Macie McCallion
SOAR is an exhilarating experience for all incoming freshmen. It stands for the Stockton Outdoor Adventure Retreat. It serves as a way for freshmen to get to know each other and build lasting connections before beginning this new chapter of our lives at Stockton University.
As we moved in on August 25th 2015, there were so many emotions running through the minds of every parent, family member, and student. We felt fear, excitement, worry, thrill, eagerness and more. After we said goodbye to our parents and headed off to SOAR, all of the worry and fear began to disappear; we started to feel more comfortable around one another. We were split up into tribes. The tribes were orange, navy, pink, yellow, red, green, purple and sky. I was a member of sky tribe (the best tribe out of them all). There were about 30 people per tribe and by the end of SOAR we were all each other’s second family. This aspect of SOAR really makes Stockton truly feel like our home away from home.
The activities that we participated in are really what contributed to all of the bonds that we made. We contemplated several mind games and were elated when we understood when no one else did. We sang, danced, played cards, went kayaking, climbed rock walls and chased some metaphorical lions. On top of all the fun activities, we also participated in some activities that educated us on topics like diversity, acceptance and trust.
SOAR may have only been three short days. However, they were 3 of the best days I have had in a long time. By the end of it we all had bug bites and dirty shoes and sweaty shirts but none of us cared because we had such a great time. Thanks to SOAR I feel so much more comfortable assimilating into this new environment and being the outgoing, confident person that I have always been.