University students will have the opportunity to challenge themselves on the UREC Challenge Program this semester. LSU UREC Adventure Education will host open challenge course hours for University students to attempt the course without a group Oct. 14 and Nov. 4, from 10 a.m. to noon. The first open hours were held Sunday. Max Adams, challenge course facilitator and entomology graduate student, said the University Student Recreational Complex decided to have open hours because the challenge course is not well known on campus. He said UREC officials wanted to spread the word to bring in more students. Matt Greenwald, mechanical engineering junior and challenge course facilitator, said the challenge course gives people a chance to confront their fear of heights. The course features elements like a cargo net, climbing wall, swinging bridge and zipline ranging 20 to 35 feet above the ground. “It brings people out of their comfort zone,” said Eric Alexander, natural resource ecology and management junior. Hanna Kennedy, international studies senior, said the course forces people to communicate. The biggest challenge is teamwork, she said. “Getting everyone to communicate and work together is the hardest part,” Kennedy said. “Students are divided into teams, and sometimes it is easy to let the communication go.” Tian Tian, chemistry graduate student, was one of the six students to attend last Sunday’s open hours. Tian said she read about the opportunity online and didn’t think she would have another chance to participate in the course. She said she enjoys rock climbing at the UREC and wanted to try the challenge course. She said it wouldn’t be physically possible to complete the course by herself, so she appreciated the teamwork involved. Tian added she would do the course again and bring her friends next time. Grant Dorsey, undeclared freshman, said most people could complete the course if they just applied themselves. “It’s great when you have a team – you rely on them and then you get to tease them when they don’t do it right,” Dorsey said. Students who are interested must reserve their spots by the Friday before each date at the operations desk in the Student Recreation Center. The cost is $5. ____ Contact Jacy Baggett at [email protected]