Today was the ever-awaited Ropes Course Day. I started the day off not knowing what to expect and afraid of getting my clothes messy. However, I left the ropes course without any doubt that it made me a great leader.
In case one might not know what a ropes course is, it is a series of activities that are both mentally and physically challenging. In order to get past them, teamwork must be used and a strategy must be set.
My floor mates in the dorms and I agreed to wake up this morning at 6:00 AM in order to grab breakfast before departing to the ropes course at 8. A majority of us slept in the car on the way there, and I wasn’t an exception. Upon arriving at the area in which the ropes course was set up, my friend Abi, who lives in the bustling city of New York, complained about how she wasn’t used to being in the wilderness. However, what she considered to be the wilderness was what I thought to be a city park or something not so extreme. There were paved roads and a house-type area with cows and other farm animals. It surprised me how different our viewpoints were. The weather was cool but the air still had a slight hint of humidity. This, as well, surprised me. I was expecting blazing hot weather and a touch of suffering because we were advised to wear long pants and I just wore casual sweats, which would kill me, had it been hotter than 70 degrees.
Different groups of about 10 people each undergone a series of exercises that encouraged the groups to bond and work together:
• The Jump Rope Exercise: The group had to find a way to get its members across a turning jump rope without having it touch any part of their bodies. My team realized that we needed to pair up those who were able to do this exercise with those who didn’t have a sense of the beat. We finished in about 7 minutes.
• The Bungee Cord Exercise: The group had to find a way to guide the members individually through a 2x3 (roughly) opening made by a bungee cord. We army crawled and passed this test easily in about 7 minutes as well.
• Levitation: With one person lying down and the rest of the group surrounding her, members of the group would lift up another member while she lay still and trusted her body with them. It was a big trust exercise that strengthened the faith we had in each other.
• The Tightrope: Holding hands, everyone in the group walked across a series of tightropes that were held secure by trees. This was the hardest exercise because lots of us lost balance as we tried completing the tight rope length solo.
As soon as we came back to campus after the ropes course, my fellow ILCers and a couple of other friends quickly changed clothes to attend a pizza dinner held in one of the other buildings on campus. This pizza dinner was in celebration of the partnership program of the ILC. It wasn’t nearly as formal as Mr. Ramsey’s dinners, but nevertheless, there were guests that still loved being asked questions and giving their answers. After the dinner, we were surprised to know that Ms. Williams, our chaperone, came by just to see our dorms. After showing her into Cynthia’s solo dorm, Rebecca, Cynthia, and I walked Ms. Williams to her cab and talked about how everything was going for each other. I’ve never felt so close to the woman and I’m so happy we were all able to casually see each other again.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Day 10: Let's Stand In A Pentagon
Today was a really special day in that it was the ropes course. I learned that communication in a group is m
andatory and that I can trust those young woman in the class with me. The various courses included a wall that we had to lift people over or small brain teaser-like courses. We had to work as a team, but I didn’t notice I was working as a team until the activity was over. I feel like we bonded even more with trust falls, which now seems impossible because we are extremely close. Many of the courses involved being given “disabilities” such as not being allowed to speak to symbolize the leaders that were successful even tho
ugh they had a disability.
After the course we had no time to get across campus for a dinner for all the students with partnerships, including us with the Ivy League Connection. I felt special during the dinner because everyone else seemed antisocial whereas we were comfortable and relaxed. I again felt more prepared for events like that and more privileged as we we
re already used to it.
Ms. Williams visited the dorms to see how we are doing. It was awesome to see her sitting comfortably on Cynthia’s bed. We talked until she had to go so we walked her to her cab. We will be seeing her tomorrow but we said goodbye with a strange sadness.
If there is anything that I learned today, it is that the bonds we made or made stronger are hard to let go of and I want to stay close with my classmates even after we leave Brown.
