Stingray shuffling and backpacking through mountains may seem unrelated — but in the case of an Archer student, both are activities that might be encountered on Arrow Week. Arrow Week is a weeklong trip taken by eighth, 10th and 12th grade students to build resilience and companionship.
In past years, eighth grade Arrow Week had consisted of a trip to Yosemite, during which students went on daily hikes in assigned groups. This year was notably different, taking place at beachside cabins in San Diego.
Arianna Aram (’30) said she enjoys the outdoors and felt that the activities she participated in during Arrow Week were enjoyable, including beach activities instead of hiking. She said being in cabins instead of tents helped her avoid homesickness.
“There [were] a bunch of us in the cabin. I think … my cabin was 13 people, and they had bunk beds, and the cabins were actually better than I thought they’d be, but there was lowkey an ant infestation,” Aram said. “Every day was different, but majority of it, we went to the beach to boogie board, surf and just hang out. The other days, we would go on rope course, archery, rock climbing — all that fun stuff.”
Spanish teacher and eighth grade mentor Talia Geffen last attended Arrow Week 10 years ago, when the format was more similar to this year’s and students stayed in cabins instead of backpacking. Although these trips are mandatory, attendance fluctuates each year because some students are unable to attend for medical reasons. Geffen was pleased that almost every student in the grade came, and she thought the format helped introduce students to Arrow Week in a manageable way.
“It felt, to me, like a great introduction to Arrow Week for middle schoolers. It was enough of a push because students were away from home — some for the very first time — experiencing new things like surfing or boogie boarding or the dynamic of sleeping in a group situation, which was new for a lot of people,” Geffen said. “Or getting used to food that’s not your own, and sunburns, and this and that … I feel like it was a little bit of discomfort, but overall, it was a really appropriate challenge level.”
Aram said many of the activities reminded her of Fall Outing trips since they were not in tents, although she had not heard many stories about Arrow Week to compare her experience to. Charlie Bennet (’30) said she was not looking forward to the trip before it, as she had heard negative things about past students’ experiences. Bennet said she wound up enjoying the trip.
“[Many] upper schoolers, or everyone who’s done it, had really bad reviews,” Bennet said. “So I guess it was embedded in my brain not to go; it would be a bad time.”
Lacey Weinstein (’30) said she had been worried about the trip and how intense a traditional Arrow Week would be. Alternatively, Eden Power (’30) and Aram had been excited for the trip.
“I think I did build resilience from it because I was strong during it,” Power said. “Even though there were some lows, I pushed through, and I made it through the week, and I had a fun time.”
Geffen said students and teachers alike seemed to enjoy the trip and made new connections.
“I have never been on one of the NOLS backpacking Arrow Weeks, but back in the day, the Arrow Weeks were more similar to what eighth grade transitioned to this year,” Geffen said. “Overall, I think it was really fun. The students seemed like [they] had a great time. From a faculty perspective, we had a really fun time with each other, and it was beautiful being on the beach and there were some really great activities and good bonding.”
One of the goals of Arrow Week is to foster bonding among students, from strengthening old friendships to forming new ones. Aram said she felt the trip was a good way to connect with more people in her grade.
“I think my favorite moment was the skits we did at the end. I think they were very creative, and they were just really fun to make,” Aram said. “I made a lot of new friends, and I enhanced more of my relationships with my friends.”
