Comments on: What’s the point of orientation?

By: Young Alumna

Young Alumna — Sat, 17 Sep 2016 04:00:14 +0000

“It’s funny how you fail to mention that it was said multiple times that no one is obligated to participate in anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. As a volunteer position, planning and attending orientation events were opt-in, but I assume you knew that since you didn’t attend most other events except karaoke BBQ.”

Yes it is said that you don’t have to do activities, but that doesn’t mean anything does at the end of the day does it? It was kind of mentioned as an afterthought. I don’t remember there being options? I remember my frosh week was a blur. My rez exec was really pushy on being involved in everything. We did everything as a group. There was no “if you don’t want to..”, rather it was “EVERYONE IN THE HALL RIGHT NOW. LETS GOOOO! *blamming on closed doors*”.

Also whats with attacking Willa anonymously? NOT cool.

Great article Willa, well done!

By: SK Murphy

SK Murphy — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 21:12:21 +0000

I am honestly very disappointed by this piece. As a fellow student leader who went through the exact same process of applying and interviewing as you did for your position, I am shocked that you chose to not only stay on the committee with such strong reservations, but you also did not contribute publicly to the improvement of orientation week. If your motivations are truly to make orientation week a safer, healthier, and more instructional event, then I feel as if you have done a great disservice to this years incoming class since you denied them your ideas until now. At that, they are now reading this article and doubting the intentions of their orientation committee. How unsettling that must be for them. As upper year students, we cannot possibly know how the first year students experienced orientation week, but they definitely have their opinions too and maybe that is one place we should be focusing our attention. Is the orientation format perfect? NO. Is there room for significant improvements to be made? YES. Should the ‘hierarchy’ of student leaders continue to be worked on so it is less invasive? YES. Are these changes going to be made if people in positions of relative influence aren’t contributing to the progress they want to see happen? Definitely not.

By: Annoyed

Annoyed — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 16:06:24 +0000

It’s funny how you fail to mention that it was said multiple times that no one is obligated to participate in anything that makes them feel uncomfortable. As a volunteer position, planning and attending orientation events were opt-in, but I assume you knew that since you didn’t attend most other events except karaoke BBQ.

Maybe you should have attended the debriefing meeting where issues like these were discussed, or perhaps as a ‘strong-willed individual’ you could have spoken up to your orientation chair/committee about these concerns you had instead of a passive aggressive article in the argosy.