Orientation Week

Passing a classmate through the 'spider web'

Orientation week began just like any other day that you walk into a room of people you don’t know at all – nervous to see if you’ll fit in, worried you’ll accidentally miss an important meeting, or worst of all, forget to wear your suit for picture-day. During the first two days we had the traditional introductions to the program and faculty as well as tours of the area. A definite highlight was an introduction to University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics by the CEO Ken Kates. 

Any uneasiness we had around each other disappeared midweek, though, when we went to the low ropes course at the Hawkeye Recreation Fields. For the entire morning we did team building exercises. This was no human-knots amateur hour, though -- we swinging around on ropes and balancing giant platforms all under the premise that if we didn’t complete the task something bad would happen. I don’t know about you, but nothing motivates me to hang onto a rope knowing that alligators are going to eat me if I fall into the ‘swamp.’   

First-year MHAs after a day at the ropes course

After that day the ice was broken -- you weren’t just sitting next to your new classmate, but the girl you helped strategically pass through a ‘spider web’ so she wouldn’t wake the giant spider that called that web home. Who knew Iowa City was such an exotic place?

After that, the rest of the week sailed by with a department-wide picnic and opportunities to get involved with extracirriculars. The week ended with the annual first-year vs. second- and third-year kickball game. The second- and third-years pulled out a victory in a close game but let everyone be warned, next year the class of 2013 is coming for the crown!