Climbing Over That Wall
Waking up in time to be at the ropes course was surprisingly difficult for me. It was even more difficult to get out of the comfortable charter bus after a 45 minute ride. However, as I stepped outside my feelings started to change. I was immediately encountered with the beauty of where we were; the green lush forest bordered by the beach of the Atlantic Ocean. I then saw some tents, and learned that Brown students studying the environment lived there. This definitely caught my attention, because of my love for the outdoors and the great experiences that you have when you live in this kind of setting, away from the “real world”.
We soon got in (yet another) leadership circle, but instead of just the Women and Leadership class it was half of the leadership institute. We did some ice breakers as a warm up, and through one of them I was able to meet a Brown student who was helping out with the ropes course. After talking to him for a bit, I found out that he knew Kiana Ward, a former ILC Women and Leadership student and a current Brown Student, who I went to high school with. After the ice breaker we divided into groups and I, along with half of the Women and Leadership class, prepared to go into the woods with bug spray, water, and tick-repelling neon green bandanas.
The ropes course activities were challenging both physically and mentally. Through the first one, I learned how I am slightly more of a goal-oriented leader than a process leader. I learned the dangers of focusing too much on your goal, including forgetting your values and not considering the other people involved in the process.
It was also great to see how our group overcame their fears. We had many challenging activities, including climbing through a mock “spider web” without touching it and “waking the spider”, climbing over a 12 foot wall, and many more (that I have to admit are difficult to describe). Many girls felt unsure that they would physically be able to perform the task, trust the other girls with being able to lift or carry them, or were afraid of heights. One of the girls, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and never travelled outside of the city, was also very uncomfortable with being in nature. But by the end of the process, every girl seemed to overcome their fears, feel confident with themselves, and trust the other girls. I learned the power of support and encouragement, and how building others’ confidence can increase productivity and help a group reach its goals.
At noon, we were all given bag lunches and then walked to the beach to eat. We played with crabs, took pictures with each other, and ran around like little kids. It was almost impossible to imagine that this group of girls had only known each other for four days. At one point, I sat on a rock by myself looking at the ocean, and realized how beautiful and perfect being in that moment was. I felt so incredibly lucky to be having this experience, to be with such amazing people, and to be learning so much.
Climbing over the 12-foot wall had the biggest impact on me. When I saw how tall it was, how short I was, and how there was nothing to grab, I truly thought it was an impossible task. However, by seeing others approach the challenge and succeed, I quickly became confident that I would be able to do it as well. Getting over the wall was just like achieving any goal. The goal was simple –get over the wall. The obstacle was intimidating –it was a twelve foot wall and I am just over five feet tall. However, I knew that I had girls people standing on the other side that I could look up to, that I could reach for and that would help pull me up. I also had girls underneath to support me and to literally keep pushing me if I felt like quitting. And with this, getting over that wall, just like getting over any obstacle, didn’t seem to be impossible. And when I succeeded at reaching this goal, it was the best thing in the world.
We all came back “home” mentally and physically exhausted. However, this didn’t stop me from attending a presentation on writing the college admissions essay. It was a short presentation, but very informative. I learned more about how competitive getting into college was, and how much more competitive it is for my generation than for my parents. I also learned who college admissions officers are and what their schedule looks like, and how this can cause them to lack enthusiasm when reading applications. I learned what they are looking for, what “deadly” essay topics are, and how they rate you. I have to admit that this was incredibly intimidating to me, and was a definite check to my new-found confidence. Nevertheless, I know that even if I don’t get into my top choice, I know that I can make the best of wherever I end up.
We soon got in (yet another) leadership circle, but instead of just the Women and Leadership class it was half of the leadership institute. We did some ice breakers as a warm up, and through one of them I was able to meet a Brown student who was helping out with the ropes course. After talking to him for a bit, I found out that he knew Kiana Ward, a former ILC Women and Leadership student and a current Brown Student, who I went to high school with. After the ice breaker we divided into groups and I, along with half of the Women and Leadership class, prepared to go into the woods with bug spray, water, and tick-repelling neon green bandanas.
