Team Points

Howdy, y'all

First, a little bit of Kermie.

Click here to check out the team points! You'll have to login, sorry.

http://runso.net/staff/index2.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=26&Itemid=37

*(PS, Grads could login with username grad with the Twitter password)

new penguin!!

CONGRATS TYLER D. FOR INSPIRING ALL OF US, AND WINNING THE NSO PENGUIN MEDALLION!!

 

Harry Potter...IT ALL ENDS

Hello all my wirzards,

Some if not all you have express interest in going to see Harry Potter and Deathly Hallows Part 2 as a group. So here is what we are going to do...Regal Cinema 18 on Hwy 1 South will be showing at 10:10pm on Friday July 15. Buy your tickets now.

THEN...comment on this blog that you have brought your tickets so we can all know who is going...

You don't want to miss out on this fun adventure with the NSO family. Even if you are not a fan of the movies you should come.

Ok I am done.

two more penguins to recognize!!

Jhon received the penguin at Thursday's morning meeting. Congrats Jhon!!

Michelle received the penguin at today's debrief (to wear during the EOF session this weekend). Great Job Michelle!!!

Congrats Jhon and Michelle!

Follow Us on Twitter.....

...And you will find.

Information

Excitement

#hashtags

Fun Facts

Updates

Memories

AND Inspiration!!!

Follow us @RutgersNSO

this session's penguin medallion goes to...

The Power of Team

The flightless fairy penguin of Australia stands less than a foot tall and is clumsy on land, where the fox is its natural enemy. Alone, one penguin wouldn't survive for long. So, after each day in the water, they gather where the surf meets the shore, waiting until the last penguin joins them. Then shoulder to shoulder they march up the beach to their burrows. They support each other. They rely on each other. And everyone, except the fox, wins.

We're a stronger team because of you. 

Congrats to Tyler Piccone!! He received the penguin medallion this morning for his hard work, dedication, and ability to take initiative....while keeping all of us smiling with his beautiful voice!

work hard play hard

There is a book, "Workspace to Playspace", dedicated to exploring different companies that have championed the work hard play hard philosophy. Essentially the author believes that in a "Playspace" work environment people feel more comfortable with their coworkers and it has an impact on the overall work environment. More work gets done, and there is a much more supportive environment in which to try new things and risk failure. In New Student Orientation we try to create a "Playspace".

Because if you don't love what you do people will notice, and there is nothing better than interacting with someone that absolutely loves what they do.

Tour Training!!

Hey all!!

A big thanks to everyone for offering your ideas and engaging in the first part of tour training :) Just a couple of reminders for tomorrow in case you forget....

Busch tour guides will meet in BCC 116 w/ Marcus, Catrina, and Nikki
College Ave tour guides will meet in RSC 411 w/ Kristin, Adam, and Alyssa
Cook/Douglass tour guides will meet in CCC 111 w/ Courtney, Roderick, and Jack

Everyone starts at 8:30 AM!! Please make sure that you wear sunscreen, hats, sunglasses, shoes you are comfortable in, and whatever else you may need for hot weather. You are also going to need to bring something to write with and extra paper if you need it, because you should be taking notes about what the people at each location tell you. And finally, don't forget water bottles!

GET PUMPED!! Let's navigate the banks!!



Snooks out :)

intensive training week 2- the schedule

Our training schedule is posted above. You can print it and download it, just by clicking on the appropriate buttons in the box above.

Think Big: Challenging the "Norms"

Hey Y'all!!!

These past few weeks have been amazing. I have had the opportunity to meet so many diverse and exciting people. Courtney and Kristin are very empowering and incredible. I have seen things that I only imagined seeing in the past. As a good ole' southern boy, I have always imagined visiting New York City. And the fact that I had the opportunity to actually go and experience all the different activities blows my mind. Even visiting St. Peter's Hospital provided me with an unique outlook on the other side of a hospital--thru the eyes of the men and women who work in security. This experience has challenged me to think outside the box and be innovative. I believe, as Orientation Leaders, you are the pioneers for the incoming students at Rutgers. You can make or break their experience. So, it's important to stay positive and to do that, you have to be happy with yourself.

