It was a quiet morning on August 30th when TALONS, excited freshman, and nervous parents disturbed the peace to move the incoming freshman in to start a new chapter of their lives at Stockton University. All the new students who moved in on this day signed up for Stockton’s Outdoor Adventure Retreat. S.O.A.R. is located at YMCA’s Camp Ockanickon just a little over an hour away from campus. This experience is to help new students step out of their comfort zone and make start friendships that could possibly last a lifetime.
The incoming freshman were welcomed very enthusiastically by TALONS and were then revealed which tribe they would be one for the next three days. After this warm welcome, the students and their families took the next 2-3 hours to quickly set up their room and get settled in. After saying on last emotional goodbye to their families, it was then time for the “tribelets” to get on the bus and head over to camp.
When all the students arrived, there was not much time to relax before all the exciting and fun ice breakers began. At this point some people had already made friends that would be by their side for the next 4 years at Stockton. It was truly an amazing thing to see how close some people got in such a short amount of time. The next two days consisted of a little bit of canoeing, some great TALONS, a lot of ice breakers, even more camp chants, and overall an unforgettable experience. One activity that really helped many students step out of their comfort zones were the high ropes obstacle course. It was inspiring to see people who were afraid of heights conquer their fears. The overall experience at S.O.A.R. was one that every freshman should be a part of at Stockton.