Women of the World (W.O.W.) Retreat: Why You Should Apply

The Women of the World (W.O.W.) Retreat is a staple of the spring semester. For one weekend, students escape to Eden Hall for days filled with workshops, discussions, and serious bonding. It’s a chance to improve your leadership skills, but it’s also an opportunity to experience the Chatham sisterhood in a way you never have before.

Applications for the 2013 retreat are due by March 8, 2013; you can find the link on myChatham in the Student Affairs section of the Documents & Forms tab.

To help you get a better feel for the experience, we spoke with two HC Chatham team members who attended last year’s W.O.W. Retreat. Here, News/Lifestyle Writer Shannon Ward (bottom left) and Sustainability Writer Catherine Giles (second from right) share their memories.

Why did you apply to participate in the W.O.W. Retreat?

Shannon Ward: Part of Chatham’s appeal is found in the way that it offers students many opportunities for self-improvement and experience in positions of leadership. For me at least, the W.O.W. Retreat offered a chance to grow as a person, to grow as a leader, and to develop bonds with other leaders within the community.

Catherine Giles: I applied to the W.O.W. retreat to hone my leadership skills. I knew it was a leadership retreat, and we learned all about effective, respectful leadership.

What can students expect on the retreat?

Shannon: Each person experiences the W.O.W. Retreat differently based on past experience in leadership and their level of connectedness with the staff and students. However, I think it is safe to say that everyone should expect a weekend of personal growth with thoughtful activities and interactions that push students out of their comfort zones and give them opportunities to find their voice. Last year, we listened to lectures, had interactive discussions, put on skits, played Mafia, and had some really deep talks within the small “family” groups. But there’s really no way to tell what will happen in 2013!

Catherine: There’s a TON of bonding. Like you really get to know one another, and you also get to know the graduate students and professional staff who assist this every year. You get divided into groups and have a lot of fun. Sing a couple songs, make up a theme, etc. etc. It’s a blast :) 

What special memories do you have from the retreat?

Shannon: My most vivid memory from the W.O.W. Retreat in 2012 was an activity that we did later in the evening towards the end of the Retreat. All the participants went outside and stood in a straight line, shoulder to shoulder. The instructors read a series of questions and participants were instructed to move forward, move backwards, or stay in the same place depending on their personal response to the questions. In the end, the more “privileged” people ended up towards the front of the line whereas people who had more obstacles ended up towards the back. The point of the exercise was to show that leaders come from all walks of life—from different backgrounds and races and social groups. No matter where an individual was in the line, they still had something to offer. 

Catherine: We had to create this skit using the items in a box, and I talked in like a fairy godmother-ish voice and it was all about this magical land of Utopia, and it was just fantastic. Somebody got it on video.

What did you take away from the retreat? How has the experience impacted your life since?

Shannon: More than anything, the W.O.W. Retreat was a way for me to connect to other ambitious leaders in my community. I made connections during that weekend that I would not have made otherwise and those connections still benefit me to this day.

Catherine: We learned about respectful leadership, and that even if your opinions differ from somebody else, everyone’s opinion matters. I think I mostly learned how to accept everyone’s opinion and to take a step back and let others take the lead at times. Usually, I charge into things like a bull in a china shop! But if I stop, analyze the situation, and then determine how to proceed, I can effectively be a leader.

Why should someone apply?

Shannon: The W.O.W. Retreat helps people from all walks of life to develop their leadership potential—from people who are just budding as leaders to individuals who have been leading for years. The W.O.W. Retreat is a fun and interactive adventure and a time for personal growth. 

Catherine: The W.O.W. retreat is phenomenal in and of itself, and it looks great if you’re applying for another leadership position on campus. If you’re applying to be an OL/RA, CSG officer, or looking to start a student org, the W.O.W. retreat is absolutely helpful. I made all kinds of connections with people outside of my social group, and we still talk today.  

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