On the first Tuesday night of spring quarter, more than 650 Cal Poly students of every age and major gather in Chumash auditorium to begin training to become a Week of Welcome (WOW) Orientation Leader. These Leaders in Training (LITs) will complete hours of workshops, discussions, simulations, service projects and education taught by members of WOW Board and WOW Team. While LITs receive this leadership training during the spring before they lead a group of freshman wowies, but members of the WOW Executive Board and WOW Team begin their planning and preparation almost a full year in advance.
Each member of the WOW Team fulfills the role of either a facilitator (FAC) or a member of the production crew (PC). Facilitators train a group of LITs during spring training, while the production crew monitors all other activities, including creating skits and preparing materials for WOW Board.
The 2011 WOW Executive Board is comprised of seven carefully selected students to oversee the organization and execution of the entire orientation program. These students are each part of a committee (such as Multimedia, Fundraising or Events and Entertainment) and contribute unique skills and talents to improve the program each year.
Laura Worsham, WOW Board member and part of the Campus and Community Relations committee, said she experienced personal growth by leading other students.
“I love that it’s an environment that encourages both personal and professional development,” Worsham said. “I also think it’s amazing that we’re student-run by volunteers who want to be there.”
Other members of the WOW Board echo Worsham’s observations of the program.
WOW Board info:
Ana Baugus biological sciences senior from Glendora, Calif.
Awareness Committee Co-Chair
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A: I love the leadership development that occurs in the program. The fact that, as students, we get to have a direct impact on future students of Cal Poly, is something that’s extremely unique.
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: Our group theme was 83 Rockstar Energy.
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
A: My favorite WOW moments always revolve around seeing the WOW Leaders I helped train with their own wowies the following fall.
Q: What is a life goal of yours?
A: I would love the opportunity to go to Africa to help children and communities in distress. In the end, I just want to help people.
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself?
A: I can lick my elbow, and I’m kind of obsessed with the color pink.
Brendon Soltis, 2011 computer science alumnus from San Jose, Calif.
Awareness Committee Co-Chair, Multimedia Committee Co-Chair
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A: My favorite thing about WOW is the community this program cultivates. It takes something as simple as orientation and brings it to a whole new level. We really focus on not only orienting students to their new home, but on creating bonds that will last past college graduation. I made my best friends through WOW and they have made my college experience amazing.
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: The theme of my group as a freshman was 123 Charlie the Unicorn!
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
A: My favorite WOW memory comes from the Week 2010. I lead such an amazing group of incoming students. Our theme was one-eight-oh (180) WOWies meet SLO, parodying off of Boy Meets World. For one of our closing activities, we gave everyone a Ripples card, which are inspirational quote cards created by Paul Wesselmann. We then proceeded to share the quote we got and talked about how it relates to our life and transition. It amazes me still how close WOW brings people together and that activity showed me how close our group got. They supported and still do support each other daily here at Cal Poly. I’ve seen them come together in good and bad times. It is memories like this that make this program so special.
Q: What is a life goal of yours?
A: A life goal of mine is to start a non-profit organization that helps youth in less fortunate countries. I get my inspiration from the World Vision organization and want to do a lot of what they do but on a more specific scale (which I’m not sure what that is at the moment).
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself?
A: I play bass guitar, love to read Stephen King, love overcast weather, listen to Eminem and love to drive.
Cassie Pitkin 2011 kinesiology alumna from Petaluma, Calif.
Events & Entertainment, Fundraising & Sponsorship, Survey Analysis Team
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A: I love that incoming students immediately have a family in SLO; WOW Leaders and the wowies really take care of each other.
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: Our group theme was 4-6-0 Feelin’ the Mojo!
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
A: Every year, one of my favorite parts of WOW is when all of the leaders are together with their crazy signs, getting those wowies excited!
Q: What is a life goal of yours?
A:I want to go hang-gliding in Tahoe at sunset at some point in my life.
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself:
A: I have a strict fear of clowns and yellow smiley faces.
Laura Worsham 2011 business administration alumna from Cupertino, Calif.
Campus and Community Relations, Review Analyze and Develop
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A: I love that it’s an environment that encourages both personal and professional development. I’ve grown so much throughout my years in the program, and I’m taking away life skills as well as great friendships.
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: We were hippies. Though the theme only lasted the first couple days.
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
A: There are too many to choose from, but one is meeting my WOWies the first and only year I was a group leader. My co-leader and I were so excited and just couldn’t contain it. I loved meeting our group and knew then it was something I wanted to be more deeply involved in.
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself?
A: I just graduated and will soon start working at Ernst & Young. Out in four with a job is possible! But enjoy it because those years go by fast.
Lauren Peters liberal studies senior from Anaheim Hills, Calif.
Campus and Community Relations
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A:I love seeing how creative everyone is with their group themes, especially the signs!
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: Our group theme was Where’s Waldo?!?
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
A: My favorite memory is going to WOW-A-Rama with my wowies and watching them have so much fun.
Q: What is a life goal of yours?
A: I want to make a difference in the lives of my students.
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself?
A: I worked at Disneyland for three years.
Matt Lomeli – B.S. Agriculture Science, Cal Poly – Graduate Student: Single Subject Teaching Credential Candidate in Agriculture from Modesto, Calif.
Marketing and Communication Committee, Multimedia Committee
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A: I love all the amazing people you meet — like all of my transfer leaders in training from Group Four.
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: Our group theme was Heinz 57 Ketchup! I still have our cheer memorized!
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
My favorite memory is when I got see all of the transfer groups come together and do some amazing activities that allowed every single transfer student to meet one another.
Q: What is a life goal of yours?
A: My life goal is to teach high school agriculture and live in Australia.
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself:
A: I am addicted to YouTube, and I like to laugh so much that people call me LOLmeli.
Rachel Bodily, liberal studies senior from Colfax, Calif.
Co-Chair of Events & Entertainment Committee, Co-Chair of Fundraising & Sponsorship Committee
Q: What is your favorite thing about WOW?
A: My favorite thing is the sense of community it brings to the incoming freshmen in the residence halls.
Q: What was the theme of your WOW group when you were a freshman?
A: Honestly, I don’t even remember our group theme!
Q: What is your favorite WOW memory?
A: My favorite memory is having friends over the night before WOW 2009 began and staying up all night to make our shirts!
Q: What is a life goal of yours?
A: My life goal is to meet Justin Bieber.
Q: Any other interesting facts about yourself?
A: I love the color green and Shrek, a lot.