Alright so boom - ABOLISH WALKABOUT, a thread: https://twitter.com/preciousjrenae/status/1293230466581983233

Let me start off by saying that my experience being an RA was fruitful I connected with a lot of residents & made them feel seen. It was fun being in community with all of them. Soph yr is weird so I’m glad I was there to walk them through. The scholarship was okay too ig.

So for those who don’t know, when selected to be an RA at @azusapacific u are awarded an offer packet which contains ur contract stating that u must attend Walkabout Training in its entirety. U electronically sign it. It’s mandatory. U cannot miss it (unless for a v dire reason)

Time to go shopping!! You have to buy hella gear bcuz ur going backpacking for 10 days. We get a list of stuff to buy - hiking boots, paracord, flashlight, wicking tees, just.. A LOT.

My parents were like...um what is this for again? It hurt me seeing my dad slide his card. Like the pain in my chest was real looking at that long receipt.

For a lot of us (mostly students of color), u only gon use this stuff 1x. So paying for a trip you are being forced to go on was 1) outta pocket 2) when we got back to civilization, some stuff couldn’t be returned 3) it defeated the whole purpose of having us on scholarship

Now u get another form the 1st day of Walkabout Training (which is called “Day One” lol so creative) after u turn in ur physical. it’s u signing ur life away essentially, stating basically in the event of injury or worse on the trip that u or ur family will not sue the school.

I did it because I just love community & leadership so much hahaha So now, it’s time for “Day One”. GIRL LMAOO they had us do these running exercises on the school field with backpacks on our back & brought in a rock climbing wall...like that’s not the real thing luv.

1 day of training for a strenuous almost 2-week trip is insanity. Especially when a lot of ppl have never even been camping before & didn’t know how to set up a tent. Let’s start there. So anyways, there’s lots of talking & meeting but minimal prep for something of this caliber.

So boom we have our stuff acquired. We have our final meeting day where the RezLife staff talk to us & our Walkabout guides go thru our stuff to make sure we have everything we need. This day pissed me off bcuz it seemed like they were so nonchalant ab what was going to ensue.

Literally one of our staff members was going through instructions & jokingly stated “...just in case you fall off a cliff”. I said “that’s not funny” hella loud & the people in front of me turned around. It’s was the running joke with my friends in college lol. But I was serious.

The night before I’m in my apt packing...my hair in cornrows looking like I’m ready for war. I called my best friend & my parents like bye talk to u in 2 weeks (bcuz no service in the wilderness). My mom had an issue with not being able to reach me on the trip & that broke my

IT’S TIME FOR WALKABOUT! I’m saying my morning prayers real hard this morning lol I could not handle it. Brought my heavy stuff downstairs at 4am looking at the snapchats from friends wishing me well, hoping I come back in 1 piece. This is a few weeks b4 school starts btw

I have a video but literally b4 getting in the vans to leave, me & all my Black girl friends did the “Celie & Nettie” clapping in the parking lot. We were playing but we weren’t lol. Like we really were concerned for our physical well being..sad. It was really The Color Purple.

So after we got done singing “Wade in the Water” with our white peers looking at us, we’re loss the vans & we’re off. We stop at McDonalds for breakfast. Mickey D’s. No proper nutrition. It was either that or eat nothing for breakfast so I ate the poison.

So we get to Yosemite or wherever. You’re split into teams btw with guides & a medic. You are in a different vicinity away from the other groups. There is one group dedicated to students w health conditions that served no purpose because they neglected them but anyways...

BOOM the 1st thing we do when we get there is rock climb. I tried to get out of it but was coerced. I started climbing and got to the top yay. So I repelled back down. At the end, my teammate had the slack kinda loose & I had a misstep, swung & hit my back on the rock like dis

On the trip we weren’t allowed to bring oils or anything w scents so as not to attract bears which was anti-Bl..yea so ofc us BGs have protective styles in that need to be nurtured. I snuck an oil bottle anyways. I wasn’t finna have my hair breaking off from being under the sun

On 1 particular part of the trek, I rly thought sumn bad was gonna happen. We were walking along this mountain. If you look down n 2 ur left there’s a river w rocks. You make a wrong step & you’re gone. I said “if there’s no trail that means we’re not supposed to be here”

So there was a part of the trip called “solo” (again w the creativity) where we spent 48 hours in solitude. We couldn’t talk to our team. We were in separate areas. No phone just you walking around with nature & your bible which was actually pretty nice until...

the part where we were required to fast for 24hrs. Yes. Mind u our uni is a Christian college. But anyone who is spiritual knows that fasting is a PERSONAL CHOICE s’posed 2 be led by the spirit so that’s starvation (forced). Ur guide comes to ur area w a Clif bar at some point

At some point during solo, it started RAINING & THUNDERING. I was scared it was so loud at that altitude. It was POURING. I was out taking a walk just reflecting & had to take cover. It stopped & came back that nite. My whole tent under a puddle. All my clothes soaked.

