NSO2 Weekend!

Hey Everyone! It’s Katie again.

So it is Monday, and classes are starting…I’m already exhausted! But not because of classes, I’m exhausted because we just completed a whole weekend of the New Student Orientation Part 2! (Otherwise known as NSO2).

Here are just a couple of my awesome color
teammates, my fellow Royals waiting to
move some students in!

Man, is it fun!

So Friday morning came and all 180 Orientation Leaders came to Tully’s to eat some breakfast and prepare themselves for the weekend ahead, one jam-packed with energy, enthusiasm, Penn State Pride and a lot of dancing.

These 180 Orientation Leaders were adorned with beads, boas, tutus, bow ties, face paint, and even (in my case) fairy wings. The point? To have a fun and energetic environment for First Year Students to experience when they came to campus!

Friday was full of carts, plastic bins, and check-ins, where all morning and afternoon OL’s helped new students move all of their stuff into their new rooms… and let me tell you the smiles on their faces were incredible! The feeling of putting someone’s stuff in their room, and seeing them look around at their new room is amazing, because you can see the wheels turning, imagining the possibilities that lie in store at Berks! After moving people in students had a chance to not only meet their Resident Assistant (RA) but also do some fun ice breakers with their Hall and the OL’s! But the excitement only continued when the Residence Hall Rally was underway in the Beaver Community Center!

For our team cheer, we were the color Royal Blue, so we stuck with the royal theme, mashing up three songs to dance to. They were Royal (Lorde), Dancing Queen (Abba), and the beginning part of the Lion King... Thus why I am being lifted up into the air... I got to be Simba! :)

Between educational skits, OL team cheers and some awesome dancing, students had a lot to learn and a lot to enjoy watching!  Students were even cheering and clapping along with cheers, which was so cool!

Saturday started out raining and drizzly but we all made the most of it, students and OL’s alike! There were fun breakout sessions, students met their First Year Seminar Peer Mentor, Play Fair, and more fun activities later like Bingo, free ice cream and a Dance! It was like fun overload!! (For those of you that don’t know what Play Fair is, students all get together and break out into various groups and do some fun activities. This time we broke into groups by our birthday month, and got to meet someone in the group and make a secret handshake!

After the dance was over we all trickled back to the dorms, exhausted but having spent the day smiling our hearts out, and cheering/laughing so hard our throats hurt.

Finally, on Sunday, it was time for our Commuters to shine! Beginning with our Commuter Rally, it was just as much fun as for the Residence Hall Rally! Students watched even more skits, dancing, and team cheers. Then they got to know each other when they broke into groups commuting from the same location!

We listened to an amazing comedian who, as expected, was nothing short of hilarious and incredible! Students were talking about his routine all day—and so were the OL’s! Everyone was laughing so hard and a couple people may have started to cry!

There were more break out sessions to help students learn about their majors and student involvement! And as the day wore on it was time for Mini-Club Rush! Students got the opportunity to go around and speak to representatives of different Clubs. Talk about an awesome way to get involved and have fun right from the beginning!

We closed the day, and in turn NS02 weekend, with Hypnosis Consultant Dale K, and Open Mic night for students. What a better way to end the festivities? Laughing hysterically while someone is hypnotized to think they are a kangaroo, and then expressing yourself through performing!

It doesn’t get any better than that folks!

One of my favorite parts about this NS02 Weekend was the amount of students that came up to me and remembered me as their Tour Guide for Campus Tours, or had fun at the NS01 Sessions I hosted over the summer. Many told me how much my enthusiasm inspired them and helped them get really excited for school to start, and to be excited just to be a Nittany Lion! Those moments are priceless and should be treasured always!

I hope you enjoyed hearing about this fantastic weekend, and I’ll be back soon to talk about another fun Penn State Berks topic soon! I wonder what it will be? ;) Remember, it’s not goodbye guys, it’s only a see-ya later!

Now go have a fantastic day and take the time today to appreciate something that has inspired you!

See ya later everyone!

- Katie