For their inauguration into the Upper School, the freshman class enjoyed a retreat full of bonding, boating, and trail-blazing.

In Thursday’s sweltering heat, 300 freshmen and sophomores traveled to The Forge, an outdoor adventure park in Lemont, Illinois. Activities at the park included traveling around the grounds in bicycle carts, playing laser tag, kayaking in a tiny lake, and relaxing in cocoon-like nets.

“I thought it was pretty fun,” said freshman Savanna Lane. “We could have spent less time there, but for the most part it was pretty fun.”

However, the large number of students made it difficult to participate in popular activities. Wait times for the kayaks and pedal boats grew long, with some students spending more time in line than in the water.

“We only got to do archery tag for five minutes,” freshman Axel Downing said.

On Friday morning, freshmen met in the Learning Commons before embarking on a scavenger hunt competition with their advisories.

“I like how you had the choice to explore so many different parts of the neighborhood,” freshman Kaitlyn Rosen said. “It was also great for people who aren’t as familiar with the area around the school.”

The scavenger hunt, which had challenges ranging from a performance of Chappell Roan’s “HOT TO GO!” dance to a poetry recital in front of the President Grant statue in Lincoln Park, provided opportunities for advisory bonding and urban exploring.

“It was a great way to get off my phone and have fun with friends,” said freshman Sawyer Thayer.