Wow…Where do I begin?!? Hokie Camp 2008 marks the beginning of a very special tradition for the Virginia Tech community. As the student director for the program this year, my main goal was to pass down the knowledge and traditions of Tech to the incoming class of 2012. Since this is the first year, we did not know what to expect. Would the freshmen want to come to this event? Would they be enthusiastic and excited about it? Those were all answered the second each one of them jumped off of the bus early Monday morning. As “Enter Sandman” played in the background, the campers didn’t skip a beat! They jumped around and really embraced one of our most well-known athletic traditions right away. At the welcome session, there was an energy in the room that was electric. You had to be here to feel the emotion of each person…absolutely stunning!
When I ventured around the camp to observe the various activities, I noticed some very special moments. All of the color groups formed their own culture right away. Each building group represented themselves proudly within the color group, but they each played an integral part in the entire group’s success. This is something that is seen everyday around our campus. Although we are all diverse and unique in our own way, our Principles of Community, mutual respect for one another, and undying love for Tech allows us to live and learn from one another each and everyday, ultimately forming our strong Hokie Nation.
The campers were given the opportunity to experience teamwork and trust on the low ropes course. During the academics piece, they were exposed to the many resources available on campus, and everyone was given the opportunity to openly talk about the importance of getting involved with a panel of counselors. The freshmen were all excited to learn about each one of our campus traditions, and had a blast putting together skits to teach the rest of the groups. During the night session, freshmen put their color affiliations aside and danced to some great music! To conclude the night, four of our counselors shared their personal experiences and touching stories during our campfire session. Truly an incredible time!
As the sessions conclude today, Hokie Camp 2008 will forever remind me of how lucky I am to be a Hokie. I am confident when I say that the Class of 2012 will “Invent the Future” and be an amazing addition to our community. Serving as the student director has allowed me to live our motto, Ut Prosim, and for that, I will be forever grateful. On behalf of the Hokie Camp staff, we wish the Class of 2012 the best of luck in the fall semester, and hope that this experience was a memorable one! GO HOKIES!
~Robbie Zayas (Hokie Camp student director)
