New Honors Program Students Bond During Wolf Camp

Twelve incoming University Honors Program students seized the exclusive opportunity to head to camp in the first week of June 2023. Wolf Camp, a program for new students at NC State offered by Outdoor Adventures, allows first-year students to meet other new students while engaging in outdoor activities facilitated by Wellness and Recreation professionals and student staff members. It is advertised as a great way for students to get started on their NC State experience before arriving in the fall, while trying a variety of sports from the comfort of a campground.

The twelve Honors students that opted into this adventure arrived on campus on June 9, where they were quickly outfitted with any necessary gear for the weekend and whisked away to the NC State Challenge Course, a facility where groups can work through a variety of icebreakers, problem-solving initiatives, and both low and high ropes course challenges to quickly establish a sense of camaraderie and teamwork, and develop an atmosphere of cooperation and trust.

Aidan Bush, an incoming Exploratory Studies major, reflects on the high ropes course: “I was pushed out of my comfort zone during the challenge course; I am terrified of heights but with the influence and encouragement of my peers and counselors, I conquered my fear and learned to love the ropes course!”

The twelve Honors students were then shuttled to Falls Lake State Recreation Area, just north of Raleigh, where they set up camp before beginning a weekend of both land and water activities. “My favorite activity,” Aidan shared, “was fitting five people onto one paddleboard because it made us work together and communicate as a team. We went through a lot of trial and error in the process but ended up with the perfect strategy for exceptional balance!”

Aidan went on to say, “the best part about Wolf Camp was that it gave me the opportunity to take a step out of my comfort zone, meet new people, and receive great advice from rising seniors [Outdoor Adventures student staff]! I absolutely recommend Wolf Camp to future honors students because it never gets boring, it’s a great way to branch out and meet new people, and the counselors are very helpful and encouraging!”

Kylie Masser, an incoming Life Sciences student, agrees. “For me, the best part of the trip by far was the opportunity to talk to current NCSU students. It gave me a lot of information about the different resources offered on campus, different majors, and what to expect in college. I’ve been very nervous about going to college and having the chance to have all of my many questions answered was absolutely invaluable. Even talking to the other campers about what majors they’re going into and what programs they’ve been involved in was very insightful. It was great to have so many people across so many different majors to really get an understanding of everything NCSU has to offer. I would one hundred percent recommend future students go to Wolf Camp. It’s such a great way to get a grasp on what college will be like and make some friends before you get there, and for many people it’ll be so different from anything they’ve done before. I’ve never really been camping before, so it was certainly a new experience for me!”