Second annual Hokie Camp offers longer sessions, more dates, new activities for incoming freshmen

22 Jul 2009

Campers at Hokie Camp get to know each other better through a team-building exercise.

This year, incoming freshmen in the class of 2013 will be offered the opportunity to attend Hokie Camp, an optional, three-day orientation retreat held at the Smith Mountain Lake 4-H Center in Wirtz, Va., near Roanoke.

Each of three sessions will provide nearly 300 new students an opportunity to learn more about time-honored university traditions, respect for diversity, and the community spirit of Blacksburg.

In response to the popularity of the 2008 Hokie Camp, this year’s Hokie Camp has been expanded to offer more, and longer, sessions.

This year, freshmen can choose from three available sessions spanning three days, instead of the one two-day session offered last year. Hokie Camp sessions this year will run from Aug. 10 through 12, Aug. 12 through 14, and Aug. 17 through 19. The cost of attending is $195, which covers travel from Virginia Tech to Smith Mountain Lake, food and lodging, and a Hokie Camp T-shirt.

Students attending Hokie Camp will participate in a variety of activities modeled on traditional summer camp programs and team building exercises, including a low ropes course and a rock-climbing wall. Students will also have the opportunity to engage in small group discussions in order to better get to know their fellow Hokies.

This year’s Hokie Camp sessions will also include a service project to demonstrate the university motto of Ut Prosim (That I May Serve). The project will be planned by the campers during their sessions and will be put into action once they are on campus.

“I think the biggest thing for the campers is getting to know and bond with their fellow freshmen and upperclassmen during their time at Hokie Camp,” says Rick Sparks, the assistant dean of students and orientation director. “A lot of times, the students that attend Hokie Camp have a big leg up going into the school year because they already have a core group of friends in place.”

Students can register for Hokie Camp through HokieSPA using their PID and password. The camp is only open to incoming freshmen, and space for each session is limited, so students interested in attending are encouraged to sign up early.

See photos, videos, and blog entries from Hokie Camp 2008 online.

Written by Chris Gustin.