New Students Complete Experiential Orientation and Return to Campus

By Zayla Young ’26

On September 13, 2023, new Prescott College students returned to the warehouse to debrief and unpack all their gear from the orientation trip. The first two groups came separately in the morning, arriving from the Wet Beaver and Clearwater course, and the last two groups arrived in the afternoon from the Barbershop trip. Surprisingly, all four groups were ready to clean up and be productive after being out in the field for a few weeks of hard core backpacking. Many stations were set up at the warehouse so everything could be done in an efficient and organized manner. There was a station to clean out the wag bags, and a station for rinsing and hanging up backpacks and tarps. Then, next to the big black bins that hold all the rainwater being collected over months, was a station for taking out all personal gear, as well as a group bins to be stored inside. Inside was a station for all gear to be checked in and processed. Finally, on the East side of the warehouse, the transportation vans were washed, vacuumed, and wiped windows down for future use. The groups were upbeat, fun, and light-hearted–even after the challenging orientation journey.

Those who participated in Community-based orientation (CBO) also came to the warehouse to help with the clean up. There were lots of hugs, laughter, and joy because the Prescott College students missed their friends from opposite orientation groups. The Prescott College community embraced the instructors and orientation survivors, and a bunch of hugs and catching up happened. The warehouse student workers, Christian Davis and Winter were a great help and part of the day of intense clean up and organization, so shout out to them for the fantastic job!