Page 7 - Phoenix1998-99

: IJ/!J Jlil 'J 'i' IF COMMENTARY Thursday, September 17. 1998 - Page 7 Pro and Con: New Student Orientation Chris Taugher starts to get to Taco Bell. Tim Mascari enumerates dents. For those students who found being mandatory. On the other fresh with his positive Of course, you need a car be- some of the problems with it hard to relate to his preaching, he hand, there should have been ex- students snuck in a scare view of orientation. fore you can go to Taco Bell, and orientation. carefully them of the effects factor ceptions made for those who would some people say you even need a warning of al- with physical handicaps date before you can go to the mov- cohol after every punch line. not have found this event too inter- The big day was finally here. ies, but I feel better knowing that I I'm sure parents were very im- Another way the orientation pro- esting. For me it was actually de- You moved into your room, met could get to either place. pressed with the amount of time gram was effective was the "Peer pressing, seeing all the other stu- your roommates, and made emo- The pizza party and the trip to and work put into WMC's orien- Mentor Skits." This event, like dents playing Sports, dancing, and tional partings with Mom and Dad. the Four Seasons complex were two tation program. Unfortunately, it's Green's presentation, was humor- having fun. But as a person who Now, you're finally alone at col- great ways for students to unwind not the parents who are required ous enough to keep the attention of physically can't do those activities. lege. finally free to make your own and have fun after a long day. The to attend all four days of it. an eighteen-year-old but informa- choices, finally able to do whatever phone skits were also very informa- The orientation staff had the tive enough for the student to actu- it was very boring. atten- the mandatory Besides you want to do. There's just one tive. Knowing how to use the phone right idea in giving the students ally learn something. dance policy, the "Four Seasons" question: what is there to do for properly is important to me. How something to do in their first four Even though these two events trip was way too long. One 0' clock the first four days? am I supposed to call home for days at college, but even though were very interesting, they cannot in the morning is a little too late to To answer that simple question money iff can't work the phone? there may have been a lot of time possibly counter the negative expe- still be playing soccer. the Peer Mentors helped run the Not everything on the schedule put into the program, that does not rience of all other orientation activi- By far one of the worst activi- require the program itself to be ties. ties, besides "OCTAA," was the The pizza party and the trip to the Four long and drawn out. As for the "OCTAA" lecture -- walk through Westminster. Not A simple one-hour orientation Seasons complex were two excellent ways and a few lectures or events would what can I say? It was an obvious only was that too long, too hot, and by the college it wasn't worth all the to cover their too boring, attempt for students to unwind and just have fun have satisfied of the four days of not asses. After hearing of so many al- effort. Maybe if I were a long-dis- me. Because deaths after a long day. being able to digest a decent meal, cohol-related campuses and accidents tance runner I would have enjoyed on college today, it was of calling the activity it. Instead it felt more like boot camp than quite apparent to me that WMC was "Piecing it Together," they should New Student Orientation Program. was rollicking, though. I almost fell college. clearly trying to avoid a lawsuit. I have named it "Trail of Tears IT." The program was very helpful in asleep in OCTAA (On Campus WMC did, however, manage to can just hear the WMC lawyer now: Except for mandatory etten- keeping students busy and getting Talking About Alcohol) class and tum a traditionally boring part of "But Your Honor, this student was dance, elongated events, and the them adjusted to the campus. no matter how you decorate the caf- college into a somewhat amusing told of the possible effects of atco- entire New Student Orientation As a soccer player, I didn't get eteria, the food still tastes the same. experience. On the bright side of hol." program being too long, it was a to do all of the activities planned But the Peer Mentor skits, guest WMC's orientation program, there This three-hour lecture seemed very fulfilling experience. every day, but what I did partici- speaker Mike Green, an OCTAA were a couple interesting seg- to have the same effect as pouring Students had plenty of chances pate in was worth my time. Attend- presenter, and the "Choices" play ments, including Mike Green's the beer down the students' throats. to make new friends and meet new ing my first year seminar helped were tremendous. OCTAA presentation, and the Walking out of Hill Hall, immedi- people, and were basically given a me meet fifteen new friends before The transition into college life "Peer Mentor Skits." I, ately after the lecture, I overheard four-day tour of the entire WMC classes even started. is a lot smoother when you have a Hearing Green talk about i1co- one student say, "God, I need a campus. The scavenger hunt through well-run orientation program. Just hal was both educational and in- beer," and three other freshmen Most importantly, students Westminster helped me get ac- sitting in a state-of-the-art class- teresting. He combined his expe- agree with him. not to transfer to another quainted with the town I'll be liv- room gave me