Game on

A flux of emotions raced through the minds of incoming students on their first day of new student orientation in July. For many, it was their first taste of freedom, mixed with connection and Flyer spirit.

But mostly, they were just trying not to get smacked by a dodgeball.

It was all part of a new community-building session for this year’s orientation programming, Fun on the Fly. Held in RecPlex and co-led by Campus Recreation staff and orientation leaders, incoming students moved through six stations of activities that required strong communication and engagement from every member of the team.

“The different games helped them connect and learn to work with other people,” said Reyd Fisher ’29, an orientation and welcome leader. “One of the orientation groups asked, ‘Is this helping us get ready to live in dorm spaces?’ I feel like that was a great analogy.”

At one of the activity stations, students threw dodgeballs back and forth while repeating teammates’ names. At another called Traffic Jam, two lines of students had to strategize, communicate and maneuver along a row of markers to swap places without getting stuck.

“Students learned more about each other and worked with one another to achieve a goal — putting our community principles into action as they prepare to launch their college experience,” said Kristen Altenau Keen, associate dean of students and executive director of student engagement and wellbeing.

Throughout the summer, orientation leaders encouraged incoming students to care for themselves, seek support and embrace this new chapter. They’re backed by a University-wide effort — and more resources than ever, including an expanded RecPlex and the new Health and Wellbeing Center, which opened in August.

As the orientation team looks ahead to next summer, it hopes to build on these opportunities to connect, collaborate and embrace a little controlled chaos.

Because sometimes the best way to build community is to throw a ball at it.

Photograph by Sylvia Stahl '18.

A version of this article appears in print in the Autumn 2026 University of Dayton Magazine, Page 10. EXPLORE THE ISSUE — MORE ONLINE