Skip to main content

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


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Senior's Reflection

A Senior's Reflection   As my time at UCLA and Belles comes to an end, I want to reflect on all the experiences I’ve been lucky enough to have over the past years. I am so grateful to be surrounded by so many great people, many of whom I have found through Belles. This community has given me so much and I could not be more appreciative. It provided such a welcoming and open space for me to grow as a person when I first arrived on campus at UCLA after a full year of online school. With the time I have been given in Westwood,  I have been challenged academically, learned to embrace independence and time alone, and have learned more about myself in the process. That is truly a gift.   That being said, some of my favorite and most impactful Belle events have been Meals on Wheels and Baby2Baby. Meals on Wheels was an amazing experience, and I truly felt like I was making a difference in the community. Through this organization, we packed meals and distributed them to older adu...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Bruin Belles Community

When asked what Bruin Belles is all about, we summarize our focus on community service and women’s leadership, as we are united under these integral fundamentals. Yet, the experience of Bruin Belles extends far beyond those five words. Bruin Belles as an organization and the Belles in it are incredibly well-rounded. Attending community service events, campus sports and arts events, and women’s leadership events throughout every quarter connects Belles to fellow Belles, fellow students, the UCLA community, and the Los Angeles community at large. The wholistic nature of the events and goals of Bruin Belles provides Belles with the opportunity to enrich their UCLA experience. The significance of all the experiences that Bruin Belles provides is augmented by the caliber of the women themselves. Every Belle with whom I’ve had the incredible opportunity of becoming friends with is grounded, passionate, ambitious, and compassionate. I don’t use these words lightly. Regardless of major or inte...
Post a Comment
Read more

A Sense of Belonging

Being surrounded by the incredibly driven, selfless and compassionate individuals that are Bruin Belles has been so fundamental to me finding a sense of belonging at the immensely intimidating and overwhelming institution that is UCLA. I am continually inspired by the ubiquitous drive to serve and learn among belles, despite the wide diversity of academic interests, campus involvements, and career aspirations. BBSA has allowed me to give, learn, and grow in ways I would have never expected, all while having a lot of fun. Some of my best memories range from making meaningful connections over coffee at Kerckhoff, engaging in hands-on philanthropy projects, and networking with incredible alumni and connected professionals.  To be frank, this quarter was both mentally and physically exhausting for me as I continue on my search to find my interests and niche at UCLA. However, seeing Belles every week kept me energized, positive, and motivated as I navigated through draining back-to...
Post a Comment
Read more