BLOGS

 

 

 

Submitted by: Francine Dinglasan (CMU-Q Business Administration)

Orientation 2011: “Tartans! Ahoy!!!”

FINALLY! After 3 months of waiting, our orientation week had started with a full blast! I was so excited that I was not able to sleep well the night before.

The first day was for the first everEducation City Orientation with a theme called “Fun in the Sun” and was held inEC Student Center. Every freshman from all of the EC universities was required to attend. The program consisted of lectures from the different sectors of the Education City from student service, health and safety, financial aid to the Doha Debates. There were also fun activities prepared by students themselves where in the “freshies” were divided into groups. Each group had different team names pertaining to random fun beach things (for example, ours was TEAM SANDCASTLE) and were composed of students from different unis and different majors. It was a really great way to interact with new people although I was not able to manage remembering their names.Well, for what I can remember, most guys are Mohammed’s. We had the biggest tournament of “Rock, Paper and Scissors” and I didn’t know that this game would be so much fun. Everything happened on that day made me feel even more excited for the following days and it totally showed how EDUCATION CITY is the best place to be!

 

 

 

 

 

 

baby Leanne (baby sister) came to drop me off to my first day in EC :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Fun in the Sun"

 

 

 

 

 

 

Team Sandcastle

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah and I :)

CMU-Q Orientation 2011 (August 22-25, 2011)                          

FIRST DAY(Monday, 22/08/11)

Sarah (my high school friend and now, college bacthmate) and I arrived an hour before the 9:30 call time but I guess it was a good thing because we were able to chat with the other freshies. It was a bit awkward trying to start a conversation though. I am trying so hard to memorize every faces and names but it was a bit hard since some names are native and that I haven’t heard of. It felt good being able to socialize after being stuck home for the whole summer. I was trying to show them my name tag so that they won’t get my name wrong; I myself can’t pronounce it right :P(It’s the country FRANCE plus -INE) lol. The day started with the registration and then from the food court where we assembled, we were led to the lecture hall which we called theTARTAN PORT. The theme of this year’s orientation was “Setting Sail for a New Adventure”, so it was all things PIRATES (arrrghhh!) which was really epic.

 

 

 

After we got to know who the orientation people were, we were divided into different “ships” and mine was called the ShipSOLDADO which is Portuguese for “soldier”. I think there were 10 of us in the group. Our leaders were Hadrami and Hamsa who are both really friendly and easy to approach. We were able to come up with a unique team yell which goes like:

 

 

 

"Pronto!" (Are you ready?)

 

 

 

"Vamos Solados! Arrrghhh!" (Let’s go soldiers! Arrrghhh!:

 

 

 

We were given a brief discussion about the history of CMU which was quite very informative. For the last activity, we had the scavenger hunt which was really fun but exhausting. Imagine running around the huge campus not sure where to go first. Anyhoo, the day ended raising my hopes up for the coming days and making me more psyched about the activities in stored for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello CMU-Q!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tartan Mascot

 

 

 

 

 

pals for life!

 

 

 

 

 

 

"freshies"

 

 

 

 

 

 

our map which was actually the sched of our week

 

 

 

 

 

 

4 days of Tartan fun!

 

 

 

 SECOND DAY (Tuesday, 23/08/11)

Talking to our schoolmates was a lot easier by then. I felt a bit more comfortable and it was less awkward talking to the strangers who are going to be there for the rest of my four years in CMUQ. We started the day chit-chatting with random people and trying to know if we share some interest. The Inspiration Session was quite entertaining and it was the program starter. Students made a smart and pretty funny skit about LEADERSHIP. Then we had a brief lecture about Health and Wellness and Personal Development departments in our port. After lunch, we had community service within the campus where we handed out grocery bags to the helpers in the CMUQ building. Everyone was able to chat with one, and I met Raj. He is only 20. He barely speaks English but I know he could understand me, he just couldn’t express himself. It was heart melting to see him wave and smile at me when I was about to leave the building. I miss activities like this. I remember a number of outreach programs I had been into back in the Philippines. It helps you realize what really matters and that is what we can/should do with what we have; it keeps us grounded.

