The students who will lead orientation trips, both for the Outing Club and the McKeen Center, have been training over the past few days on campus. The first to arrive on campus were members of the Emergency Response Team (ERT), who will be on hand during orientation to respond to any call for help from student groups around the state. Between packing pounds of peanut butter, restocking medical kits and tying canoes on trailers, the ERT students helped ensure that the trips would go smoothly.

All orientation trip leaders, plus the ERT group, gathered for the first time on Friday night at the Schwartz Outdoor Leadership Center, where they were treated to a special performance by Portland bluegrass band Jerks of Grass. The rest of the weekend was packed with training activities such as wilderness first aid, skill workshops and group discussions. On Sunday, Outing Club leaders headed to the Bowdoin Coastal Studies Center for a day of workshops and meetings. Members of the Class of 2017 arrive on Tuesday, and orientation trips depart Wednesday morning.