ROCK HILL, SOUTH CAROLINA - Winthrop University Eagles soared high at this month's
Southern Regional Orientation Workshop (SROW), which was held at Georgia Southern University.
Approximately 2,000 regional students and university staff attended the three-day
leadership conference for sessions, but Winthrop's Orientation division wasn't content to sit in the audience.
Instead, the group rose to the occasion, giving two presentations and winning an award:
*Tucker Chandler (Sumter, South Carolina; social work) and Laura Banks (Ninety Six; elementary education),
this year's Orientation staff leaders, won Best Case Study Problem-Solving in the
undergraduate division in response to this hypothetical situation: a fellow Orientation
leader votes for a candidate in a school election who ends up not winning. The Orientation
leader, angry about this outcome, starts creating strife between fellow Orientation
leaders. Chandler and Banks had to work together to address this problem and explain
the steps they would take to solve it.
Two student presentations were accepted:
* "Putting Out Fires: Adapting to Unexpected Situations" by the aforementioned Chandler
and Banks and Chloe Gill (Rock Hill; psychology). The group based its advice on incidents from past Orientation
experiences.
* "It Just Takes Some Time: Meeting in the Middle for the Ride" from Maria Clarken (North Charleston; political science), Destinee Waddy (Charleston; exercise science) Jon'Paul Montgomery (Rock Hill; business administration) and Jaime Lopez-White (Summerville; human nutrition). This presentation was about getting to know students
better.
"It was a lot of fun," said Callie Smith, director of new student and family programs.
"It was a great way to get to know all of the Orientation Leaders."
Meet the New Director of New Student and Family Programs
Callie Smith '13 joined Winthrop this month as the new director of new student and family programs.
She holds a bachelor's degree in English from Winthrop and a master's degree from
Auburn University. She previously worked as a residence hall director at Old Dominion
University.
For more information on SROW, contact Smith at 803/323-2521 or smithcl@winthrop.edu.