A Night by the Pond: Wednesday, May 29, 2024

By Noah Greig from Cedarville University

It had been a long day of researching leads and conducting interviews. I was planning to work on homework after dinner, but WJI Director Lee Pitts had other plans.

Every night, we have a news huddle where we have fun and learn more about journalism. For that night’s news huddle, Pitts had decided to take us to a local campground for a fun night at the lake and around the campfire.

As I hopped out of the van, I saw a variety of activities around the grounds. A small beach volleyball court sat in front of the parking lot. Further in the back, I could see the small lake with a roped-off area for swimming in. The main attraction was the large bonfire in the center of the grounds where we could make smores, warm up and spend time with each other.

After playing some yard games, I went with a few others to explore the surroundings. We found an old rusty cabin in the distance that we explored before heading to a smaller lake close by. I took in the stunning views while standing on the small rickety dock before heading back to the group.

We soon gathered around the campfire and began to sing hymns. Songs like It Is Well rung out around the fire. After a few songs, someone began to play an acoustic guitar as people harmonized with each other.

After singing hymns, Pitts pulled out a bag with slips of paper in it. Throughout the evening Pitts had asked us to each write a question we wanted to ask him. He then read them off one by one, giving us each an answer before symbolically throwing the papers into the fire.

It was around 11 PM when we got back to Dordt. Even though I still had some homework to finish, I was happy to have the time to take a break and spend time with the friends I’ve made.