FOP Celebrates 25 Years

When former Dean of Freshman Henry C. Moses arrived at Harvard more than two decades ago, he could empathize with the plight of fledgling first-years.

The Freshman Outdoor Program (FOP), which celebrated its 25th anniversary this weekend, came out of Moses’ desire to ease the transition from high school and to change negative perceptions of Harvard.

“I wanted to combat an idea of Harvard that was broad at the time that people were hyper competitive...and put people in situations where they had no choice but to cooperate,” Moses, the program’s founder, said.

Six thousand students and 1,000 leaders have participated in FOP in the 25 years since 49 students first ventured forth in 1979.

About 160 FOP alums, leaders and even a few parents gathered at the Concord Scout House Friday night to reminisce, to mingle and to perform the FOP dance one more time.

“I’m even a little surprised at how much it means to people,” current FOP Director Brent Bell said.

Bell, who holds a Ph.D. in experiential education, noted that the program’s benefits extend beyond simple fun in the woods.

“Students who do these programs report having more social support than students who don’t,” Bell said.

Research on outdoor education programs like FOP indicates that their

influence carries over at least into sophomore year.

“The positive effects seem to grow with time,” Bell said. “The further people are from the experience, the more they reflect back on how important it was.”

“FOP teaches you a lot about interpersonal relationships...that has been really helpful to me throughout my time at Harvard,” 2004 FOP Steering Committee member Lacey R. Whitmire ’05 said.

One of the program’s main goals is helping students prepare for the shock of Harvard.

“Living with eight people for five days in the most intimate setting is almost the perfect precursor for getting thrown in with 1,600 people,” 2004 FOP Steering Committee member Neil K. Mehta ’05 said. “It makes you think about every relationship you form.”

Many also commented on the significance of involvement with the program after their freshman trip.

“The biggest surprise about FOP was how leadership training became...almost more important than the experience freshman year,” Moses said.

Event organizers cited curiosity about the history of FOP as their impetus for planning the celebration.

“We wanted to find out how...FOP started, how traditions like warm and fuzzy cheesecake began.” Mehta said. “We wanted to see how it became a 25-year, intergenerational community. A lot of it is about building for the future.”

While the program has offered different trips over the years, participants noted the commonality of their experiences.

“The elements of the program have changed, but I think the spirit is the same,” said 2003 Steering Committee member Chelsey Tanaka ’04.

“When you go through a rainstorm together or eat some food that’s been on the ground...you’ve accomplished something different than just taking a class together,” Whitmire said.