The ropes course activities were challenging both physically and mentally. Through the first one, I learned how I am slightly more of a goal-oriented leader than a process leader. I learned the dangers of focusing too much on your goal, including forgetting your values and not considering the other people involved in the process.
It was also great to see how our group overcame their fears. We had many challenging activities, including climbing through a mock “spider web” without touching it and “waking the spider”, climbing over a 12 foot wall, and many more (that I have to admit are difficult to describe). Many girls felt unsure that they would physically be able to perform the task, trust the other girls with being able to lift or carry them, or were afraid of heights. One of the girls, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and never travelled outside of the city, was also very uncomfortable with being in nature. But by the end of the process, every girl seemed to overcome their fears, feel confident with themselves, and trust the other girls. I learned the power of support and encouragement, and how building others’ confidence can increase productivity and help a group reach its goals.
At noon, we were all given bag lunches and then walked to the beach to eat. We played with crabs, took pictures with each other, and ran around like little kids. It was almost impossible to imagine that this group of girls had only known each other for four days. At one point, I sat on a rock by myself looking at the ocean, and realized how beautiful and perfect being in that moment was. I felt so incredibly lucky to be having this experience, to be with such amazing people, and to be learning so much.
Climbing over the 12-foot wall had the biggest impact on me. When I saw how tall it was, how short I was, and how there was nothing to grab, I truly thought it was an impossible task. However, by seeing others approach the challenge and succeed, I quickly became confident that I would be able to do it as well. Getting over the wall was just like achieving any goal. The goal was simple –get over the wall. The obstacle was intimidating –it was a twelve foot wall and I am just over five feet tall. However, I knew that I had girls people standing on the other side that I could look up to, that I could reach for and that would help pull me up. I also had girls underneath to support me and to literally keep pushing me if I felt like quitting. And with this, getting over that wall, just like getting over any obstacle, didn’t seem to be impossible. And when I succeeded at reaching this goal, it was the best thing in the world.
We all came back “home” mentally and physically exhausted. However, this didn’t stop me from attending a presentation on writing the college admissions essay. It was a short presentation, but very informative. I learned more about how competitive getting into college was, and how much more competitive it is for my generation than for my parents. I also learned who college admissions officers are and what their schedule looks like, and how this can cause them to lack enthusiasm when reading applications. I learned what they are looking for, what “deadly” essay topics are, and how they rate you. I have to admit that this was incredibly intimidating to me, and was a definite check to my new-found confidence. Nevertheless, I know that even if I don’t get into my top choice, I know that I can make the best of wherever I end up.
Balancing Act
Today was my favorite day so far. I loved the Ropes course! It was challenging without going so far out of the comfort zone that I panicked, to use the explanation that Dean Rose provided us.
I was in a group of 11 W&L girls, facilitated by Dean Rose and Tiffany. We had to perform a variety of tasks that tested our abilities to work cohesively as a group. Our first task was to get everyone onto the other side of a jump rope, which is not as easy as it sounds. The tasks only got more challenging from there, but I loved every minute of it!
My favorite was when we had to navigate a long series of tightropes. Each “rope” was a thick metal cable about a foot off the ground. Each person had to always be touching either another person or prop, such as a tree or rope. While we initially approached the task in a very individualistic manner, we learned to work together. It was much easier to inch along the rope when we had the support of other hands and the vocal encouragement provided by all of the other girls.
I also really enjoyed the change of scenery. We traveled by bus to the border of Rhode Island, to a large tract of land owned by Brown University. The woodlands were beautiful, and my friend Maddie (Miley) remarked that they reminded her of her home in New Hampshire. We were by the Atlantic Ocean, which reminded me of my home. I was so happy to feel the breeze and hear the waves!
