By: Jesus Garcia ’23

Each year, all members of the freshmen class have the opportunity to attend Restless, an evening of recollection. The night consists of different games, sharing in dinner, and adoration. Throughout the night, the classmates strengthened their bonds with old friends and fostered relationships with new ones. 

At the beginning of the night, students got to participate in six activities: dodgeball, charades, an obstacle course, Chaminade trivia, Bible search, and speedball. Teams competed by homeroom, and different homerooms would face each other in various activities. Dodgeball was one of the most anticipated events of the night, as homerooms would compete against each other in two separate games, and if a tiebreaker was needed, the teams would compete in a third game. 

Charades utilized Chaminade’s 1:1 iPad program. In this game, one student places an iPad over his head, and his classmates attempt to tell to him the word on the iPad screen non-verbally by making movements and gestures. After one minute, the iPad is given to someone else, and the process repeats itself. The Obstacle Course was created by Mr. Michael Dolce ‘99 and took place on the third floor of the Physical Fitness Center. The course consisted of a sled push, ladder hop, single hurdle, and sprint back to the starting line. Chaminade trivia was composed of questions relating to Chaminade and its history. The judges of the game were Dr. Kuntz and Dr. Viscusi, who decided whether or not the students’ answers were correct. Different subjects were assigned different point values, and the homeroom with the most points at the end is deemed the winner. 

Although every game was a hit among the participants, one game in particular, garnered much favor among the freshmen: speedball. Speedball is a fast-paced game that is similar in nature to soccer, aside from some differences in procedure and rules. For instance, players can hold the ball in their hands—in soccer, this is frowned upon. The objective is to score the most points with your team. In this edition of the game, there were multiple balls on the court at once, which made the game more exciting yet slightly more difficult for the players. 

After various events and games, students gathered on the track circling the AAC to enjoy dinner with their classmates and teachers. By breaking bread together, they strengthened their bond as classmates and friends. The night reached its pinnacle in the adoration of the Holy Eucharist. Upon the conclusion of dinner, students gathered in the Hearst Auditorium for holy hour, and they spent time together praying in the presence of the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Jesus Christ. 

This night of recollection allowed students time to eat a meal together, compete in sports, and ultimately pray to God. Evenings like these provide unforgettable memories of friendship and unity that will last for a lifetime.