Do college students ever wish that there would be more time in the day to just hang out? Students are so caught up with everything they have to do for classes and other activities that as a college student you barely have time to sleep. Sometimes everyone needs a little break. The Wolfington
Center has a solution for all Cabrini students who need to stop and take a breather. Urban Campfire is for college students to do something no one has time to relax.
Urban Campfire is held in the Mansion and will be held throughout October and for the rest of the semester. Christa Angeloni,
Cabrini College campus minister, learned about Urban Campfire at a retreat she attended this summer.
“When a campus minister from a college in Wisconsin did the program with us, I right away thought of three students who always
send me e-mails and have a different quote in their signature all the time,” Angeloni said. “I was thinking that it was something
students can relate to. I thought it would be an interesting way to socialize and share a common
interest.”
On the retreat that Angeloni attended, the leader, explained to her that on the other campuses many of the students come to Urban
Campfire. The program is a way for students to get their mind off of all the things that they have to do for classes. It is a time for the students to relax and reflect. When a student is just sitting in their room and not doing anything,
Urban Campfire is good place for everyone to go to.
Nick Kaminski, sophomore psychology and sociology major said, “Honestly, I was just bored and I figured I would go and see what it was like and I’m actually glad I went because I like it a lot. It did take away a lot of stress. It was really good. I had a couple of tests and I went there and was able to clear my head and when I got back to my room I was able to study,” Kaminski said.
Even though a lot of the activities
from the Wolfington Center are faith centered this experience
does not have to be. Kristie Bergin, junior social work and religious studies major, said that when you come to Urban Campfire
you can make it your own experience.
“The idea is faith centered, but you can make it about whatever
you want it to be. We have an opportunity for people to pray for you in the end, but you don’t have to participate in that part, but it’s really a nice time to relax and anybody can benefit from this,” Bergin said.
“I think the thing about Urban Campfire is that it’s not a structured
religious event. I think it’s meant to take time out of your day and just relax. It’s less like a prayer service and more like a de-stressing service,” Angeloni said.
The experience can be anything
that you make of it. “It’s more personal in what you believe
and what you choose to do. It’s not contemplating faith or anything,” Kaminski said. “It is more spirituality which I believe everyone has to deal with.”
The Rev. Michael Bielecki, Resident Chaplain expressed his support for urban campfire being exposed to Cabrini’s community. “I think that anything that gives you an opportunity to share your thoughts and come together is a tremendous thing for any group of people,” Bielecki said. “I think what is very important is community
building which is one of our core values. Something like this can bring people together and create another arena of community.”
Bielecki said that this is a great program for freshmen as well and how they should want to come out to the programs here on campus
“What I say to people when the freshmen come here especially
is you want to find as many opportunities where you can connect
with other people and feel at home, because until Cabrini feels like your home or a community you can feel a part of, you’ll have the temptation to want to leave,” Bielecki said.
Urban campfire provides a way for students to connect with one another as well as meet new people. This activity is a way for different groups of people to meet each other.
“People think ‘well if I don’t do what everyone else does then there must be something wrong with me or I don’t fit in or I must be strange.’ I think what happens is people isolate themselves not realizing that there are so many people who think like they do in a positive sense,” Bielecki said.
Urban Campfire is meant to be a positive experience. The people who go to Urban Campfire
become a support group for students.
“People can bring things that are very important to them to be discussed in a safe environment,” Bielecki said. “Someone could be extremely helped or maybe just get insight. It could be a real place for people to share their deepest thoughts and aspirations and even their struggles.”
To find out more about Urban Campfire students can go to the Cabrini Web site and check “Today
at Cabrini.”
