Freshman arriving to Penn State receive an orientation of sorts--they hear lots of "dos and don'ts", learn their way around campus, and find out where to get help with academic as well as social problems, among other things. But a full and comprehensive orientation to college entails more than this. Green Destiny is in the process of creating a very different kind of orientation guide--one explicitly directed to Penn State upperclassmen. We call it the "Awaken to Life" Guide. Here is a sampling of the contents:

A. Getting Ecologically Oriented: Making a Home

• Where am I? (in the Universe? on Planet Earth?)
• Where's my energy coming from? My water? My food?
• Where's my trash going? Hazardous waste?
• Which departments and centers on campus are working to promote ecological stewardship? What are the names of people who can help me find out more?

B. Getting Economically Oriented: Making Wise Use of Money

• Map of thrifty/socially responsible places to bank, shop for food, clothes, shoes, textbooks, etc.
• 10 awesome activities that don't require money
• Making the most of one's education "investment"
• How tuition is used.
• The role of corporations on campus and in our campus economy

C. Getting Emotionally Oriented: Making Connections

• Embracing difference, enjoying diversity, and overcoming racism at PSU
• Reclaiming the University commons
• Signs of stress: eating disorders, depression
• Coming to grips with the big three: drugs, alcohol, and sex
• How to personalize your college experience with real mentoring, personal exploration, and creativity

D. Getting Intellectually Oriented: Making an Academic Life

• Finding a calling at PSU; great things should happen to you!
• Alternative or nonprofit career options (i.e., What guidance counselors may have left out)
• Books every college student should read (annotated)
• 10 societal assumptions to question long and hard before graduating
• Creating your own major
• Making a mission statement for your academic journey
• Field trips worth the journey
• Alternatives to individualism at Penn State (including cooperatives, ecohousing, etc.)

E. Getting Spiritually Oriented: Making a Mark

• Discovering the many spiritual homes and experiences around you
• Words of wisdom from recent graduates
• Determining what really matters
• Becoming a citizen instead of a consumer
• How to find university clubs and volunteer community organizations that help make the world a better place

F. Getting Politically Oriented: Becoming a Citizen

• Identifying local representatives, and the policy issues you care about
• How to get involved in campus and local politics (Amnesty International, Greens, Young Republicans, etc.)