Venture Out goes hiking

Joseph Pate, a Graduate Assistant, is working hand in hand with Georgia College & State University’s Coordinator of Intramural & Outdoor Program, Scott McCoy, to bring the students a program called Venture Out.

Venture Out is a set of programs offered to the students of GC&SU through the Department of Student Activities. Some of the activities that students take part in include outdoor programs at a relatively cheap price.

“We’ve done quite a few events and stuff like that that have been greatly marked down. We did a Spring Break trip last year in the Smokey Mountains that was only $15 for five days with all the food, expenses, travel and stuff paid for, and this last trip was $15 for three days,” said Pate.

Over the past weekend the Venture Out gang went to the Pine Mountains, which is on the West Coast of Georgia. Twenty people went, and everyone had a great time. A sixteen-mile hike was just a little of what the crew had to deal with. After two days of rain and yellow jackets showing no mercy, people did get bitten.

“Some of the things we did were volunteer on a trail, repair a dam, and put up water breakers to ensure that the trail would be maintained. Also, we set up some small seminars on how to set up a camp site and how to cook on a trail,” said Pate on the past weekend.

Michelle Ragghianti, one of the twenty people who went on the hike, said this about the weekend.

“I’m not usually a camper type person, but this was so much fun. Pate had this really team oriented, and I meet a lot of new people.”

Venture Out offers many activities, trips and clinics during the school year. There are five scheduled clinics per semester this year. The program also provides access to an indoor climbing wall every Wednesday night from 6:00 p.m. till 9:00 p.m. in the Centennial Center. They offer many clinics on teamwork and group work initiatives for all the RSO groups on campus. The overnight trips, such as camping out, will be held twice a semester.

Any GC&SU student can participate in any of the activities. However, some trips may be more challenging. A physical is not required, but a medical form is discussed and signed just in case an accident occurs during the trip.

“We do have certain requirements. Students need to make sure that they’re in shape on some of the more physical and strenuous trips,” said Pate.

No course credit is available, but there are certain service projects, like the Outdoor Education Academic Program, in which people have to get service hours by coming in and get credit for doing it.

If you are interested in Venture Out or any of the activities offered, get in touch with Joseph Pate at gcsuventureout@yahoo.com, or call Scott McCoy at 445-0664.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 7 2001. Filed under Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry