Saddle Up continues despite flood damage

Despite unexpected weather impacts throughout Laramie, UW launched its new Saddle Up program according to schedule.

“We have had a lot of late nights prepping for this program, so we are ready for it even with the flooding, even with the power outages,” Hailey Sanderson, Office Assistant for Student Success and Graduation Hub, said. “Overall, we can still get people their name badges, tell them where they need to be, and get them oriented.”

Saddle Up is a week-long orientation program that allows students new to UW to familiarize themselves with the campus and start networking.

However, some ambitions for the Saddle Up program were slightly altered.

“The only impact that it will have is that we might need to relocate some of the programs that we had planned because they were supposed to take place in the lower level,” Jennifer Kirk, Marketing and Communication Specialist for the Coe Libraries, said. “So we anticipate this should hopefully be fixed pretty quickly.”

“Thankfully, it seems move-in day wasn’t too hurt by anything, and a lot of our SWAG stuff was kind of a last-minute save,” Grant Dillivan, a Pokes Pack leader, said. “Though I heard from a lot of freshmen that getting here was a little scary because they got caught in the rain.”

Pokes Pack leaders are considered mentors, showing students around campus, answering questions, and ensuring that students understand the resources available.

“I was a little nervous coming into this, you know, I wasn’t sure exactly how it was going to work because it’s the first time we’re ever doing this, but the energy, the excitement, the fun, it’s infectious,” Dillivan said. 

Points of student interest most damaged by the floods included the Student Success and Graduation Hub, the Coe Library, and the Wyoming Union.

“We operate out of the Alumni House, and we were in the middle of printing name tags and organizing the master list when the window wells filled with about a foot and a half of water before it waterfalled through,” Sanderson said. “At that time, we ran outside with coolers and buckets to get it from going into the basement because that is where graduation ceremony supplies are stored.”

“We want the Union to be at its best for our students,” Erik Kahl, Director of the Wyoming Union, said. “It was difficult to come Monday to know that Saddle Up was beginning and we could not showcase all of our buildings and spaces.”