Pre-Orientation Program: First-Year Bonding
Student-Run Program Helps First-years Adjust to College Life
BY ALYSON DAME

Remember that first dorm meeting/ice cream party where you had to play embarrassing name-games? The Pre-Orientation Program, started last year by students, aims to make orientation week a little less awkward and scary for first-years. POP was created to introduce first-years to one another and the greater Cleveland area.
Seniors Andi Nelson, Katie Hamilton, Maya Leonard-Cahn and sophomore Cat Richert were all in the Outing Club last year. “They had the idea and they presented it to [College President] Nancy Dye,” POP co-ordinator and junior Ben Gleason said.
“We basically pulled out the U.S. News and World Report and showed the administration that all the schools that were better than us on the list had a higher retention rate and also had an outdoor orientation program,” trip leader Richert said.
Nelson, Hamilton and Leonard-Cahn all transferred from schools with pre-orientation programs. “It helped me to have a community of people that I knew before I even got to college, and it was a good transition between high school and college,” Nelson said.
Last fall, three backpacking trips, one biking trip, a Cleveland trip and a community service trip were offered. According to Richert, POP aims to offer a wide range of trip options outside of just wilderness adventure. “We wanted to appeal to a wide variety of people,” Nelson said. “We feel like backpacking is something white middle-class kids do,” Richert said. “We try and incorporate all sorts of different facets into our trips. Our goal is to make it interdisciplinary.” 
One aim of POP, according to Richert, is for “students to know the community better and help students feel an attachment to the town.” Nelson led a community service trip. “Community service is a good way to get to know parts of Oberlin that the College wouldn’t necessarily be involved with, and also it would hopefully get them to volunteer during their four years at Oberlin,” Nelson said.
Last year, POP was limited by money and leaders. “We were able to take about 60 people, but 200 people applied,” Richert said. “The school’s giving us more money this year. They’re giving us $5,000 more.” Unlike last year, trip-goers will pay a nominal fee, but scholarships are available.
This year’s program already has seven planned trips, including a trip focusing on a capella singing and performing arts, but Richert hopes to expand further. “Hopefully we’ll have 10 to 15 by the end of the year. One trip we would love to have go out is an underground railroad trip. We’re definitely still looking for more leaders,” she said. 
“We would love anyone who is interested to participate,” Nelson said.
Gleason was hired last summer to coordinate logistics. “I did the lottery. I sent out all the mailings and put the wait list together. I planned their meals and bought the food,” Gleason said. He led the trip into Cleveland. “We stayed at this amazing place called the Catholic Workers House. Their house was trying to help the mentally ill people in their area who had fallen through the cracks and weren’t getting enough help,” Gleason said. His group toured the West Side of Cleveland, met residents, discussed issues like gentrification and spent one day doing community service.
First-year Alisha Howard was on the Cleveland trip. “I thought it was important to me because I have friends from my POP trip now,” Howard said. 
First-year Erin Hurley went on a backpacking trip which included reading Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek. “It was cool to come here already knowing people and not feel like I was just thrown into a situation where I didn’t know anyone,” she said. “The [leaders] talked to us about what to expect, and it kind of made me less apprehensive.”

Gleason said the program fills a need in the otherwise lacking orientation program at Oberlin. “I think it’s important because all we have right now is the stupid one-day trips. Unless you’re extremely outgoing, you may only get to know the people on your hall,” he said.