Orientation weekend events leave freshmen exhausted

Somewhat reluctantly, hungry freshmen gathered in lagging, hopelessly long lines outside Hill Field Sunday, talking about parties and bands, complaining they would never get food and evaluating life at Penn so far. By and large, the students loved the University. "I can't say that anything was actually tedious as of yet. I'm going to wait till classes for that," Wharton freshman Ariel Glasner said. "Even CUPID wasn't too bad." Perhaps unbelievable to an upperclass student body jaded by University activities, dormitory life and food at Chats, the Class of 2001 had no huge complaints -- aside from the fact that their refrigerators were delayed -- after the long weekend's nonstop string of orientation events. Starting with move-in and hall meetings, orientation weekend, as in past years, focused on building hall comraderie and teamwork. Larger events such as Casino Night and the Wild Video Dance Party brought the entire class together. This year was the first to boast a "Class of 2001 Olympics," incorporating various events -- from a scavenger hunt to a banner contest familiarizing freshmen with University icons -- in which college houses competed against each other. This year, freshmen -- in residential groups -- participated in the Class of 2001 competitions, which included a scavenger hunt and class cheer. Stouffer College House triumphed as the overall winner, followed by DuBois College House and Kings Court/English House. As in previous years, last night concluded the four active days with an outside "drive-in" movie, Devil's Own, a first chance to unwind for most freshmen. "It just feels like summer camp," Glasner said. "A little cheesy, but it's neat the way everyone has been so open." And even though the "summer camp" comparisons resonated wherever freshmen could be found last weekend, the Class of 2001 seemed to enjoy "cheesy" events -- like Houston Hall's faux gambling extravaganza Monday -- the most. "Casino Night actually was pretty good because it provided an alternative to the frat parties," Glasner added. As one freshman pointed out, the multitude of off-campus parties held to attract them were "too crowded, too feisty and [had] too little beer." "The parties were just one long line of supplicating people with empty cups," lamented College freshman Lee Esposito. "And though I thought the crazy Wild Video Dance Party was the stupidest idea in the world, but I met some really cool people. I thought it was going to be a pseudo-high school reject thing, but it turned out to be a relaxed affair." As classes begin today, the main freshman gripe is "exhaustion." As one College freshman painting a banner for the Residential Advisory Board-sponsored banner contest -- held as part of the Class of 2001 Olympics -- said, "I'm doing this because it's artistic, because I'm bonding with my hallmates and because it's stationary."