Mountain Challenge Kick-starts 2011-12 for Venture LLC
MARYVILLE, TN – The Venture Living Learning Community kicked off the 2011-12 academic year at the Mountain Challenge on the campus of Maryville College on Sat., Aug. 13.
Bringing together the 72 freshman students, eight peer mentors, and four advisors of Venture, the event continued a tradition of the three-year-old program in an effort to foster trust and camaraderie within the community.
From crossing a balance beam while staying connected to each member of the group to lifting group members through a small space made by ropes in the form of a spider web, the various team-building activities challenged students to learn one another’s strengths and weaknesses, communicate in positive ways, and craft strategies for group success.
For Martin Leamon, a Venture peer mentor and former student in the program, the day’s activities proved a tremendous success.
“I really felt like I got to know people within the community well is such a short amount of time,” said Leamon, a sophomore accounting major from Clarksville.