Who’s ever heard of Cabin Fever Day? Or better yet, who’s ever jumped out of an airplane before? Or gone on a last-minute, completely random hike? Turns out these are just some of the activities and initiatives offered by Adventure Education this spring.
Cabin Fever Day is a University-wide program in conjunction with Residence Life that is billed as a “University-wide field day.” It will consist of teams of students competing in physical and strategic challenges that involve obstacle courses, problem-solving and communication exercises.
“We are looking for ways to partner with Residence Life and provide more on-campus opportunities for residents to intermingle with the student body as a whole and to have some fun competition between the two groups,” Adventure Education Coordinator Gabe Lamberti said.
Cabin Fever Day is scheduled to take place April 14 from 11a.m. to 3p.m. Information tables were set up in the Student Union Building on March 13 and 15 and this week but anyone with further questions about Cabin Fever Day can contact Gabe at [email protected] or (570)408-4036.
One of the biggest highlights that Adventure Education has planned for this spring is a skydiving trip at the end of April. Lamberti said this trip is only offered every few years due to the challenges of arraigning a trip of such large proportions. But it is one that nonetheless students look forward to when it is offered.
One thing that Adventure Education is starting up this spring is random hikes. Lamberti said this one kind of event that is designed to fill the down time students may have.
“I try and fill some of the down time when it feels like there’s enough of an opportunity to get a few people together and the weather’s been so great to try and do a couple short-notice hikes or maybe a mountain bike or try to get people outside a bit when we catch a break in the winter weather,” Lamberti said.
Lamberti also said he is open to suggestions from students or groups of students for outdoor activities when the weather is nice.
Recently, the rock wall and high ropes course in the University Center on Main building gym has been given a buffer fund from Student Government that has provided the rock wall with new ropes and harnesses the older equipment, as Lamberti puts it, “ends their useful life.”
“All this equipment is still safe,” Lamberti said. “(But) you retire it every x number of times that it’s been used. If you (have) such an increase in the use of the rock wall, that time has come a little bit earlier, so it’s a good thing that we have to buy more gear because it means that the (equipment) are getting used significantly more than they were in the past.”
Lamberti said this is the first renewal of the rock wall equipment since the wall has been opened for five years. He said the ropes were in need of replacing and the harnesses are “pretty decent” but said it is a good idea to replace everything as brand new so it can be tracked for risk management purposes.
Open rock wall is every Monday and Thursday from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Lamberti said he is always interested in people becoming potential facilitators for Adventure Education trips and programs. He is also interested in forming the Adventure Education Advisory Council comprised of members of Student Government members, faculty, staff and students.
The mission of the advisory group is to “to guide the Program towards offerings and events that appeal to the widest swath of students” and to serve as a liason between Student Government and Adventure Education.
Anyone interested in any of the Adventure Education programs or initiatives explained above can sign up at the SUB information desk or contact Gabe at [email protected] or (570)408-4036 for more information.