Студенты Purdue делятся впечатлениями от традиционного мероприятия Boiler Gold Rush

As summer break is wrapping up, and students prepare for classes to begin, some Purdue freshmen are still thinking about their Boiler Gold Rush experiences. BGR, an annual event that acts as a freshmen orientation, is five days filled with group activities led by team leaders designed to welcome new students to campus. There are many BGR traditions, including the fountain run, where students run between, and through, various fountains on campus. There are also daily presentations on a variety of topics, including freedom of speech on a public campus or mental health. While students are encouraged to go to every presentation, they are not required. Thomas Flamm, a student in first-year engineering, and member of Team CHARM, decided not to go to the presentations entirely. “I didn’t hear anything good about the presentations, so I didn’t go,” Flamm said. Like Flamm, Jack Watson, a student in first-year engineering, and also on Team CHARM, didn’t go to many of the presentations either. “The wellness one was my favorite. It wasn’t too long and boring like many of the other ones, and the topic … was much more important,” Watson said. Flamm said his experience could have gone better. “I’d rate it a 6/10, (but) I’d probably do it again,” Flamm said. Watson rated his experience better than Flamm’s, at an 8/10. “BGR is highly dependent upon the individuals in your group, and team leader,” Watson said. “The people I was with were wonderful and charismatic.” One of the most memorable experiences for Flamm was the different kinds of people he was able to meet. “My team was with an international team and it was really cool getting to meet people from different countries and cultures,” Flamm said. While Flamm enjoyed meeting his new peers, he said he wishes he had surrounded himself with different people. “I feel that some of the other freshmen’s energy was a damper on the fun, particularly for the kickoff at the stadium,” Flamm said. For Watson, a brief rain storm led to his team leader and a few other group members having a true conversation. “We took shelter and talked for about 30 minutes … (it lacked the) awkwardness that’s commonly found in larger groups,” Watson said.