HSLP 2009: Day 2, July 12

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 1—Sunday, July 12, 2009
Reported by: Emma Arata, Charlottesville

     Today, in my opinion, was the very definition of intensity, or at least pretty close to it. We started out at 8:30 a.m. (practically dawn) to make our way through the already heavy humidity to the Poplar Ridge day-long ropes course. At this point in the day, I doubt that anyone was even close to prepared for the amount of trust that was to be formed, or the amount of sweat that was soon to be coating our faces. We were first greeted by Rick and Dana, our enthusiastic ropes course guides. After some fun amoeba-filled, tank-affiliated, ice-breaking games, the 32 of us split up into two separate groups and started off into the woods to begin some serious group communication-oriented games. I only heard cries and laughter from the other group, so I can’t report on exactly what sort of puzzles they solved. But as for my group, these puzzles included organizing ourselves by birthdays (while standing on a log, no speaking allowed), tossing balls in a specific order (while not dropping them), and attempting to complete a puzzle (using a diagram, wooden boards, and silence). After these surprisingly metaphorical activities, (and a delicious Bodo’s lunch), we ventured back into the woods to begin the “real” ropes course.
     My group’s first activity faced two common fears: heights and falling. The challenge involved being fastened into a harness, being pulled to the top of a telephone post (teamwork!), and having to pull a clip that was keeping us safely suspended, causing us to plummet (typically accompanied by shrieks and the occasional curse-word) towards the ground. This may sound terrifying (as it was, in my opinion), but not a single person that I spoke with regretted doing it. Our second activity involved (once again) being clipped securely into a harness, climbing up to a platform, and walking across rickety, swinging boards to the other side. There was a slight catch though: there was another harnessed person on an opposite platform, also trying to get across (again, teamwork!).
     We ended the day similar to the way we had started; we circled up, and shared our feelings. The amount of heart-felt, real, non-cliché feelings about the day that came out of peoples’ mouths really did amaze me, and I’m being completely serious here. As cliché as this may sound, it is completely true: we started the day as different people from different places with different lives. Although this is all still true, we are also (as Caitlin so eloquently put it), beginning to become like a sort of family. It really is amazing that this all happened in a day, but I’m quite sure that it will continue on for far more than two weeks.

—Emma Arata, Charlottesville