Within 24 hours of arriving in Bethel, all new students and Gould student leaders are whisked away on group expeditions into the Maine wilderness and the White Mountains of New Hampshire. They are off to explore mountains, rivers, and lakes with tents, backpacks, canoes, kayaks, and bags of food, but there is more to Orientation than a simple camping trip.
“[Students are] nervous getting out of the car, and we instantly put them out on a three-day backpacking or canoeing trip,” says Hayward. “They come back relaxed. They’ve made new best friends and feel like they’ve been here a year already.”
It’s an intangible piece of Gould magic.