SUMMER

PROGRAMS 2025

SUMMER

PROGRAMS 2025

Weekend Activities Reinvigorated for 2015-16

by Brendan Martyn '16

In a year that has begun full of change, there is one change that is making a major splash in the interest of students. The new and improved Weekend Activity Program is stirring quite a bit of excitement around campus with an interesting array of activities and trips to choose from. From trips to New York City to paintballing with your teacher or mentor, there is always something to do every weekend. 

Weekend activities this year have included horseback riding, hiking, and mall trips. This wonderful change to the school is the brainchild of Student Life Director Michael Williams. The idea that the weekend activity program needed change began last year. Students were asked what they thought needed improvement at the school and one of the biggest answers was the weekend activity program. Students felt that they didn’t have enough options to do anything with their weekend instead of staying in their room all day doing nothing. “They (students) need ways to decompress instead of sitting being bored after a long week of work,” Mr. Williams said. Day students were also taken into account. Many day students, when asked what they thought about their time at R-MA experience, felt that their time here ended at last bell on Friday and that they couldn’t come back till Monday. Mr. Williams felt that this is every student’s school and every student should feel welcomed and encouraged to have fun with other students during the weekend.

It was with these ideas that Mr. Williams set to work organizing and planning a whole arsenal of activities spaced out through the entire year. But for these trips Mr. Williams needed supervision, so he reach out to the faculty and asked what the teachers would enjoy chaperoning. The response was incredible. Ninety percent of the faculty and student mentors responded with what activities they loved to do and signed up to be chaperones. According to Mr. Williams, Chaplain Josh Orndorff loves to ski and can’t wait to lead the overnight skiing expedition coming up in January. One might be wondering that if there is so much to do how does one find out when they are. The answer lies with "MDUB's Weekend What to Do." The "Weekend What to Do" list is posted at over 35 campus locations for each week. There is as well a massive multi-month "What to Do" list right outside the dining hall that gives an outline of all of the trips coming up over the next few seasons.

Water parks, amusement parks, and state parks are popular destinations for weekend trips at boarding school. Dylan Glascock '18 attended the Baltimore Comic Con on a Saturday in September.  He was delighted with the trip: “Comic Con was one of the most entertaining experiences I've had. The cosplayers, the artists, and just everyone there was so kind. I was asked to take several pictures (with my costume), which was flattering. Another aspect of the Con was the artists: they were so good it hurt.”

 When asked to comment about the new program, General David Wesley stated, “I’m excited about our expanded Weekend Activity Program. I’m also grateful to the faculty and staff who volunteer their time to make the trips possible!” 

Now the question I leave you with is:

What are you doing this weekend?

 

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn