Orientation Week: An Overview
Orientation at Florida Tech is now over and it was a blast! I had so much fun and the PPL’s (panther prep leader) did a great job at transitioning us into college life over the week-long orientation. We played games, watched skits, were introduced to the new organizations at the college, and ultimately had a good time.
The first day of orientation started with check-in. This was a long line that made sure we had everything ready for our first days at FIT. Thankfully, I had completed my Panther Pass long ahead of time, so check-in was a breeze. In the line, while waiting behind people who hadn’t planned as well as I had, I met many of my classmates and fellow Roberts Hall residents. After moving all of my stuff into my dorm (and meeting my particularly chill roommate Dave), I dined with my mother at Panther Dining Hall, where I got my first taste of the excellent food available here on campus. The President’s Convocation was a very interesting experience, wherein Dr. Catanese passed on some pithy kernels of advice, including the notion that sunblock is crucial, and almost as essential as attending class.
After meeting with my Orientation group (TEAM BLUE REPRESENT!), we participated in the first round of color wars competitions. My team did respectably well, dominating the competition in Mega Twister, while having an inconclusive result in the Human Knot and losing by a nose in the Inflatable Obstacle Course. My revelry had to come to an end prematurely, as bright and early the next morning I (along with most of the folks who didn’t transfer in with AP or college credit) had to trudge through a calculus placement exam. That was a bit of a wake-up call, as I’m fairly certain that I actually have to study for the stuff. After an abbreviated breakfast, I made my way to Florida Tech 101, a seminar in the Clemente Center that had a valuable opportunity to ask questions of the higher-ups at Florida Tech. After another Orientation Group meeting I made my way down to the Clemente Center for a chance to see the incredibly talented comedy hypnotist with my floor-mates.
We also got to attend the Res Life 101 hosted by the RA’s of each hall. This went over the general rules of the dorms and how we should act when living on campus. The skits were entertaining, but made a clear point to us on how to properly live on campus. All in all we ended orientation with the color wars finale with events such as dodge ball, capture the flag, and kickball. Blue team ended up in third place with a gruesome win over yellow team in capture the flag. Orientation week was an amazing experience and I feel as if I’m ready to start a new life here at FIT. GO PANTHERS!
