By Melissa Crowley '02
A picture of about 40 students in hiking gear sits on a shelf in Jim Nauls' office, with an engraving that reads "Wilderness Orientation Adventure." Taken in the fall of 1997, it reflects the first group of CMC students to participate in the Wilderness Orientation Adventure (W.O.A.), a program initiated by Chelina Odbert '99 and modeled after similar programs at Pomona, Harvard, Yale, and Princeton. The very first W.O.A. trips—to Sequoia and Yosemite national parks—happened during fall break, but the timing was later changed to precede student orientation.
The Wilderness Orientation Adventure is a student-run program designed to welcome first-year and some transfer students to CMC, and ease their transition into college life. Students are invited to participate in various camping trips or—for the first time this year—in an urban adventure outing to a major metropolitan city. The program typically attracts between 70 and 80 freshmen each summer, but this year set records with 131 students (including transfers).
This year's selections included camping in Yosemite or Sequoia national parks, Catalina, or in Montana de Oro State Park, although activities vary year to year. There was also canoeing from Needles, Calif., to Lake Havasu City, Ariz., backpacking or rock climbing in Yosemite, and a visit to the Los Angeles-Santa Monica area. Two or three current students and a member of the faculty, staff, or CMC alumni body accompany each group. Chartered buses take the groups to their destinations the weekend before freshmen orientation, and they return the night before the formal program.
W.O.A. is entirely student-run. Student coordinators Ashley Fricks '04 and Jay Zalman '03, who both participated in the program as freshmen, spent part of the spring semester and much of summer break planning this year's trips with Nauls' assistance and advice. Participating students are responsible for funding their own trips. "W.O.A. is a self-contained program," explains Nauls, "so there is no budget. Students pay for everything themselves." Participants pay a $300 application fee which then goes directly toward food, gear and other associated costs, Fricks says. When talking to past participants and leaders, a common response is that the W.O.A. program's informal setting makes new students more comfortable in meeting people before orientation.
Sydney Rosencrans '05 said, "You meet so many people at orientation. It was nice to really get to know some of them, rather than just learning their names." Lars Gardner '05 said, "W.O.A. helps you make friends early." Transfer student Nora Sutton '04, who came from Mount Holyoke College, said the program definitely made it easier to start at a new school. "I met a lot of people, and the leaders told us everything we needed to know about the College."
The student leaders also pointed out the program's success in facilitating easy friendships. "Every time I see a student from the trip, they're with someone else from the trip," said Abbie Johnson '04. Scott Smith '02 has seen up to 10 students from his trip having dinner together.
Professor Steve Naftilan, the faculty leader of the Yosemite backpacking trip, says the program helps break down barriers between students and faculty. Faculty members who go along on the trips do so on a voluntary basis, meaning they are there on their own time. But they do it because "they really enjoy the meeting of the new students," said Jeff Huang, associate dean of campus life. Naftilan applauds the mutual benefits for participating professors in interacting with students outside of the classroom. "I can get an idea of who my students are, so it's easier to connect in the classroom. And the students on these trips see professors as normal people."
While everyone involved says the program was a tremendous success, it was not without incident. Naftilan reports seeing a bear near the campsite, then later awakening to the sound of a crash. Fearing the bear had returned, everyone started pounding in unison only to hear the "bear" pounding back—it was a student who had tripped over some equipment. A couple of the trips had food problems: the Montana de Oro group's hamburger meat spoiled, and both stoves on the Sequoia backpacking trip broke. Students in Catalina got up close and personal with the wildlife when 50 bison walked through their camp.
On the whole, however, enthusiasm for the program is high. "The W.O.A. program has met and surpassed all of our expectations," said Nauls. The best testimony is the eagerness of the participants to return as leaders. "I want to be a sponsor next year," Rosencrans said.