Class of 2027 participates in Orientation-week
Events include trips across the east coast and sexual assault prevention training

Before beginning classes on September 7, all freshmen attended Voices of W&L, an Orientation Week (O-Week) multi-skit performance led by upperclassmen with the goal of training students to handle difficult and uncomfortable situations that might occur on campus.

The skits ranged from topics like sexual abuse and rape to alcohol overuse and drunk driving. While there were some specific moments that students thought could’ve been handled better, the overall impression was positive.

Mac Malambri, ‘27, told The Spectator that, “it’s not stuff you’d want to talk about, but it had to happen and it was the best way it could’ve been done.”

Isaac James, ‘27, said that “The common theme of peer pressure was prevalent… it made me rethink my approach to party culture.”

Hudson Pitchford, ‘27, especially liked one skit about a student who took care of their friend that “blacked out” the night before. The friend in the skit was frustrated with her friend’s behavior, and tells her: “I’ve been taking care of your sorry ass all night”.

Hudson told The Spectator that this skit “demonstrated both what a friend should do and the attitude that they should have in doing that. It showed that it’s appropriate to be unhappy with your friend who got too drunk and did something unsafe.”

In a skit that discussed rape, two female friends were sitting together in a dorm room, one of whom (within the plot of the skit) was raped the night before. They discussed what happened and showed what steps might be taken to help a victim, without ever explicitly using the word rape.

One student, who asked to remain anonymous, told The Spectator that “I didn’t like that they never said the word [rape]. I don’t know what the intent was, but… it was disingenuous. They were kind of trying to avoid the problem, even at the event where we were trying to face the problem.”

In one of the skits, a drunk male student is making unwanted sexual advances towards a female student. A friend of that female student came and pulled the girl away, saving her from possible sexual assault.

Two weeks after Voices of W&L took place, a freshman told The Spectator that this skit had helped him navigate a similar scenario:

“Last night at a party there was a drunk guy trying to make out with a girl, and I’m not sure I would have responded correctly if I hadn’t seen that skit. It really scared me,” he said.

The students also took part in active bystander training, a program designed to prepare them to take action in various scenarios of sexual assault and rape. They were taught four possible approaches in a scenario of potential sexual assault: Direct, Delay, Delegate, and Distract.

When asked if he felt prepared to help in a difficult situation, Hudson Pitchford, ‘27, said that he was “shown that there’s lots of ways to help people out in bad situations and there’s always something that [I] would be comfortable doing.”

Calla Andrews, ‘27, told The Spectator that she was very thankful for the program: “I’m glad we don’t pretend to live in a vacuum where nothing happens, they’re being realistic and giving people ways to deal with these things.”

One graphic shown on the slideshow depicted a tree with sexual assault and rape as leaves at the top of the tree, and “colonialism” and “ableism” at the roots of the tree.

Alex Kagan, ‘27, told The Spectator, “At a school with a large party culture, it’s important to train people on sexual awareness. That being said, having terms like colonialism and ableism at the roots of such awful behavior is not only preposterous but only serves to distract from the actual problems we were discussing.”

O-Week activities included several other events, including Honor Convocation — where they discussed the policies of the White Book in Lee Chapel, National Historic Landmark —  and Casino Night, in which students played with game money to earn prizes.

The entire freshman class also attended a presentation with Lexington Chief of Police and W&L Public Safety.

Officers discussed local laws pertaining to alcohol usage, noise complaints, and littering. They reminded W&L students that they are not just a member of the campus community, but also the broader Rockbridge County community.

Prior to Orientation week, every freshmen student participated in one of eleven “Leading Edge” Pre-Orientation programs.

The Pre-O trip with the most student participants was Appalachian Adventure, which sent students in small groups led by 3 upperclassmen out into the wilderness to hike a portion of the Appalachian Trail.

The program is centered around an immersive experience in nature, as students are not permitted to bring phones or even watches on the trail.

Feedback for the trip was extremely positive.

Mac Malambri, ‘27, thought that it was “Nice to have a break from the world as W&L became [my] center of focus.”

Hudson Pitchford, ‘27, stated that “Not bringing phones was definitely a good experience… it allows you to constantly be in the moment.”

Beyond LEADership helped students discover their personality styles and apply them while working with others.

Leon told The Spectator that this trip gave him “the opportunity to really sit down and consider all my values, strengths, and weaknesses.” Their workshop on vulnerability showed him that “only when you’re vulnerable can you maximize your leadership skills… and overcome your weaknesses.”

Home Is Where The Art Is educated students on a wide breadth of topics within the arts. They completed projects relating to theater and dance, learned how to set up a professional interview, and attended plays and hip hop dances in Washington, DC.

Isaac James, ‘27, said that although he was “not a theater person...it was really neat to explore something that [he] wouldn’t normally participate in.”