Photos by Ralph Freso/Slideshow
Grand Canyon University’s campus came to life this week in the middle of a hot and quiet summer, when 64 incoming freshmen swarmed its grounds for the first Herd Camp.
Welcome Programs hosted students from Southern California, New Mexico, Texas, Nevada and Arizona, with a detailed itinerary packed with information sessions, events and fun initiatives intended to show them the heart of GCU and its campus culture.
“The reason we did this is because we want to prepare students to be more successful and have a more well-rounded experience at GCU,” said Welcome Programs Coordinator Michaella Smith. “We care about their academic success, but we also care about them developing their faith, finding community, finding their own interests and passions.
“Our big goals for Herd Camp are connection, preparedness and commitment.”
The three-day camp schedule reflected these goals as students went from speaker sessions, small groups and campus tours to Lopes Olympics, scavenger hunts, pool parties and even a day-trip to the original grounds of the university.
These students received a new outlook on the school and what their life could look like as a Lope.
“We want them to feel connected to each other and the campus and to feel committed to their journey,” added Smith. “We just want to give a little taste of what GCU is.”
Monday morning kicked off camp, when students started arriving for their first speaker sessions. Smiles, laughter and chatter filled Thunderground as students began connecting with one another and making their first GCU friends through ice breaker games.
Team bonding continued when students visited the Lopes Performance Center for the Lopes Olympics. Volleyballs soared through the air, and basketballs plunged through hoops on one side of the courts, while on the other side, students dodged, ducked, dipped and dived in an intense game of dodgeball. Even the student volunteers joined the fun.
Campuswide scavenger hunts and small, artsy activities, such as making friendship bracelets, scrapbooking and board games marked the end of the first day, where students got to unwind while sharing what they learned in their first speaker sessions on stewardship and leadership.
Danyn Quintero, incoming forensic science major, appreciated the immediate opportunity to make college friends.
“I thought this would be a good idea to get involved and meet new people,” Quintero said. “I chose GCU because it is a Christian university, closer to home, where I feel safer and more comfortable. Plus everyone here is so nice – the campus and everything about it is great.”
Students not only made new connections with each other but with the university and its roots, as well.
The Prescott National Guard Armory and Museum, formerly known as GCU’s original grounds, welcomed two full charter buses of students for a tour of the facility. GCU alumni Anna Faith Smith and Keith Baker greeted them with a GCU history talk in which they shared how the school was founded and the growth it has experienced over the years. Students explored the small space and walked the halls where the first graduating classes of GCU spent their college years.
To cool off from the Arizona heat, students spent their free time kayaking and paddleboarding at Watson Lake and exploring Prescott.
Incoming history major Anthony Chalhoub found his connection to the school through the camp’s various activities.
“I feel like it is perfect for me. My favorite part is that everyone is different. To see a huge group of people who are interested in the same kind of things, yet are so diverse at the same time, is perfect. I feel like everyone just connects here. They don’t have to try to fit in.”
All students will be returning to campus next month when the highly anticipated Welcome Week kicks off the academic year.
“Herd Camp is designed to help students think more deeply and intentionally and to start building connections from an earlier standpoint, so they are really well set up for Welcome Week,” Welcome Programs Director Charity Norman said.
“Welcome Week is such a big, fun week, but it can also be overwhelming. Students are just getting here, there is a lot to adjust to, and then classes start right away. This camp is a much more intentional, intimate environment for students.”
It is the calm before the storm.
Incoming hospitality management major Aubrey Posey found the timing of Herd Camp to be exactly what she needed.
“I wanted to come to this camp to make new friends and have the opportunity to see campus before it gets too chaotic.”
Herd Camp gave these students a glimpse of what to expect once they officially join the herd.
GCU staff writer Izabela Fogarasi can be reached at [email protected]
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