SHANNON URTNOWSKI
LIVING EDITOR
Despite what some may believe its name suggests, Campus Recreation works hard to give students the opportunity to stay active off-campus as well as on.
Campus Recreation’s most recent effort: Outdoor Recreation.
“We started the program two years ago offering rentals, but this is the first year with trips,” said Catherine Cramp, director of Campus Recreation.
The Outdoor Recreation opportunities offered include activities such as ocean kayaking, camping at the beach, rock climbing, hiking and backpacking excursions.
The outings are scheduled various days throughout the semester, so students can work their schedules around the different activities in which they are interested. A complete list of events with dates and times can be found online at pepperdine.edu/campusrecreation/outdoor.
“We try and offer comparable programs at different levels if one offered doesn’t appeal to everyone,” said student manager of outdoor recreation Jay Milbrandt. “We are open to student ideas and happy to facilitate requests.”
Milbrandt, a student at the School of Law, is a certified rock climbing instructor.
He stays active with a number of the outings planned, though, and was present at Outdoor Recreation’s most recent event, which was a kayaking excursion around Malibu Pier on Saturday.
The event attracted about 20 students who were ready at the Campus Recreation office promptly at 11 a.m. for a day on the water. The group paddled around the pier and headed north along the colony.
“It seems like they have a lot of stuff going on,” said junior Cortney Black, who took part in Saturday’s kayaking event.
The event was her first through Campus Recreation, but she said she is interested in the many different outings they offer throughout the semester.
“I want to try all of it,” Black said.
Though this year marks Outdoor Recreation’s first official year, the word seems to be getting out.
“We have heard a lot of buzz from students,” Milbrandt said.
Students first got involved with Outdoor Recreation through the rentals, though, which are still offered through the program, said junior Clint Harp, the assistant student manager of Outdoor Recreation.
The rental program offers items such as sleeping bags, coolers, canopies, lanterns, tarps and camping tents. Campus Recreation is in the process of obtaining kayaks and surf boards that will be available for students to rent, as well. The items range in price from $1 to $12 depending on the item and the length of time it is rented.
Milbrandt said that, as the rental program was so popular, the activities aspect of the program should take off.
“This has been a natural progression for the department, especially in an area that isn’t very urban with access to things,” he said.
In the past, small outdoor outings were available through Outdoor Recreation, but they were more student-led and infrequent.
“This is the formalization of the program that is school sponsored,” Milbrandt said.
Students are excited about the changes.
“It seems like they have a lot of stuff going on,” said junior Cortney Black, who took part in Saturday’s kayaking event.
The event was her first through Campus Recreation, but she said she is interested in the many different outings they offer throughout the semester.
“I want to try all of it,” Black said.
Many students in attendance at Saturday’s kayaking event shared Black’s excitement.
“I did kayaking last summer, and, on nice days like today, I love being out on the water,” said senior Hayley Rose. “I like to do outdoor stuff, so it should be a lot of fun.”
Junior Kimberly Pong said she is pleased Outdoor Recreation has taken flight this year, and she said she wants to get involved with many of their offerings, such as the rock climbing event scheduled to take place Saturday.
“I’m probably definitely going to go rock climbing next weekend — they all sound like a lot of fun,” Pong said of the outdoor recreation activities.
An added perk is that all of the activities are reasonably priced. The rock-climbing event will cost $10 per student, and Saturday’s kayaking event cost $12 per student. For the kayaking trip, students were paying mainly for their kayaks, which were rented by the Student Programming Board.
Junior Carly Boone, the recreations coordinator of SPB, contacted the shop to rent the kayaks, and SPB even offset some of the costs for students, as working with and helping with the funding of Campus Recreation events is one of the organization’s efforts.
For students who are looking to get in touch with the outdoors without the cost, the hiking trips are always free.
Cramp said Campus Recreation’s main goal is to make recreation accessible to students, and she said she hopes students participate in this offering that is so easy with which to get involved.
“It isn’t about bringing in cost,” Cramp said. “It’s about making recreation available to students.”
And, Cramp said she wants students to understand that if the outdoor activities scheduled are not among their interests, they are welcome and encouraged to voice their requests for future events.
“Anything you want to do, we’ll program it,” Cramp said.
For all of the events, basic knowledge of the activity is recommended, but Milbrandt said those with Outdoor Recreation are always happy to work with and accommodate the needs of every student.
Harp said he simply wants students to take part.
“We’ve got a pretty good rental program, and we plan on balancing that with and awesome calendar of events for students,” he said.
10-26-2006