Junior students canoe down the Elkhart river.
High school Day Away is a tradition for Bethany students that happens at the end of the first full week of school.
However, despite this strong tradition there were some changes, especially for the freshman class this year. Instead of a day trip to Camp Friedenswald, the frosh spent a night at the camp focusing on community and group building activities and games. They packed food, tents, and high spirits as they prepared to spend some time away and form bonds as a class, hopefully to last the rest of their high school career. Bryce Miller (‘17) says, “Day away was a great time to get to know the new students better and make better friends.”
Sophomores took on arts and crafts around the school, tye-dying their own t-shirts as a class. A welcome change from the predictable get-to-know-you games, sophomores did a photo scavenger hunt and enjoyed their time together with class sponsors Calvin Swartzendruber and Renae Yoder. In the afternoon, they walked down the bike path to Goshen College for recreational activities. Gianella Salas (‘16) says of the experience, “We got to know the new students that joined us this year a lot better; it was surprisingly fun.”
Juniors braved the Elkhart river with class sponsors John Mast and KP. They used 9 canoes from Bethany and 8 from Goshen College to paddle from Shanklin to Oxbow park. There they cooked out for lunch with grilled hot dogs and homemade desserts. Jacob Rudy-Froese (‘15) agrees it is a classic fun time with friends for juniors, saying, “It was pretty great. I was sore later.”
For seniors, it was a day that filled up the to-do list. A meeting with guidance counselor Jim Buller in the morning gave plenty of information and deadlines about starting to look at college applications. After the meeting and a worship time led by seniors Ryan Miller, Lynea Kaethler, Lana Smucker and Katie Shank, the class walked to Goshen College. There admissions director Trish Yoder welcomed the students, and turned them over to some activities with class sponsors Brent Reinhardt and Christine Stutzman. After a lunch on campus and rec time in the afternoon, seniors returned to school with a list of impending dates and things to look forward to for their last year.
Day away is an enjoyable experience for every class, and is a tradition that students look forward to at the beginning of every year.
~Katie Hurst