 

 

 

We went back to our port for another discussion about International Education and Cultural Sensitivity. After that, we had a flag-designing contest between the ships in the east-west walk… And I am proud to say that we won 3^rd place and it was all because of our team work. Everyone who was present in our team contributed.

 

 

 

 

 

me, Hena and Hamsa designing our ship's flag

 

 

 

 

 

 

SOLDADO!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got my student id card this day

 

 

 

THIRD DAY(Wednesday, 24/08/11)

We had a big game of cards before the program started since we arrived an hour or so earlier. One of us brought two decks and introduced “Kings”. Then we had another inspiration session about RESPONSIBILITY. After the skit, we had an IT session where in we were able to log into our CMU online accounts and were introduced to the vast computer network CMU-Q has. As another icebreaker, we played a race game with eggs and spoons which we almost nailed if we had not dropped it in the last part... We had another lecture and this time from Professional Development and Counseling department where I would probably be most active in… The most interesting part of the day was the balloon activity wherein we had to build a tower made of balloons around a person from our group. Each of us in SOLDADO was determined to win and it was a wonderful sight of a bit competitive atmosphere. I met a family friend from the safety and facilities department. It’s nice to have people you know around. Since the safety lecture finished ahead of schedule, our team discussed about our presentation for the “Freshman Skits”. Each of the ships should create a short skit ending it with: “And that’s how the pirates saved the mermaids!” After awhile, we shared Iftar to complement the day.

 

 

 

 

kings :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

kings :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

kings :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hamsa and I with our flag and balloon tower!

 

 

 

LAST DAY(Thursday, 25/08/11)

We had a huge game of crazy eight in the morning which was introduced by yours truly. We started the day with our last inspiration session, this time about PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE; and I think it was the best skit of all three. We played the game one of my Soldado mate termed “lower-lower”. There was a stick which we have to lower onto the ground with all of our index fingers beneath it… it seemed easy but believe me it was quite hard especially when done with more number of people… We were given a lecture about the Academic Resource Center (ARC) and a tour around our completely high-tech, full- of- all- gadgets- and- gizmos library… We designed our own ceramic tiles individually and as a group. And then, the moment most of us was dreading about… OUR SKIT! I played as an Ursila-like witch who needed young mermaids to restore her youth. I was nervous that my body was shaking. All of the skits were hilarious! It just showed how imaginative and cooperative all of us were. Everyone did their part without hesitation and I definitely think we should do it again.

 

 

 

To mark this day, we had the most amazing surprise ever! The HOCs (leaders of leaders, as in our CAPTAINS) brought us to the FOUR SEASONS HOTEL for iftar and I guess it was to commemorate our being the newest members of the TARTAN family and how successful the orientation was. The place was exquisite.  They played a presentation of photos within the last four days and we just couldn’t believe how quick it all went and how fun and wonderful all of them were… Everyone could sense the satisfaction of all the student leaders who made it all happened and it was kind of a touchy moment…the one that makes you so proud you smile with tears…and then we started dancing...and taking group pictures...it was one hell of a very fun and memorable night! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class of 2015!

 

 

 

 

 

 

my cermic, proud tartan

 

 

 

 

 

 

on our way to our surprise

 

 

 

 

 

 

surprise!!!

 

 

 

 

 

hello girlfriends!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tartans!!!! Ahoy!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Orientation Team, Proud Tartans!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class of 2015!!!!

 

 

The Orientation Team did a really great job organizing the whole thing. The props, decorations, background music and activities have been really great. All in all, everything in this whole orientation week helped us not only in giving us important information and guidelines, introducing us to the departments and the people in office, gaining friends but the whole presentation also made us proud that we are now official Tartans. I swear I am going to be part of the orientation committee next year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We love all of them and they are our ROLE MODELS… kudos!

 

 

I am looking forward for the best and most challenging four years of my life! I’m Francine, Class of 2015 Business Administration and I am proud to be a Tartan!