Members of the Student Life team in a tug of war.As tourism season draws to a close in Barry's Bay, the small, rural Ontario town takes on a new life, with students arriving from all over the United States and Canada, and even as far away as Australia, to begin a new year of studies at Our Lady Seat of Wisdom. A team of upper-year volunteers, RAs and proctors, as well as faculty and staff, were ready and eager to greet new students last Friday with a full weekend of events planned to orient students and introduce them to the joys and peculiarities of life at the Academy.

Arriving on the 31st of August, students were warmly welcomed, given an opportunity to register and get settled into their residences, and offered a quick tour of the campus. Parents also were greeted and given a chance to get to know faculty and staff, during a reception offered by OLSWA President, Dr. Cassidy, and his wife Elizabeth at his home Friday evening. On Saturday morning, following Mass at St. Hedwig's Parish and breakfast in the church hall, Dr. Cassidy and Assistant Academic Dean, Professor Nicholson, addressed the first-year class, highlighting the benefits and the rigours of Academy life and impressing upon students the responsibilities of their academic vocation. Following the talk, the afternoon held placement exams for English and Latin courses, and another talk from the Deans of Students, Mr. and Mrs. Gould, outlining the school’s Student Life policies. Finally, to wrap up a busy day, there was a BBQ outside St. Joseph's Hall in the evening, which included an informal volley ball tournament, and was followed up with swimming off the docks in beautiful Kamaniskeg Lake, just down the hill from St. Hedwig’s.

Luke, Peter, Elizabeth, Stephen and Veronica on the Sunday hike.The weekend's activities continued all Sunday afternoon, with brunch in the church hall after Mass, followed by the annual hike to Kluke Lookout, led by OLSWA chaplain Fr. Paul Burchat. Sunday finished off with an outdoor “Sunday Sundae Bar,” which developed into an impromptu swing dance, lasting until dusk, and was followed by a movie under the stars, on the field behind the new portable classroom named after Blessed Cardinal Newman. On Monday, the Labour Day holiday, RAs, proctors, and student volunteers led first-years on the traditional Orientation Scavenger Hunt, which sent new students around to all the main sights of Barry's Bay. Later in the day, Fr. Paul delivered his annual address to first-years, in which he urged students to focus primarily on the improvement of both mind and soul during their time at the Academy, reminding them that the world desperately needs the witness of well-formed Catholics, and that the Academy can provide such a formation, but only if the student is open to it.

Finally, on Monday evening, Orientation Weekend came to a close with a coffee-house held in St. Mary's classroom, which displayed some of the many talents of OLSWA students. Among the acts were step-dancing, cello, violin, and voice performances, various jokes, brain teasers, and a slide-show of the weekend’s events. Although this year's Orientation was a day longer than usual, students agreed that it was nice to have some down time in order to get settled in and get to know other students. By the time Tuesday morning came about, everybody was well-prepared and quite excited to begin their first day of OLSWA classes.

OLSWA hikers at Kluke Lookout