned to “expand my horizons, and meet more people” with greater ease with the help of Clark.
     “This event is so good for communication skills,” Dobelb said. “We fell (off the low element exercise), but we never failed at working to help our motivation and communication skills.”
     The students enjoyed the facilities at the Iron Springs Christian Camp and a catered lunch by the lake.
     Before the group returned to Fort Worth, Clark told the students to “live their own lives” and used an analogy to football to share his points.
     “A coach once told me that if I had the ball and couldn’t find a hole to run through to make my own,” he said. “Now all of you must do the same.”
     The leadership retreat is an annual collaboration between all campuses.