I’m sure I would have loved to view the scenery as we traveled through Rhode Island, but I was too tired. On the way to the Ropes course, I was sleeping and resting up for the challenge. On the way back to Brown, I was so exhausted from the course that I fell asleep immediately.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t take a nap once I returned home. I received an invitation earlier this week to attend a pizza dinner tonight in Keeney Quad, specifically so that Brown’s Partnership Scholars could meet first generation Brown students and have a Q&A session. Of course, I had to go and represent the ILC, not to mention chat with the Brown students and get their opinions. I noticed that a large portion of the girls in my W&L class were also Partnership Scholars, which I found interesting. The pizza party was interrupted partway through because of a fire drill, but afterwards we filed back inside and finished our talk. I thought that I learned a lot and I was glad to meet the students and get their input.
Although I am now exhausted, today was by far the most satisfying day of class. I felt that I became a lot closer to the 10 other girls in my Ropes group and that we now all trust each other for support and acceptance. This is a great feeling, but what is even better is that I felt that today I grew to be a little bit of a better person too. Potential personal growth feels so empowering! Anyway, the upshot of this blog is that I loved the Ropes course and wish I could go back tomorrow. Goodnight everybody!
Heartbeats
Being at the ropes course with my W&L girls was a very eye-opening experience. I could see us all becoming aware of the mental and physical limitations and capabilities of each other. We learned waht each of us needed to feel supported and loved in high stress situation.
I could go into great detail about the many exercises we did, but it appears that my fellow Brownie has already posted about that. So I will just cut to the chase.
I learned that I tend to deeple care for people more than I am willing to let myself admit. After all of our tiring exercises Kaylyn and I laid down on the ground and I had my rested my head on her. I could hear and feel her heartbeat against mine. That made me realize something very significant that I couldn't quite grasp before then. Under all of the differences, stereotypes, or disagreements, we all have a heart and the components that make us human. We all have the potential to be strong or weak, stable or fragile, tough or sensitive. I think sometimes in the hectic competition that this world has been brought to, we can lose sight of that. But truly, we are all just human and there is no real reason for us to not at least try to make some kind of genuine effort to take care of each other.
I have a really cute picture of Kaylyn and I that I am dying to post. However, my photo uploading is still nonfunctional. So sad. I will try again later.
Goodnight!
I could go into great detail about the many exercises we did, but it appears that my fellow Brownie has already posted about that. So I will just cut to the chase.
I learned that I tend to deeple care for people more than I am willing to let myself admit. After all of our tiring exercises Kaylyn and I laid down on the ground and I had my rested my head on her. I could hear and feel her heartbeat against mine. That made me realize something very significant that I couldn't quite grasp before then. Under all of the differences, stereotypes, or disagreements, we all have a heart and the components that make us human. We all have the potential to be strong or weak, stable or fragile, tough or sensitive. I think sometimes in the hectic competition that this world has been brought to, we can lose sight of that. But truly, we are all just human and there is no real reason for us to not at least try to make some kind of genuine effort to take care of each other.
I have a really cute picture of Kaylyn and I that I am dying to post. However, my photo uploading is still nonfunctional. So sad. I will try again later.
Goodnight!
Putting Trust In One Another
Kaylyn and I quickly awoke this morning to get ready for our ultimate challenge - the Ropes Course, what we had all been waiting for! The bus departed at around eight fifteen this morning, so I skipped breakfast to get to the bus early. Thankfully, some of the girls had brought snacks along with us.
Accompanying us on the Ropes Course were three other classes (I never got to know their class names, though), along with their TAs. After playing a couple of handshake games, we got into different groups. My group was led by Kisa and Dean Rose, and my group consisted of Maddie, Kaylyn, Ava, Mariko, Marlie, Ludie, Olivia, Selena, and Josie.
We played many games during the Ropes Course. They were all trust building games, and helped to bring us a lot closer:
Unfortunately, my sore feet finally gave in. Dean Rose had some ice brought for me, which I put on my feet the entire bus ride back from the Ropes Course. An RA looked at my feet and determined that while my right food had recovered due to the ice, I had tendonitis in my left foot. Sighs! Thankfully, band aids, bug repellent, and elevating my feet have done the trick!
