Getting the New Kids Familiar With the Block
Summer Integration Program designed to help freshman athletes navigate campus, community
From the start, they were looking for an advantage.
They are athletes after all, and even if they are new to Colorado State, the competitive spirit is still there. On a hot Thursday afternoon, the student-athletes taking part of the Summer Integration Program gathered in the Anderson Academic Center, the starting point for the Amazing Race activity for the day. The SIP is designed by the Student-Athlete Support Services department for incoming freshmen student-athletes to help them become acclimated not just with the campus, but all the programs it has to offer and the surrounding community, as well.
This marks the return of the program, which took basically a two-year hiatus during the pandemic. It was done virtually the best SASS could in 2020, and while there were some in-person meetings in 2021, neither year was really the same. There were still places on campus which were closed, and when masks were finally lowered later in the school year, some reintroductions were required.
It’s no surprise Kim Mbadinga-Nzamba, who also serves as the Director of Diversity and Inclusivity, was in high spirits to have the program back in full force.
“I’m thrilled we’re doing this again,” she said. “What we went through the past two years with the pandemic and realizing the access of what we were able to do before and have that all taken away, then having moments of realizations of what we can be and what we did have … To be at this point right now and get back into programing face to face and impacting the students in a way that is really meaningful, I’m very excited.
“The athletics department has ownership of this, to really make these freshmen feel comfortable being here. When we had conversations with the students who did it in years before, and they were like, that was cool and they felt comfortable going into the fall, and that feels good. The ultimate goal is to say they know where this building is on campus and this resource is here, so I’m not as nervous in the fall. They take a class as part of the program, and they also know the community of Fort Collins better. They also get to know the SASS staff.”
Last week, SASS brought together athletes from men’s and women’s basketball, football and volleyball – all on campus working out – for a welcome for the SIP program. They are taking classes, and whatever class or classes they may be, part of is tied into SIP so they call get accustomed to the help they’ll receive academically throughout their college careers, which is more focused their freshman year. There are SIP activities planned through the middle of July, each designed to expose the newcomers to their campus and beyond, introducing them to community outreach through the local Boys and Girls Club and food pantries.
The focus for Thursday was to get them to know the campus they will call home, using clues to get to point to point, with stops set at the Student Rec Center, the Lory Student Center, the Morgan Library, the Oval and finishing at Canvas Stadium.
Broken up into four-person teams, the seven groups had to answer questions about academic integrity to set a pecking order, the top-scoring team getting a timed head start. It didn’t take long for some of them to figure out the scooters outside, or even the bikes they rode to the event, could give them an edge.
Still, before getting a clue to move to the next spot, all four had to be at the checkpoint before it was given. They did a crossword puzzle to gain a clue at the LSC, and there was a challenge they could accept at the Morgan Library which may give them an edge or set them back.
It was about problem solving and teamwork and some of them found there is no shortcut across the grass from the rec center to the LSC, not with the lagoon in the way.
I was happy they had this. It gives you a chance to meet everyone and not just the players on women’s basketball. We did run into a little barrier there and had to walk around, but this will definitely help. I think by the end of this we’ll know campus a little better and how it works.Hannah Ronsiek
Hannah Ronsiek’s group was represented by three different teams, which gave the basketball player a chance to meet new people and spark some friendships as the two-hour tour played out.
“I was happy they had this. It gives you a chance to meet everyone and not just the players on women’s basketball,” she said. “We did run into a little barrier there and had to walk around, but this will definitely help. I think by the end of this we’ll know campus a little better and how it works.”
Which is what the program is designed to do, Mbadinga-Nzamba said.
Each of the activities planned has an underlying theme, and the stops of the Amazing Race were planned out with purpose. The campus groups students can become involved with are all housed at the LSC, so SASS wanted them all to know where the campus hub is located. Same with the Morgan Library, but also where to chill (The Oval) or a hidden gem like the wooded spot they dubbed Sherwood Forest.
That’s where Mbadinga-Nzamba was, waiting to give teams their next clues.
“The first iteration of this program we still embody now is talking about the principals of community. It is the characteristic of Colorado State,” she said. “Understanding what integrity is, social justices, inclusion. When we go to the escape room, we talk about leadership, but you can talk about inclusivity there and integrity in that space. Mental health is top of mind, so doing an activity that helps you sit and reflect and be introspective.
“We’re trying to help develop the person outside of their sport and outside of their classroom. It’s a wholistic approach to them. They may come in thinking they only want to do their sport or their classes, but I almost guarantee at some point they’re going to want to try something which fills a gap or their cup in some way that helps them grow as an individual. That’s the ultimate goal, is to open their eyes and expose them to possibilities.”
The SIP schedule for this year is based on feedback from prior groups as to what they found extremely helpful and even what they wished could be added. Mbadinga-Nzamba said the goal is to continue to grow the program each coming year, and some of that will come via trial and error.
Even athletes who are from the state or have been on campus before found the day to be extremely informative, giving them a better sense of the space they’ll be occupying and how to use it better.
For many, the immediate benefit was meeting new people and getting to know those around them better. Ky Oday, a football player from Cherry Creek, said they all share the same dorm, but he’s noticed some folks just passing by in the hall without stopping and chatting. It’s not a problem he says he has but being put in a group and working together allows them to know each other a bit better.
And, he said, his mom and dad will be pleased to know he can find the Morgan Library. And he promises to use it, too.
“I didn’t know this much. I had been up here to walk around campus, but the first day I was pretty lost, so I didn’t know it as well,” he said. “This whole experience has been helpful. I’d never been to the Oval before, and we found the library.
“This has been real fun. It’s been a good ice-breaker for all of us who are new to campus and the university. There are a million organizations to be a part of, and this will help you find your way around people and things you are interested in.”
Mbadinga-Nzamba had a perfect spot for her checkpoint, sitting in shade and surrounded by trees on a day when the temperature’s were in the mid-90s. She wasn’t just handing out clues but getting to know the new students a bit better by taking the time to chat with them.
For SASS, that’s a big part of the program, as they’ll work closely with the group to maximize their academic experience. Just like any team, getting to know a teammate makes reaching goals more attainable.
Before it is done, they will go on a nature hike together, tackle an escape room and finish it all off with a group barbeque. They should know the campus better by then, but also their community. But in the meantime, a bit of competition never hurts.
It’s a big reason all of them are here, so if your team gets a head start by riding two to a scooter, you do it. And if a few-seconds of an edge comes by holding a door closed, so be it.
In the end, they’ll all be exposed to the advantages Colorado State can offer them.