In-person Henry Strobel Retreat returns for 46th year
For the first time since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, McGovern Medical School students will participate in a live format of the Henry Strobel Retreat at Camp Cho-Yeh, in Livingston, Texas.
Normally a two-day event for the first years, the 2022 version of the event will feature a special day for the second-year students who missed their opportunity for a retreat in 2021. The Class of 2026 will enjoy their day Aug. 12, while the Class of 2025 participates Aug. 13.
The Henry Strobel Retreat is a chance for incoming McGovern Medical School students to meet their classmates in a stress-free, laid-back environment. The theme for the 46th Annual Henry Strobel Retreat is the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Each day begins at 7 a.m. when students will board the “Hogwarts Express” to Camp Cho-Yeh, where they will be able to meet new classmates and some current second-years over the hourlong drive. Students are encouraged to dress in full wizarding regalia, or at least their house colors, and hats. Summer robes, wands, and other wizarding accessories are encouraged.
Once at the camp, students will spend the morning participating in various activities such as archer, archery tag, axe throwing, paintball, flying squirrel, and more. Students will be divide into small groups while rotating through the various activities.
During lunch, students will be treated to a variety of skits prepared by members of the classes, before returning to the camp for an afternoon of banana boating, tubing, kayaking, paddle boating, beach volleyball, spike ball, and more.
A tradition since 1976, Dr. Henry Strobel, former dean for faculty, student affairs, and alumni affairs, created the retreat after noticing a sense of disenchantment among the first-year class of medical students, following a flood in the Texas Medical Center that caused devastation among the TMC and forced students into a nearby office building while repairs and renovations were underway.
Working with leadership from the second-year class, Strobel received the green light from the school to host a weekend for students to leave the hustle and bustle of Houston and the TMC in order to appreciate the McGovern family and community around them.