By Mia Prausnitz-Weinbaum, OA Admissions Counselor and Semester 46 Alum

Although the students are different each semester, many things about OA stay the same. The small, daily traditions that OA students decades apart share are part of what holds us in community. These are the things that you don’t usually read about in a pamphlet or hear about in an information session. There are so many traditions that I could name both big and small. Today, I want to share a few of my favorites that all have one thing in common: the power of a circle.

Morning Watch is an essential OA tradition that begins every day with a moment of quiet reflection in nature. Mornings at OA start with the sounds of hurrying steps as the students gather outside the Sun Lodge, trying not to be the last one to the first circle-up of the day. A resounding “zero!” starts the count-off and the Morning Watch song is sung, in varying keys of sleepiness, before the group starts up the trail woven through the rhododendrons.  At the top of the hill, students spend a few peaceful moments in their chosen spot, reflecting and taking in the beautiful morning woods around them, before coming back down the hill. This tradition allows students to start the morning with intention, setting the tone for how they hope to approach the rest of the day.

Many traditions revolve around mealtimes: what we say, do, and eat. The OA community circles up before each meal, joining freshly washed hands, to sing together. Every semester has their own favorite song, but some current Semester 62 picks include “‘Tis a Gift” and “The Garden Song (Inch by Inch).” Mealtime singing is a chance to hear the voices of your community around you, feeling together as one. Singing is a vulnerable act for many students, but throughout the semester, as confidence builds, so does the volume of the songs in the Sun Lodge dining room.

Once the songs are sung and the people seated at their tables another essential OA tradition appears: Giving Thanks. Giving Thanks is a valued part of each meal, encouraging students to reflect on the food they’re eating, where it came from, who prepared it, and who they are eating it with. As everyone at the table takes a quiet moment to themselves, in a circle around the table, students enter the meal feeling not only connected with their peers and mentors sitting with them, but the entire community that has contributed to the meal they will enjoy.

Once bedtime rolls around, the students make their way along the dark path to Cabin 7 Field, where they form (you guessed it!) a circle. Goodnight Circle is the last moment of togetherness before the cabins go their separate ways for the night. The students give a round of Appreciations, for each other, faculty, the weather, or whatever else brought them joy that day. Finally, the hopeful notes of the Goodnight Song float through the air, lingering as the OA community quietly retreats back up the hill for the night.

Community is central to The Outdoor Academy, and it manifests daily through our traditions, often taking place in a circle. We take every chance we get to circle-up, look around at the faces of our community, and celebrate them all, through song, Giving Thanks, appreciations, or moments of quiet.