With that being said, I challenge each of you to create and make this summer what you want it to be. I recently made a list of 25 things I want to do before I turn 25. Here is why:

If I had a dime for every time someone said, "Life is too short," I would probably be a millionaire. No matter if you hate the phrase or live your life by it. The truth is--> life is quick. Our society has created these checkpoints along the road we call life. Graduate from high school, attend an university, find a career, get married, have kids, send them to school, ....and then you die. I am a strong believer that God has created the world for us to explore, learn, create, and develop relationships that express His love for us.

My list has two purposes. First, I wanted to take the road less traveled. I hate when things are laid out for me, and I am told that I have to do exactly what is told of me. Social norms date back as far as history goes. Conflict theory is defined as the sociological perspective that focuses on tension, competition, and division in society (Bankston). Bascially, the list is designed to change the "norms" that my life has portrayed about me thus far. I want to do things that I would not normally do and create an environment that I am not be comfortable with. Secondly, many leaders of our society have done things that people told them they could never do. Martin Luther King, Jr. , Gandhi, Mother Tersea, President Obama, and even Michael Jackson, all of these figures (icons) were told they could not accomplish the impossbile, but through the Grace of God they were able to prove society wrong.

Be extraordinary. Be innovative. Be yourself. Make this summer count.

Rod

innovation: the "i" in PRIDE

 

Being innovative can help keep things fresh and new as the summer goes on and the training gets intensive.  Every orientation is new to every first year therefore we have to make every orientation new for us as well. Innovation can make each session special to first years and less repetitive for us. By adding some creative flair and new zing to each session we can keep new student orientation fresh for everyone involved.

Innovation builds on past events and experiences and allows for new perspectives and ways of seeing the world around you.  It requires mastery of existing programs, processes and systems in order to see new possibilities and breakthroughs.  Innovation combines creativity and discipline to create exciting new possibilities.

While working with the NSO this summer you should identify new opportunities for improvement and fun every week.  We’ll go over these at the debrief sessions and try to implement something new, or a couple new twists on something that works well every new session.

Erica and Jack

timing and details for intensive training week 1



The following is an outline of some details for training week 1...

Tuesday: Arrive at MPR for your big team challenge at 8:25am, don't be late! We will go all day until 6pm, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served.

Wednesday: Arrive at MPR for your big team challenge at 8:25am, don't be late! We will go all day until about 6:30/7pm, breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served.

Thursday: Tour guide training! Report to your campus by 8:30am, and finish up by 6pm.

Friday: APA day on Busch, report to BCC at 7:30AM and finish up around 4pm.

PRIDE: Developmental

P-R-I-DEVELOPMENTAL-E

Being developmental means being committed to the growth of our students. It also means that, as a team, we need to be looking at our development as a collective, as well as our development as individual parts of that collective. In order for our students to get the best experience and grow to their full potential, we need to ensure that our staff is as strong as possible and that we're continually growing as well.

During this past week's training for the NSO OTLs and grads, we've seen development on several levels within our own group, as well as other groups outside of Rutgers. A good example of the developmental process took place when we visited the "All Hands on Tech!" off-Broadway workshop. During this time, we came together as a group to put on a mini play, and man-oh-man, there's a lot that went into it! At face value, you'd think that we had to master only our own roles (i.e. being a performer, director, set designer, light crew member, etc.). However, in order to effectively put on our show, it was absolutely necessary that we communicated with one another and had a full understanding of each individual role. We ran through it multiple times, learning from our mistakes with each practice, which is one of the most crucial parts in taking on a developmental approach.

Another strong example of this developmental approach surfaced during our tour of St. Peter's Hospital with officials from the hospital's department of security. One of the officials stated that one challenge for the department is making sure that each of their security staff members is on the same page and working at optimal performance, since their department is in charge of maintaining safety throughout the hospital. He said that when someone slips up, it's important to give that person a chance to learn from his/her mistakes. We thought it was great to know that all around, people are committed to helping their staff members grow as strong as they can possibly be, which helps to provide the best experience for anyone, whether they be students, audience members, hospital patients, etc.

-- Adam Carlson, Nina Duong, and Greg Gerken J

PRIDE: Professional

The P of "PRIDE" is Professional. Professional can take on a variety of meanings and can be considered a chameleon of sorts with all the different ways we should utilize and exemplify being professional. Wherever you have a job, being professional is expected.

