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Winter Retreat: Growing the Family Tree

As one of the main social events of the quarter, Winter Retreat is a night of activities that aims to strengthen the bonds within the Belles community. With everyone’s busy schedules and packed Google calendars, it can be all too easy to get swept up in academics and extracurriculars. Winter Retreat is a chance to relax for a night and enjoy some quality time running around (in onesies!) with fellow Belles. 

This year, the night kicked off with some classic games: we dashed around Wilson Plaza for Captain’s Orders, laughed through a UCLA-themed game of Pictionary-Telephone, and attempted to channel some Pitch Perfect energy for Riff-Off. My personal favorite activity of the night was the “Tap Someone Who…” activity, where you have a chance to anonymously show your appreciation for Belles by tapping them based on specific statements (e.g., “Tap someone who you admire”, “Tap someone who you learned something from”). It was a moment of reflection on how much the people in the club have impacted me, and reminded me of just how grateful I am for this community. 

Then, it was time for the eagerly anticipated Big-Little Reveal. This year, Belles received personalized cards with clues that sent them to different locations around campus. For each location, each Belle got a unique sticker placed on their card. At the end of the game, Big-Little pairs were revealed by finding the Belle with a matching pattern of stickers. Overall: creative, fun, and a great workout! The excitement was palpable as everyone finished up their cards and searched for their match, with squeals of delight and hugs in every direction. I picked up a Little this year, and could not be more excited to welcome Catie into my Belle family! 


As part of the Social Office this year, I got a glimpse at all the hard work that the board (shoutout to our Social Director, Aly!) puts into making these events happen. Ultimately, the goal of these events is to foster the sense of Belles community, allowing us to get to know each other as individuals and better appreciate the diversity of the group. For me, personally, this was a goal achieved! 

Claire Li
Distinguished Belle, Social Office


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