2008 Woodie Awards
Spirit of Rollins
Find this in Orientation
Geoff Anderson
Issue date: 9/4/06 Section: News
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Orientation, as all students should have experienced by now, is the first step in the college lifestyle. Orientation gives incoming Rollins freshmen an ample start to their college year without the burdens of classes or upperclassmen. The main focus is to get everyone acquainted to the campus and fellow freshmen.
This was accomplished by jam-packing our days with silly and interesting activities. Although at times it was hard to see the collegiate value in the foxhunt or the bunny-bunny game, they both facilitated a smooth transition into life at sunny Rollins College.
Orientation opened with a bang at the Presidents Welcome with a smattering of riveting speeches by various members of the Rollins College faculty. Personally, the welcome was bittersweet, for I knew that afterwards my family would be leaving me to return home to New York. But before a sliver of pining crossed my mind, I was whisked away by my fantastic peer mentors, Natalia Wagner and Kelly Rolfes-Haase. For our RCC group, it was the first time for us to meet, and it was indeed an enchanting encounter. The implementation of upperclassmen as peer mentors was extremely effective as the peer mentors helped us get our bearing around campus, and it enabled quick-forming friendships with upperclassmen. Certainly Rollins has made it hard for freshmen to get 'lost in the crowd'.
The Candle Wish Ceremony was monumental for our first night on campus. While it was easy to notice the flickering candlelight on that crisp Tuesday evening, it was quite evident that the true light was beaming from the hearts and minds of eager freshman. The next morning commenced bright and early, with a delectable meal in beans with our RCC class. However, the calm relaxation would soon be broken by long and arduous work for SPARC. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community that has done so much for us. This was an ingenious opening for our Rollins College experience, as it reminded us that we are here to serve others before ourselves.
This was accomplished by jam-packing our days with silly and interesting activities. Although at times it was hard to see the collegiate value in the foxhunt or the bunny-bunny game, they both facilitated a smooth transition into life at sunny Rollins College.
Orientation opened with a bang at the Presidents Welcome with a smattering of riveting speeches by various members of the Rollins College faculty. Personally, the welcome was bittersweet, for I knew that afterwards my family would be leaving me to return home to New York. But before a sliver of pining crossed my mind, I was whisked away by my fantastic peer mentors, Natalia Wagner and Kelly Rolfes-Haase. For our RCC group, it was the first time for us to meet, and it was indeed an enchanting encounter. The implementation of upperclassmen as peer mentors was extremely effective as the peer mentors helped us get our bearing around campus, and it enabled quick-forming friendships with upperclassmen. Certainly Rollins has made it hard for freshmen to get 'lost in the crowd'.
The Candle Wish Ceremony was monumental for our first night on campus. While it was easy to notice the flickering candlelight on that crisp Tuesday evening, it was quite evident that the true light was beaming from the hearts and minds of eager freshman. The next morning commenced bright and early, with a delectable meal in beans with our RCC class. However, the calm relaxation would soon be broken by long and arduous work for SPARC. This gave us a wonderful opportunity to give back to the community that has done so much for us. This was an ingenious opening for our Rollins College experience, as it reminded us that we are here to serve others before ourselves.