2024 HSLP: Day 2
High School Leaders Program Class of 2024
Day 2: Sunday, July 14th
Reported By: Eastan Weber, Open High School and Jorianna Bennett, Courtland High School
Today we started off the day in the O-Hill dining hall for our first time at this camp. Then, we went to the Poplar Ridge ropes course where we started with group work. Our first activity was getting in a circle and then getting a partner and blindfolding one. The blindfolded partner would have to then go in the circle with colorful balls and have to pick them up and throw them at people. The way in which we would do this was communicating with our partners and then working together to aim for the right spot. This was a way to work on communication amongst partners when one is in a vulnerable state.
After the first group activity, we broke into different breakout groups and started going to different areas to work on activities. Two groups, the Fish and the Cats, separated off and went to work on the ladder. The ladder is about 30 feet tall and has around 6-7 rungs that range from 4 feet apart to around 7 feet apart. The objective of this was to work together with the partner you went with. This was a really fun activity and allowed new people to work together. It was a surreal feeling to be 25ft in the air and having to hold on to a piece of wood with one hand while having to pull up your partner so they could get to the next level. The last group, The Birds, were tasked with crossing a small creek by rope swing. They had to make it in one of three hula-hoop perimeters without touching the ground. With only three tries to get the entire team into the hoops, they did not make it. The Fish group then went with Instructor Gil to work on a philosophical simulation where there were groups of people that could either squeeze your hand to gain more points or not but risk the possibility of being squeezed and losing points. This taught us about grouping with each other and mental strategies to try and get ahead. Then, we headed to lunch!
Lunch was in an (air conditioned) UVA facility, and was provided by Panera Bread. During lunch break, many HSLP students opted to play recreational activities like volleyball and basketball. After lunch, we returned to the ropes course to continue our activities. We split up into new groups based on a number system. As the new groups finished their day, we enjoyed even more team building exercises. The groups all played the “Islands” game, which assigned everyone in your group to reach all 4 platforms in the area using planks of wood. This particular game promoted collaboration between everyone by pushing them to think as a group and carry out their plan actively. The most challenging event we participated in was the high swing. One person in a group was hoisted up–sometimes around 40 feet in the air–and let down by swinging. Though it doesn’t sound like it, this was very much a team effort as the ones controlling the rope that lifts the one person up were our peers themselves. We had to learn how to communicate with someone who was yards away as well as our other rope-pullers. When asked what they would caption a newspaper article about the ropes course, many students talked about the personal bonding they experienced. One even said we were “bonded by sweat.” It was certainly a hit among the students!
The day ended with dinner back in the O-Hill. Students got to learn more about our classmates and YPM’s over our meal. Some students even went with a few YPM’s to walk The Corner (a small restaurant strip near campus) to get boba tea and other sweet treats! We relished in the fun we had this weekend as we began to prepare for the next grueling–but still amusing–week ahead of us.