Class 29’s Social Justice Fellows had their first weekend retreat of the program. Here, Fellow Max Ekstein posts his report about the retreat.
Fellows gather outside. All photos courtesy of Kayla Floyd
To kick off OUDC’s 2024-2025 Social Justice Fellowship, the new Class 29 Social Justice Fellows went on a retreat together as a fellowship cohort. Our journey towards building a strong community began with engaging icebreakers and fun games. One of the Fellows and I particularly enjoyed the “What I Brought to the Picnic” game, which was a name game that helped us begin to get to know each other better. Over the two-day retreat, we learned about each other’s activism, our unique backgrounds, and the diverse spheres of social justice that piqued our interest. This diversity is what makes our community so rich and vibrant!
Over the course of the weekend, the Fellows discussed our own relational toolkits, which included a mix of different vocabulary, and the skills required to understand others and build bridges between communities. We also talked about the definition of trauma and how we will stay safe while engaging in difficult conversations. We chose to define trauma as any event or occasion that overwhelms one’s ability to cope, and it is characterized into 4 (and a theorized 5) categories: Fight, Flee, Fawn, Freeze, and Annihilate. Later in the year, we will apply this knowledge to a variety of topics. Antisemitism, Racism, and stereotyping are all examples of concepts we discussed but will delve into in more detail in the future.
Fellows gather for their first retreat.
On this retreat, one of the main highlights was our profoundly transformative discussion on what separates cultural appreciation from appropriation. Not only was it interesting, but I thought it was vital to hear the responses of Fellows from a multitude of different backgrounds and cultures. So many aspects filter into the question, but some noteworthy mentions were intention, economics, and historical accuracy.
Fellows conduct a group practice on social justice matters.
As we neared the end of the retreat, our discussions turned towards the future. We eagerly pondered the skills we would carry back to our lives and diverse fields of interest. How would we apply what we had learned and practiced during the summer journey before our upcoming Senior year? The anticipation was palpable, and I can confidently say that we are all eager to discover our own answers to these questions!