DUSA O'CAMP
2019 O'Camp
I attended my first Deakin University Student Association Orientation Camp (DUSA O’Camp) in 2019 not as a leader, but as a nervous first year stepping outside of her comfort zone. I didn’t know anyone attending Deakin University, and so I knew I had to take every opportunity to make friends and meet new people. My first chance to do this was at the DUSA O’Camp, which occurs before Trimester 1 commences and is open to any Deakin University first year student.
By the end of the Camp I was so glad that I had decided to push myself to attend, and I met so many wonderful people who I’m still in touch with today. My Team Leaders recognised my leadership potential, including my ability to communicate and create an inclusive environment for the rest of the students within my team, and encouraged me to apply to be a Team Leader the following year.
2020 O'Camp
Stepping into my role as a Team Leader for the first time in 2020 filled me with excitement, having experienced the immense value of the program as a first-year participant the previous year. Partnered with a seasoned leader to ensure a smooth transition, I enthusiastically took on co-leadership for the Beauxbatons team at the 'Harry Potter' themed O’Camp.
My initial challenge lay in the team's composition – three boys and four girls, with a notable gender divide. It was somewhat of a challenge to encourage the group members to interact with each other, which I overcame by running icebreaker activities to allow everyone to get to know each other. We were also tasked with creating a team flag and a team chant, activities which I led. To further encourage the team to collaborate, I took the time to ask each member of the group what they wanted to see on the flag and hear in the chant. This worked well as it gave everyone the opportunity to speak and once they had participated in the conversation, they were more willing to continue contributing to the group. This was the case apart from one very shy group member who was struggling to express herself. I spoke to her one-on-one, and discovered that she had a passion for art. I encouraged her to offer her skills to the group to draw on our team flag and she created an amazing picture which the rest of the group loved. Once this team member felt valued within the group, she really came out of her shell. I continued to check in with her for the duration of the Camp and found that her confidence grew with each activity.
Throughout the Camp my leadership approach evolved, and I focused on nurturing the quieter and less confident members of the group. My propensity to ensure inclusivity became a key component of my leadership style, and cemented my belief in the power of recognising and harnessing every individual's unique strengths, even when they might not recognise those strengths themselves.
2021 E'Camp
2021 marked the first time that I was part of the Planning Committee for O’Camp, a role which I enjoyed as it allowed me to suggest and implement new or varied activities. It was also an interesting time to come into this role due to Covid-19 restrictions in Victoria. After realising in early 2020 that it would likely not be possible to have a regular in-person O'Camp, from mid 2020 the Committee planned to have a blended in-person and virtual experience. However, just a few weeks prior to Camp, new Covid-19 restrictions were put in place and we had to redevelop the program into an E’Camp (online experience).
This was quite challenging, as a lot of our planned activities could only be completed in person with no immediately obvious online alternative. However, by collaborating with the rest of the Planning Committee I was able to assist in reimagining the program. I also improved my digital literacy skills to ensure the smooth navigation of newly adopted platforms, such as the Amazing Race Scavenger Hunt on Action Bound.
As a Team Leader for Asia in our ‘Around the World’ themed E’Camp, I was responsible for engaging with my team of first years. This was challenging as there was a certain level of ‘Zoom fatigue’, and a lot of our team members were reluctant to turn their cameras on. I approached this issue by having my own camera on and encouraging, but not forcing, the first years to turn theirs on as well. As we moved through the ice-breaker activities we also had casual get-to-know you style conversations where I asked the first year students questions about pets, hobbies and interests. As most of the group had a pet, I took the opportunity to ask students to show their pets which meant that students needed to turn their cameras on. I noticed that a lot of the group appeared less nervous when they had their pets with them, so I suggested that pets were welcome to attend E’Camp as well. Once students turned their cameras on they didn’t go back off, which was a great result.
Throughout E’Camp I faced situations where I needed to entrust my team to my co-leader's care in order to run activities that I had orchestrated as a member of the Planning Committee. Among these events were the Trivia Night and the Dinner Social Session. To ensure a smooth transition, my co-leader and I reviewed the itinerary ahead of E’Camp. Our proactive communication enabled us both to feel comfortable with the arrangement, and I ensured that my co-leader was well-prepared to lead the team independently during these times.
2022 O'Camp
2022 saw the long-awaited return of the in-person O’Camp. Building on my previous experiences, I once again assumed a role on the Planning Committee. It was daunting applying to be on the Planning Committee during this time, as a lot of the previous student leaders had graduated and were no longer involved in the program. However, I recognised that this gave me an opportunity to step up and suggest new ways of running activities or new activities to include in the program. The Planning Committee also gave me an opportunity to improve my collaboration and communication skills as I created Group Ice-Breakers and organised Trivia.