Our guides came to check on us cuz it was that bad. One of the guides was yelling out my name cuz it was so dark & rainy, he couldnt see (& didn’t know where I was). They took our sleeping bags & dried them by w the camp fire, that took hella long. I was so cold,wet,irritated.

So after 48 hours of nature ambience, napping, & reading the whole New Testament...we continued on...to the MOSQUITOES Y’all we trekked through a swamp. This is why they told us to buy a mosquitoe net & get bug spray but we didn’t stand a chance. I got hella mosquitoe bites.

So we left Shrek’s house..hm what else?? Oh yeah swimming! I’m not a strong swimmer which has its cultural ties y’know. So we got to this big body of water & every1 just gets in casually, jumping off rocks. Of course they think it’s shower time. Y’all it was brick.

The water is ice cold y’all. But I didn’t wanna be lame...so I got in (we love social pressure). Tried to play it cool. I panicked when I realized how deep it was when my toe couldn’t touch the bottom anymore so I stayed on the rock with 2 other teammates. Couldn’t do it.

But there was a past story/rumor that a girl was about to jump into a river in 1 of the previous years & as she was getting ready to jump, she slipped and barely missed a rock coming out of the water. Somebody apparently got helicoptered out 1 year. A mess.

On the last day when we are finally able to shower at this outdoor space...idek that we had to be together. I was naked in front of my peers. I was so stuck but they were rushing us. I’m mad that we saw each other exposed against our will.

I asked 2 shower alone but was told no bcuz water preservation. Wasn’t even a shower but tarps around spouts w benches + the water cut off after 2mins. So not even a proper shower but just enough to not stink up the vans. I thought hazing was against student code of conduct?

Just another marginalizing part of the trip besides the microsgressions & racial insensitivity was the gender inequity. Some ladies were on their cycle during this, not having the proper sanitation set up is just op. We are supposed to LNT so they had to ziploc it till the end.

Especially because you only have 2 underwears...and 1 is for the end of the trip when you shower...so if you have an accident you’re screwed. The rest of us just had to wear panty liners & pray that not showering for that long wouldn’t mess up our pH from all the baby wipes.

Many times on the trip I forgot what we were even there for because what?? Digging a whole & pooping outdoors, carrying food in bear cans on your back for miles, etc. this type of team building has nothing to do with serving a community of students on campus.

My friend got her hand web ripped during the mountain climbing portion and was chastised for not wanting to participate in the 1st place. “You’re missing out..” Now look what happened y’all like huh?? She had su*cidal thoughts, didn’t get closer to God...it was really a mess.

The whole trip everything was so secretive. We could barely know the agenda, the itinerary, when & where we were doing what. We had to guess & speculate. I didn’t like that.

I come back 4 shades darker, w a scratched up back & started my period the moment I start unpacking in my apt when unpacking bcuz the elevation change. I was so thankful to come back home in 1 piece but was so numb. Like did we really just do all that?

But guess what y’all... WE GOT NO BREAK. We were required to go to a dinner with our Walkabout team that night!!! You’re kidding right? We just got back!! No debrief about what just happened. Cheesecake is cool but no..I wanna sleep & disassociate. I think I took a smol nap.

I still can’t believe we did this. I
There is so much more but I cannot type anymore. A lot I have forgotten bcuz my brain has tried to push this memory so far back into my consciousness. Mind you it has been nearly 3 years lol I need to unpack this in therapy. Truly traumatized

Mind u this trip was started in the 70s when desegregation & women’s rights was occurring. Everything that was enforced was strictly for the sake of tradition. They failed to adjust to the current climate. Our year was probably the most diverse selection of RAs APU recruited.

Afterwards, when talking to the higher ups of Rez Life, 1 of whom was Black...ab the problematic parts of trip me & my peers were ignored. Literally I came with notes, the ones I’m looking at now lol. I talked about slavery & Black ppls relationship with the outdoors...

that a lot of this stuff is the reason students of color don’t apply, possible solutions, etc. They were quiet the whole meeting, said thank u for sharing & basically said they need 2 process and will think of ways to reform the program won’t reach out for next steps but that..

I can schedule another follow meeting if need be. After that I was like y’all we tried. Lol goodbye

The trip was slightly reformed after our junior yr but not for cultural concerns...but bcuz the predicted wildfires that summer lol. But I am happy to hear that the trip has supposedly been terminated recently.

Sometimes u have to walk so the ppl coming behind u can run. A sacrifice I’ll never forget.

S/o to Team Eagle for hearing me & being real allies. They let me complain, they weren’t mad when I didn’t wanna talk. They just checked in & helped me thru. For that I’m forever grateful. I did get close to God, that was the only way I could’ve made it through. Thank you Yah