Surf, sand and the social scene made for sunny reviews of Project Waves.
The pre-orientation program for first-years debuted smoothly, said Director Liz Bramble, a junior. The new program attracted 149 applications-a record number for pre-orientation programs.
The 64 admitted students traveled to the Duke Marine Lab in Beaufort, N.C., where they split into two groups. Participants took turns staying on campus, surfing and sailing, and going on a three-day kayaking trip.
"We keep [the freshmen] very busy doing a lot of things that they've never done before," said sophomore Bryan Stem, who taught sailing. "That really helped them bond. It seemed like they had a blast."
Dolphins dotted the seascape as students explored their marine environment. Freshmen were able to form friendships while visiting nearby islands, glimpsing wild horses and caring for sea turtles at the lab.
"There were a lot of random adventures," said freshman Benjamin Hamner, reminiscing about getting lost in a maze of marshes for several hours.
For freshman Joe Repp, life at the marine lab was like a vacation, although roughing it on the kayaking trip was particularly memorable-especially with the sand fleas.
"You really bond with your tentmates sleeping in the same tent," he said. "We didn't sleep so much or eat so much, but we definitely got to know each other."
The directors initially modeled the program after Project WILD, which fosters relationships within small crews, but then restructured it so students could get to know more participants, Bramble said.
"It's an easy way to meet people outside of your dorm," freshman Tommy Gamba said.
Project Waves, he added, "seems a little more laidback than the other programs... more geared toward just getting to know people."
The program is also smaller than the other pre-orientation programs which have 80 freshmen each.
Despite the high number of students who showed interest in the program, it will likely remain the same size next year as coordinators work out kinks such as transportation issues, Bramble said.
Since returning to campus for orientation, many Project Waves participants say they value the connections they made in Beaufort.
In Durham, dinners, movies and parties have become the new surfing, sailing and kayaking as freshmen and their crew leaders have continued to socialize.
Project Waves helped to ease the passage into college, Gamba said.
"It's made such a huge difference, especially getting to know upperclassmen," Gamba said.
"It's made the transition so much easier."
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