Even though I had been involved in the planning of O’Camp, I still had to adapt when the Camp actually commenced. Although I had initially been allocated as a co-leader for the ‘Neverland Gang’ at the Disney themed O’Camp, a family emergency meant that another student leader for ‘The Black Pearls’ team could no longer attend. With no other student leaders available to fill in I was asked to lead ‘The Black Pearls’ by myself, while my co-leader and the co-leader of ‘The Black Pearls’ lead the ‘Neverland Gang’ (my original group). This was a daunting task as I had not led a team alone before. I embraced the challenge, drawing upon my leadership skills and past experiences at O’Camp to ensure that I provided the best experience possible to the first years.
Amidst the variety of activities one standout experience of my capabilities as a leader was during the Summit Challenge – a demanding obstacle course comprising of 39 obstacles across 5 kilometres. The diverse nature of the challenges, ranging from climbing over frames to crawling through mud, showcased the array of personalities within the team. Navigating the balance between those eager to race ahead and those stepping outside of their comfort zones was a delicate task. Ordinarily when a group has two leaders, one will go ahead with the faster team members while the other will stay back with the less confident students. As I was on my own, this wasn’t possible. Recognising the division within the team, I stopped our progress and spoke with the group, emphasising the significance of staying together and encouraging each other. We changed our approach, and I asked more assertive individuals to pair up with those less confident on the course. This collaboration promoted a more balanced pace and the sense of collective accomplishment as the entire team conquered the course was a testament to the power of teamwork.
2023 O'Day
As I knew that 2023 would be my final year at University, I decided to take the leap and apply for co-2IC of O’Camp with a fellow student leader. We were thrilled to be successful in our application, and had many ideas that we wanted to implement as part of the Planning Committee in 2022 for the 2023 O’Camp. As 2IC’s we were also involved in student leader recruitment and interviews, and I had the opportunity to mentor new student leaders which I found very fulfilling. For the Planning Committee, I assisted with creating the team names and descriptions for the ‘Murder Mystery’ theme and organising the itinerary.
Despite all of our planning, I was disappointed to learn in late 2022 that the O’Camp program would not be running due to budget cuts. In lieu of the traditional O’Camp we were presented with the opportunity to run the program as an O’Day instead. This involved transforming the 3 day camp into a 1 day program, which we decided to run in the Melbourne CBD as a central location for most Burwood and Geelong based students. It was challenging to adapt the program and choose the most appropriate activities to run over the course of a single day, but we were proud of the final itinerary which included Ice-Breaker Activities, a Scavenger Hunt, dinner, and the Moonlight Cinema in the Botanical Gardens. I also knew that the changes to the program would likely present new challenges to me as a 2IC, as I had so far prepared myself to deal with issues I had seen previous 2ICs face (such as students with social anxiety feeling uncomfortable in the camp environment, and students experiencing apprehension about the Summit Challenge (including fear of mud, water and heights)).
As 2IC at O’Day I was the point of contact, support and information for group leaders, and assisted with the running of the day. I believe that I was (and remain) a present and approachable leader, and was pleased that group leaders felt they were able to raise concerns and issues with me. For example, one group leader was struggling to encourage a student within the group to engage with everyone else. I spoke to that leader about steps I had taken at previous camps to encourage communication between students, and she used these techniques to bring the student out of their shell. However, there were also situations that I was not prepared for and that I had to adapt to on the day, such as students not wanting to complete the Scavenger Hunt and therefore not meeting everyone else at the final destination. After speaking with some quite panicked team leaders about what to do, I assessed the situation and realised that a lot of the students didn’t want to finish as they were low on energy after walking around the city for a long period of time. I asked the team leaders to communicate with their groups and organise a break during the Scavenger Hunt, encouraging everyone to find a drink, food or ice-cream at a nearby shop. This re-energised the students, and I was pleased that taking a break motivated everyone to complete the Scavenger Hunt. This situation improved my communication and problem-solving skills as a leader, as well as my ability to empathise with others and determine what the root of an issue might be.
Conclusion
My experience as a Team Leader, Planning Committee Member and 2IC of the DUSA O’Camp between 2020-2023 significantly contributes to my achievement of the Hallmark Standards. I have embraced the opportunity to lead first year Deakin Students from all walks of life through activities at O’Camp, E’Camp and O’Day which has not only had a positive influence over the confidence and well-being of others, but also allowed me to assist in the development of programs that contribute to positive outcomes for students.
I have also experienced personal development from my experiences, and learnt valuable leadership skills from attending O’Camp training each year. As one of my first leadership opportunities at Deakin University, O’Camp enabled me to develop my leadership style. I have discovered that I enjoy empowering others to achieve outcomes they did not believe they could, which I accomplish by being aware of people’s limitations whilst encouraging them to step outside of their comfort zones with the knowledge that they are fully supported. This has resulted in several of my student team members returning as group leaders in following years, further encouraging me to provide opportunities for everyone to be a leader. The impact that my experiences at the DUSA O’Camp have had on me as a person and as a leader cannot be overstated, and I am so grateful for this opportunity.
