Temperature Info Courtesy: wunderground.com

By Aaron Rockwell, Staff Writer

Welcome Home:
Foundations week must have been inspired by Justin Timberlake’s, “Suit and Tie,” because all of the cohorts were running around looking so dapper in their business formal. Arizona also joined the party with its own heated hello.

When the weather channel talks about the “mean” temperature in Arizona, they’re talking about attitude, not average. Hence: Thunderbirds are forged by fire.

Foundations week was the sleep deprivation of Army boot camp, the carefree spirit of a childhood summer camp and a sprinkle of Tuckman’s Stages of Group Development: forming, storming, norming, performing, and, when we graduate: adjourning.

Courtesy: Thunderbird Marketing Dept.

G-5 Negotiations:
The biggest chunk of Foundations was spent forming teams and tackling the G-5 Negotiations. Essentially a simulation of the world’s G8, or more recently the G7, because Russia is sitting on the sidelines. Teams had to argue different angles and make resolutions to be voted on.  The majority of the resolutions were rejected, leading to heated arguments and serving as a great segue into genuine learning.

Career Management Center:
An important part of Foundations was getting students up to speed on their potential as future leaders. One day these newly-minted Thunderbirds will leave behind their Pokemon-Go accounts to go out into the world and soar.

Courtesy: Thunderbird Marketing Dept.

Welcome to the Thunderdome – the ThunderCrawl and the ThunderOlympics:
Foundations week taught us that any word or thing that is cool on its own can be improved by adding a ‘thunder’ prefix. Going to study in your dorm room? No. You are going to THUNDERSTUDY.

The Thundercrawl was a series of clues that led different cohorts around campus with events at each stop. This activity was a great way to learn about the school’s history, and to sweat off some pounds that students will eventually gain back from stress study eating.

The ThunderOlympics was apropos this year because the actual Olympics were simultaneously taking place in Rio. It was a time for students to take off their nerd glasses and lace up their athletic skills. Events included: water kickball, towel balloon toss, floor puzzle, pool scavenger hunt, and an event where students had to flip a tarp while never leaving its area.

Great Foundations Media from the Arizona State University Team:

Conclusion:

Despite the occasional grumbler, the consensus was, “WE MADE IT through Foundations and are proud to call ourselves Thunderbirds.” The student body as a whole is now more equipped for:

1. Forming teams, working together with uncertainty, and recognizing the level of leadership required to be a Thunderbird.
2. Understanding the vast pool of resources offered at Thunderbird.
3. Developing the building blocks to become true Global Citizens.