Catherine Yenne has become an expert at ice breakers.
The University of Idaho junior experienced New Student Orientation (NSO) leader training for the first time this past week, where she learned about everything from accessing campus resources to facilitating conversations.
“(Training) is about 9 a.m. to 5 or 6 p.m., but we do everything under the sun during those times,” Yenne said. “We’re learning how to answer the questions that will be asked and how to really ensure that every student has a positive and exciting experience for their first time at UI.”
Yenne, who is triple majoring in French, political science and international studies, was studying abroad in France in April when the first phase of orientation leader training took place.
Out of all of the team-building exercises she’s experienced in the past week, a game called “Friends Like Me” is her favorite one.
“Everybody puts their shoes in a circle and you stand by your shoes,” Yenne said. “They will say, ‘Friends like me who like potato chips,’ or something, and everyone who really likes potato chips is going to run and try to find an open pair of shoes. The person who doesn’t have a pair of shoes to go to stands in the middle.”
An important function behind activities like ice breaks is helping the orientation leaders and students bond with one another.
“Being a new student is scary for everyone, and I think there are about 2,100 new students,” Yenne said. “We’re trying to break that number down and get people to know each other’s names and interests.”
Yenne said she enjoyed her new student orientation experience as a freshman, and wanted to pass on that kind of positivity to new students.
“I had a great experience not only with NSO, but just at the university in general,” Yenne said. “The university has the most incredible community, and I think that has made my time here special, and if I can impart any good advice to new students in terms of joining that community, I want them to have a really positive experience. This seems like the most direct way to share that advice.”
In previous years, new students have been divided into groups based on their residence halls. This year, Yenne said the students are divided based on their college.
Keith Leitner, a UI senior, is Yenne’s New Student Orientation partner. Like Yenne, this is Leitner’s first year serving as an orientation leader. An electrical and computer engineering major, Leitner is graduating in May and said he wanted to try something new before leaving the university.
Leitner said that while he can teach his students more about their chosen major, Yenne has the ability to provide students with insight into other areas of study.
“All these students will have someone who has been in their major for a while and someone who isn’t so much involved in that college, but can provide in the leadership department something different,” Leitner said.
During Yenne’s New Student Orientation, she said one of her orientation leaders shared a piece of advice — students should join a club outside of their majors.
“I really want to portray that the university is not just a school where you go to your engineering classes and that’s it,” Yenne said. “This is a community of people. There are so many opportunities to be involved. If I can express that to new students, I will be so happy.”
While Yenne hopes to pass down the advice her orientation leader shared with her, she also said the best message she could personally give to students is to keep their doors open.
“My one regret from my very first week of school is that I was really overwhelmed and I stayed in my room a lot,” Yenne said. “As soon as I got over that and I kept my door open, my very best friends were made.”
Corrin Bond
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