What does it mean for us right now as members of the NSO Team, you may ask? It means to lead by example, represent Rutgers University with "pride," practice good customer service, confidentiality, and support your teammates in all areas.

In NYC this week we had the opportunity to tour Radio City Music Hall with the most amazing tour guide, Joyce. Joyce represented RCMH so well, that we can not wait to go back. She made our tour fun, informative and exciting. She leads by example showing the other tour guides how to have fun at work but still get the job done. She also takes her job very seriously. Our tour had a bonus to it and we were able to view the stage for Cirque du Soleil's new show Zarkana. The show has not premiered yet so Joyce was very serious about us not taking any photographs while we were viewing the stage area. She asked politely and we knew from the tone of her voice photos would not be acceptable. Joyce was a telling example of what it means to be professional and have fun while doing it.

Professionalism is so important in our jobs to the simple things of answering the office phone and replying to email. And to the larger things like facilitating Team Meetings and interacting with students and parents. It is easy to make a mistake but we must try to remember though our days are long, hot and tiring we still are here to welcome the new students and their families to this amazing University.

Can't wait to see you all tomorrow!

~Nikki & Tyler

PRIDE: Evaluative

Hey all!

It is very important that we consider the PRIDE core values when doing our work at NSO. The E in PRIDE stands for "Evaluative." Evaluation is a key tool used for measuring progress or success. In almost every field, employers use evaluations with employees in order to assess situations and then create plans for improvement. Especially in orientation, we try to embody the idea that nothing is ever perfect, and there is always room to make things better. Key examples in our own field of work is how we try to debrief every aspect of training, APA days, two day orientation sessions, and more. These really help keep orientation moving and growing as a whole for the better, not just for the first year student experience, but also for the orientation leaders, OTLs, graduate staff, and pro staff.

Last week in NYC, we saw evaluation in many aspects of our training. Tony, one of the "Wicked" actors, described his experiences on Broadway. He explained how directors often come back to their sets after a show has been on for several months. When they return, they will run through different scenes, debrief with the cast, and rework things so that the entire production improves. This is a great example of being evaluative. At Radio City Music Hall, our tour guide described to us the method of how the dynamic stage operates. The system in place has been there since the 1930's! The engineers constantly check the system, but decide every time that it is still useful and efficient. When we go through the evaluation process, we may not always make changes. The important thing is that we engage in this process on a consistent basis.

Let's remember the importance of evaluation throughout the summer. We're looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow :)


-Catrina and Kayla

PRIDE: Resourceful

 
Dear Staff,

RESOURCEFUL

Being resourceful means relying on your surroundings which can include fellow staff members and past experiences. You want to make sure that you stay connected to your resources to utilize them in order to better benefit you in solving your problems.

This week, OTLs and grad staff had the opportunity to explore different fields that varied in technology, product and purpose. They accomplished different goals through diverse means yet they all made sure to use the resources at hand. For example, at St. Peter’s hospital during a snow storm that prevents surgeons or doctor from getting to the hospital, the security will work with other officials to help transport them. They also use empty cots to make sure their staff is rested even if the roads prevent them from returning home.

At New Student Orientation, resourcefulness will be key to interacting with new students, peers and others. We need to help first years learn the resources here at Rutgers and how to use them. We also need to make sure that we take advantage of them for ourselves to create the best possible program!

Thanks!
Roderick & Steph K.

Introduction to Core Values

Core Values are a standard way of thinking that an organization has that guides them in the work they do. These core values apply to how the people do their jobs, and the experience they want those they work with to have.

The Student Life department at Rutgers has developed core values for their day to day work, and is symbolized by the acronym PRIDE. This acronym stands for:

Professional

Resourceful

Innovative

Developmental

Evaluative

These standards took some time to develop. It involved many of the department leaders sitting back and looking at what the department does, and what they wanted to convey to students, staff, and faculty at the university. These specific values were chosen because it was felt that they represent the ideals that Student Life strives for, and they embody the development of the students and staff.

Over the summer, as Student Life staff members, we are expected to live by these core values, however we will also be exploring the creation of our own core values for NSO.