T.A.L.O.N.S. stands for The Activity Leaders of New Students, a group of student leaders that help welcome new students to Stockton University! We get to serve as leaders and have an awesome time with freshman at the Stockton Outdoor Adventure Retreat (S.O.A.R.) which is a three day/two night experience that helps you transition into life at Stockton. We also help out at Welcome Week, which is four days of fun events and exciting new things to learn for all new students!
I wanted to become a T.A.L.O.N.S. because during my freshman year at Stockton, I met a T.A.L.O.N.S. by the name of Cherie. She would always talk with me about all of the events that we would be going to and how they would be. Cherie made Welcome Week fun for me and other freshman and, even if I didn’t want to attend the events, Cherie would always encourage me to go and I ended up having a great time at them! I knew I wanted to be able to have an impact on freshman, whether it was showing them where their classes are or having a fun time with them at a Welcome Week event. Being a T.A.L.O.N.S. really helped me do that and I’m so glad that I got the opportunity to become one!
Here are 9 things I learned in participating in T.A.L.O.N.S.:
1. Five days is enough time to learn about someone.
To prepare for S.O.A.R, T.A.L.O.N.S. come in five days earlier to train for everything that can and will happen during the program at any time. During this time, you are put through a lot of icebreakers and team work exercises. This created us to all work together and learn a lot about each other, like how my nose could go on someone’s knee or how far someone will go to win Ships and Sailors.
2. You will love your triblelettes like they’re your children.
Everyone is broken up into 8 colored tribes; Red, Yellow, Green, Sky, Navy, Purple and Orange (BEST TRIBE). The freshman that come into your tribe become your triblettes and they basically become your children. As S.O.A.R goes on, your triblettes start to become some of your greatest friends and may even pretend to be you for a skit.
3. The word “so” is non-existent. It will be replaced with S.O.A.R.
Whether you’re “S.O.A.R.” excited for S.O.A.R. or are just “S.O.A.R.” ready to eat, prepare to hear the word S.O.A.R in every sentence.
4. You will learn and relearn old cheers.
As a kid, I didn’t get to go to camp so when I became a T.AL.O.N.S., you can bet that I felt like I was Lindsay Lohan and her twin in the Parent Trap. Thanks to some of the awesome T.AL.O.N.S., I was able to memorize a lot of cheers. If you haven’t heard a T.AL.O.N.S. scream what they spot or how they form an orange, make sure to ask them.
5. You will learn the entirety of “Closer” by The Chainsmokers in one day.
Basically, any chance they got, or any chance we got, someone would put on “Closer” by The Chainsmokers and by the end of the first day, we were all able to scream the lyrics from the top of our lungs. That song will always remind me of the T.A.L.O.N.S.
6. Sweating is the worst, but that means you’re having fun.
Even though it was the end of summer as we knew it, Mother Nature simply forgot. During S.O.A.R., we did a lot of cool activities. Some activities included high ropes course, which has you climbing up a rock wall or you would do low ropes course, where you would basically become very close with some people (literally). It didn’t matter which activity you were doing, the more you would sweat, the more fun you were having.
7. Everyone comes from a different background, but that doesn’t mean we’re different.
We all know that everyone comes from a different background, but that doesn’t mean you still don’t have things in common. I learned from one of my triblettes that, like me, she did marching band throughout high school and even though we were from two completely different parts of New Jersey, we instantly had a great connection. I also learned that most people love Parks and Recreation as much as I do!
8. Sometimes facing your fears can be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made.
On one day of training, the T.A.L.O.N.S. went to Camp Ockanickon to do some of the activities that we would also be doing with the freshman on S.O.A.R. Watching all of the people that I had just become friends with and conquer their fears was probably one of the greatest things I could have ever seen. People were cheering each other on and others were climbing some of the highest courses I could have ever imagined! I was so proud to see my fellow T.A.L.O.N.S. conquer their fears and to see some of the best reactions they had after conquering them.
9. Being in a family of 43 people is not too bad.
Applying to become a T.A.L.O.N.S. was one of the best decisions I have ever made. Everyone in the program really became a special part of my life and I will never be able to express how much of an impact each and everyone of them had made. From the beginning of training to the final event at Welcome Week, every T.A.L.O.N.S. has definitely, in some way, become one of my favorite people.
I want to thank the Head T.A.L.O.N.S., Joey and Angelina for letting me into this amazing family and being the best Head T.A.L.O.N.S. ever and Jen for being such a great mom throughout this entire program. If you have any questions on how to become a T.A.L.O.N.S., please don’t hesitate to come find me!