Each semester at Juniata, for the Business Department’s Essentials of Organizational Behavior class (i.e. HOBO), a daylong hike is required for the course takes place.  In the weeks leading up to the hike, randomly assigned groups meet with group leaders to partake in activities that help to build team unity and cohesion.  Randy Rosenberger, associate professor of business, uses the hike as a graded part of the class and indeed all hikers must write a paper on the experience. On the day of the hike, groups are dropped off at random locations in Rothrock State Forest.  Armed with only a map and a compass, groups are expected to find their way to various checkpoints.  The grueling hike serves to teach students about the challenging aspects of working in groups as well as team dynamics overall.  Several students give their take on their recent hike experience:

Kyle D. Clemmer ’14, Coopersburg, Pa.: “The hike was a really great experience, and I believe it brought out a lot of qualities in people. I know that for myself, I found myself helping in the decision-making, helping when I could (though I could have helped a bit more at times), and I also found out how competitive I am as well.”

Domenic Cuzzolina ’14, Hollidaysburg, PA: “I thought the hike was a unique way of analyzing HOBO ideas from a first-person point of view. I thought our group was fantastic; everyone seemed very in shape and determined to finish first. However, everyone was still very casual and direct. I learned that perceiving if your group is well-structured (especially when compared to others) may be more important than if it truly is.”

Jessica Matlack ’14, Newtown Square, Pa.: “The hike was tough, but overall I think that as a group we were successful. While our group did not all work together for the task, almost every member was very supportive of one another. My group’s cohesion succeeded expectations.”

Daniel O’Neill ’13, West Chester, Pa.: “I really enjoyed the hike. It was a beautiful day, I got to skip 4 classes, my feet didn’t blister, and I didn’t get any ticks! Oh, and we came in first, so that helped too.”

Diana Navas ’15, international student from Ecuador: “I liked the experience, and I’m very glad we didn’t get lost. I think we did pretty well; we definitely worked as a group, and we never left anybody behind.”

–Jenny Wang ’12, Juniata Online Journalist