Despite this obstacle, the girls and I went to a parternship pizza dinner hosted by Dean Rose, Karen Sibling, and current Brown students. The dinner was delicious and I learned a lot about Brown. Ms. Williams even stopped by! It was very nice to see her again. The Brown students answered questions we had written on flash cards and gave us lots of advice. They stressed that Brown is looking for students who are going to "change the world" and that it is one of the "chiller" Ivy League schools.
What an exhausting day! I'm very excited to start tomorrow and see what's in store for me. I feel like the Ropes Course made me realize that I need to step up a lot more but also not push my limits too much.
Accompanying us on the Ropes Course were three other classes (I never got to know their class names, though), along with their TAs. After playing a couple of handshake games, we got into different groups. My group was led by Kisa and Dean Rose, and my group consisted of Maddie, Kaylyn, Ava, Mariko, Marlie, Ludie, Olivia, Selena, and Josie.
We played many games during the Ropes Course. They were all trust building games, and helped to bring us a lot closer:
- Jumping Rope - we all had to work together to get everyone across the other side of the rope without actually touching the rope
- Falling - This was for a group of two. One person would push a person back up after they fell into their arms. We then playing a game where the whole group surrounded us and pushed us back up after we fell into a circular rotation
- Levitation - We all had to work together to hold someone up and turn them around clockwise until setting them onto the ground
- Swings - We then trekked into the forrest, where we started playing more intense games. We were given a cup of water, the very important "vaccine" that would cure an epidemic. We had to obtain a rope and swing to the other side, and all of the girls had to fit onto the board onto the other side.
- Teeter Totter - We were all to stand on a big teeter totter and sing a song while on it. We later on had to all stand on it and make our weight balance it out and then re-sing the original song again! The song we chose was quick, light, and charming - "Row, Row, Row Your Boat"
- Tight Rope - This was probably the most complicated challenge. We were to stand on a tight rope and go around a certain way to get the last tree! We never made it to the last tree, but it was fun either way!
- Burned Hair - We were to go through a "spiderweb", and if we were to touch any part of it, that body part would be "burned off"
Unfortunately, my sore feet finally gave in. Dean Rose had some ice brought for me, which I put on my feet the entire bus ride back from the Ropes Course. An RA looked at my feet and determined that while my right food had recovered due to the ice, I had tendonitis in my left foot. Sighs! Thankfully, band aids, bug repellent, and elevating my feet have done the trick!
Despite this obstacle, the girls and I went to a parternship pizza dinner hosted by Dean Rose, Karen Sibling, and current Brown students. The dinner was delicious and I learned a lot about Brown. Ms. Williams even stopped by! It was very nice to see her again. The Brown students answered questions we had written on flash cards and gave us lots of advice. They stressed that Brown is looking for students who are going to "change the world" and that it is one of the "chiller" Ivy League schools.
What an exhausting day! I'm very excited to start tomorrow and see what's in store for me. I feel like the Ropes Course made me realize that I need to step up a lot more but also not push my limits too much.
United Under Ropes
 |
| Beautiful Rhode Island |
This morning I woke up very excited for the Brown Ropes Course! Josephine said she experienced something similar before at Camp Royal (a program affiliated with Interact) and told me to expect emotions and good feelings to fly around. I found that to be so true.
There were so many activities that involved teamwork and trust. One example is The Wall. It involved a 12 foot tall wall and lifting our fellow Brownies over it using only manpower (everyone participated by the way). After the activity we discussed it and everyone agreed that the wall represented an obstacle and the people involved were the supporters that helped that person overcome it. It was so emotional. Trust was a huge component and brought us all closer.
Our lunch break took place on the beach; it wasn't like a California beach, though. As I took the picture below, I really felt a sense of never-ending friendship—one of those life-long connections. Kisa was able to come with us on the trip and often helped with discussions, encouraging us to really dig deeper into our personal feelings and opinions.
Right after we arrived home, all students who are affiliated with a scholarship program were invited to attend a pizza social. There was pizza of all types (great for picky eaters and vegetarians) and speeches made by some of the Brown Deans. Fellow Leaders (current students that help run the program) were also there for Q&A.
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