“Our big goal is to show them that college isn’t partying and that there are a lot of other ways to have fun,” Week of Welcome (WOW) executive board member Bryanna Lindgren said.
Cal Poly’s (WOW) program seeks to introduce incoming students to other new students, current students, college departments and faculty while acquainting them with the campus and community.
In preparation for the week, leaders must attend three-hour meetings every Tuesday night during spring quarter and one all day workshop on a Saturday toward the end of the quarter to prepare.
Training was beneficial because it was informative and generated excitement amongst the WOW leaders, business administration senior Matt Schroyer said.
During these meetings they work on the logistics of how to budget the $25 alloted to each WOWie. They also do situational training that focuses on things like what to do if a WOWie breaks their leg on a mountain or comes out of the closet to their leader or is just disrespectful. After the training, they watch skits that reinforce what they have learned.
“It is actually a lot of fun,” child development senior Taylor Lambert said. “It isn’t like you are sitting there and getting lectured at; you are doing interactive things and listening to people talk about topics and situations that could come up during the week.”
During the week leaders have to have activities planned until midnight and on weekends until 1 a.m., Lambert said.
WOW leaders are also required to wake up early enough to attend their 7 a.m. daily meetings, meet their WOWies at 8 a.m. and get breakfast. Then they then attend various awareness presentations and do planned campus activities. After lunch they, among other things, surf, kayak, hike or do any other activity the leaders have planned. They then might grab dinner downtown and then go to a beach bonfire or watch a movie at a leader’s house, depending on the day and group.
Each day was different, and the experience was tiring, but very rewarding, Schroyer said.
“WOW leaders have to keep a high level of energy while with the WOWies, and spend extra time planning and making sure the week goes well,” Schroyer said.
Lambert hosted a crepe and movie night at her house and among other activities their group surfed in Morro Bay, completed the high ropes course on campus, went to a bonfire, saw the hypnotist, explored downtown and even took part in a community service activity.
During the day of service, their team helped fold clothes at a woman’s house who makes a clothes bank for homeless teens. The year before Lambert’s group took part in a beach cleanup, she said.
“We tried to include active events and educational ones and time to relax, too,” Schroyer said.
Both leaders paid money out of pocket to give their group the extra experience, Lambert said.
Lambert got involved because she wanted to turn around the experience she had duing WOW.
“When I was a WOWie my WOW leaders didn’t care at all about the program and we never went to presentations and did stuff,” Lambert said. “I wanted to get a chance to redo the experience and give my WOWies a better one.”