An unusual family rooted in outdoors

Amidst all weather, outdoor education majors bond over the attractions that nature has to offer

Through rain, sunshine, hail and a little bit of flooding, the adventures of outdoor education majors bond them together differently than the typical college cohort.

Each spring, a fresh group of pre-outdoor education majors enter into the intensive semester-long technical skills portion of group development and outdoor pursuits.

“You see the other outdoor education majors every day, for forever,” senior outdoor education major Allison Hughes said. “And then when you’re not in class together you’re working on stuff for class together.”

The group of 13 spent the first part of the semester breaking down personal barriers and opening up to fellow majors.

To create tight relationships, the cohort initially spends a secluded week at the Outdoor Education Center on Lake Laurel without any interaction with the world outside of their close parameters.

“We go out to Lake Laurel (and) we bring all of our stuff,” senior outdoor education major Danielle Destiche said. “We don’t leave, we don’t have any cell phones, (and) we don’t have any contact with the outside world. Liz Speelman facilitates group development activities with us for three days so our group bonds and we figure out what our strengths and weaknesses are.”

The rest of the semester comprises of learning the GCSU challenge course and taking excursions on land and water.

The cohort practices the activities they learn in the classroom at various destinations. Some include sea kayaking on Tybee Island, white water canoeing in North Carolina and caving and rock climbing at Sandrock, Ala.

Through trip experiences, cohort members become close very quickly.

“We spend so much time together,” Destiche said. “We sleep together, eat together, socialize, learn, (and) teach for days at a time without a break.”

Senior outdoor education major Walker Hendry admits there are tensions in the group from time to time, but they can always be worked out.

“You’ve got to understand it’s like a family,” said Hendry. “There’s going to be times you’re going to get mad, there’s going to be times you’re going to be sad. But ultimately that group of people is there for you and there’s really nothing you can do about it. You have to spend the time with them. You have to learn to interact with one another in a positive way.”

Toward the end of the technical skills semester, the cohort prepares for an eight-day final expedition. The students lead the trip and professors intervene only for safety and educational purposes.

Hughes recalls the final expedition at Big South Fork, Tenn., as the climax of which the cohort worked together.

“At that point we were at the perfect point,” said Hughes. “We had spent enough time together and we knew each other well enough and everybody was getting along and we really cared about the major and we learned enough to where we could teach each other.”

The trip was a success despite a canoeing trip accompanied by hail and lightening.

Although the outing-filled semester is over, the cohort members stay close. Many have classes or work together at the Outdoor Education Center.

“I know I could call my cohort for anything,” Hughes said. “(I could call) any one of them now for anything to help me

out just because we’ve been through so much. We’ve seen each other at the worst points ever.”

Hendry also notes the closeness one semester with the cohort creates.

“I love getting to know people on that level,” Hendry said. “I know more about the group I spent whole semester with than I ever thought I could have and I love every single one of them like a family member.”