As you walk into the cool dark room, the first thing you notice is the overwhelming smell of freshly popped popcorn. Next, is what you see. Rows of chairs fill half of the room, leaving a large space to lay out blankets and pillows for a picnic. You follow the line to the make-shift concession stand. You receive a bag of popcorn, a soda, and candy. Then you find your seat. Whether in one of the chairs, or on the floor with a group of friends, you settle in for the next 2 hours. Then it starts, the opening credits, followed by the feature of the night. For this particular night, Ant Man was playing. Most people were a little skeptical about a superhero the size of an ant. However, the audience was pleasantly surprised.

As the group watches this Marvel masterpiece, they are immersed into the world of Scott Lang. You rejoice when he defeats the villain, proving everyone who doubted him wrong. The action sequences were filled with thrills and humor. The awkward, yet cute, budding romance between the main leads, Scott Lang and Hope Pym, was something everyone could enjoy. The villain even had some great lines and was enjoyable to watch. However, he was no Loki. The character development of the main lead, from a criminal to a hero, was something that I feel everyone could relate to. To show that you don’t have to be born a hero, to be one.

When the movie was over, and the credits roll, you slowly get up, bringing all leftovers of your movie meal to the trash. Then you gather your things, and head back to the dorms. You think back to the movie, and how it made you feel. How good it felt to get a break from the stresses of school, and how nice it was to escape into a new world. How it feels to know that even though you are just a little college freshman, you can become great, just like Scott Lang. That even the ordinary can become extraordinary. As you depart your friends, you make promises to do this again next week.

On a week in September, the Red Cross held one of its many blood drives. People from all walks of life came to donate blood. It didn’t matter if you were a student or an outsider, all blood was accepted. There were people there who donated for the first time, and others who had donated 100 times. These unsung heroes came together for one purpose. They wanted to help people. To donate blood is not something everyone can do. But these people willingly handed a part of themselves over, in order to save another. It is an act that is not easily done.

The nurses in the room moved efficiently, gathering the patients one by one for a quick questionnaire. They asked if they had been out of the country or had any diseases. These awkward questions are needed to see if one is fit to donate a pint of blood. From the questionnaire, the subjects are taken to tables where they are laid down and drained of blood. It takes a different amount of time for each person. When done, their blood is take and put in a cooler. From there, the patient is moved to a table and handed sugary foods and drinks to help restore them to health.

When all’s said and done, the patient leaves. They are told not to do strenuous activity for the rest of the day. They are also told to wear a sticker. The sticker tells people that this person gave blood. This person is a hero. That they will save someone’s life one day. As the unsung hero leaves Big Blue to carry out the rest of their day, they feel good, and they know that they made a difference, one blood bag at a time.

With one step, a group of people that had recently been freed of the academic jail they called “high school” willingly exit the safety of their cars and join another academic environment. Nervous jitters flow through this strange atmosphere all the way from the TRLC to the new rooms they shall call home. These insignificant four white walls will soon contain the memories and joy of the next year. After a soulful goodbye to the people who raised these new scholars, this scared group of young adults are assigned a color and sorted accordingly.

Little do they know that this color will become not only their identity, but their beacon of hope. Now sorted into their groups, they are given the greatest gift you can give a scared little freshman. They are given T.A.L.O.N.S. These amazing people guide the group through the journey called S.O.A.R. They act as caretakers, friends, and inspiration. From the quad, the T.A.L.O.N.S took the first years to the busses where they loaded up bags. From there they led the freshman across the campus to B wing where the T.A.L.O.N.S introduced themselves.

In their introduction, they talk about the activities S.O.A.R has to offer. “We’re SOAR excited that you’re here,” they say. This ongoing pun will follow the now tribes through all of the experience. When the introductions are over, the icebreakers start. These icebreakers will be played so much, that at the end of this trip, everyone will know each other like they were childhood friends. The kids load up into the buses and then they’re off. After an hour and a half in the car, they disembark on a new terrain.

The cabins these freshmen are assigned resemble something of a chicken coop. With eight beds along the walls, the close quarters force these scared chickens to make friends. Next to follow is the night in the field. A band comes and plays classic rock. There the tribes form together to develop chants and defeat the other tribes in ultimate dance battles. Snow cones are served, and friends are made.

The next day follows starting at 7am sharp. After breakfast the tribes are divided and given designated events. From free time, to high ropes, these tribes bond over the new challenges they face. This follows to the next day. On this day, the tribes realize that their S.O.A.R adventure is over. On their last day the tribes do their activities. One of these, is the high ropes. These intercut challenges are designed to force the “triblets,” to get out of their comfort zone and form a new confidence that they can carry into the new year. They must “chase their lion.” This term is thrown around throughout S.O.A.R. and used to help the freshmen conquer their insecurities

When S.O.A.R ends, the friendships that are made do not end. They carry on. These tribes are now bonded, not only with their tribe members, but with their T.A.L.O.N.S. These people are no longer tribe members, but a family. Every member is different in their own ways, but that’s what makes them special. That’s what makes them S.O.A.R-tastic.