A group of University students who like outdoor escapades recently hiked, kayaked and backpacked their club into high gear.
Members of the Outdoor Adventure Club have seen an increase in membership and activities after a slow start during the spring semester.
Aaron Daly, the club’s president and a computer science senior, said he is glad to see more interest from the campus community.
“This is the first semester we’re getting really active,” he said.
Daly said because his major requires a lot of indoor computer work, OAC offers the perfect outlet for relaxation and fun.
“It’s boring to stay inside,” he said. “[OAC] is a good way to get away from studying.”
But the club fulfills more than just a need for outdoor adventures and stress relief.
For Sue-Lyn Cashman-Pugsley, an exchange student from England and an English sophomore, OAC is a place to fit in.
Cashman-Pugsley said it had been difficult for her to feel comfortable among American students before her first OAC excursion.
“Because I don’t have a car, I can’t go out and about a lot,” she said. “It’s hard to meet new people here, so it’s really nice to meet ones prepared to put themselves out for us.”
OAC members gladly let Cashman-Pugsley ride in their cars, she said.
The club took a Fall Break kayaking trip to Dauphin Island in Gulf-coast Alabama, south of Mobile.
“We got kayaks from Outdoor Rec,” Daly said.
Daly said he is glad OAC has been able to work with Ben McGuire, University Outdoor Recreation director. He said McGuire has been good about allowing the club to use University equipment like kayaks.
McGuire returned compliments about the group’s efforts in outdoor activities.
“They will have a good influence in encouraging others,” he said.
McGuire said students like the OAC members will be active in conserving Louisiana’s environment, including coastal wetlands and the University lakes. He also said club members have helped motivate administration.
At the club’s urging, the Outdoor Rec began looking into getting an indoor climbing wall and a portable outdoor climbing wall, McGuire said.
“They are a strong nucleus of support for Outdoor Recreation,” he said.
OAC also takes in-state excursions.
Though most South Louisiana terrain is flat and even below sea level, OAC members have found a hilly, outdoor lover’s treasure barely an hour away.
Tunica Hills Wildlife Management Area, about 20 miles northwest of St. Francisville, and Clark Creek State Natural Area, just a few miles across the Mississippi state line, offer the hilliest terrain around.
Tunica Hills boasts fern-covered gullies, and Clark Creek has a hiking trail along scenic waterfalls.
“I felt like I was in some sort of film,” Cashman-Pugsley said about the areas’ natural beauty.
Nicole Pitre, a Louisiana native and communication disorders junior, was as surprised as Cashman-Pugsley about the nearby hills.
“I never knew such a place existed so close,” she said.
Ashley Stokes, a research fellow in the Vet School, is OAC’s faculty adviser. She said she is glad the campus has a club dedicated to outdoor recreation.
“I love the enthusiasm of the students, and particularly enjoy introducing students to new activities, such as canoeing, for the first time,” she said. “I’m really looking forward to the future of the club.”
Austin Bristow, a general studies junior, headed up an OAC backpacking trip to the Ozark Mountains in northern Arkansas this weekend.
Bristow said he was glad he could get away from the city for some “stress management.”
“Getting into the woods is a chance to unwind,” he said.
Bristow also said he enjoys teaching inexperienced backpackers about the wilderness.
“I’m sure there will be a few beginners out there, and it is a chance for me as a leader to show or teach someone something that I was shown in the past,” he said before he left.
Daly encouraged all students, whether or not they have had previous interests in outdoor activities, to check out OAC.
“We have something for everybody,” he said.
Students who would like information about OAC should e-mail Daily at [email protected].