Caroline Wilkerson ~ Copy Editor
This weekend, Saturday March 30th to Sunday March 31st, 2019 the University of Lynchburg’s Outdoor Leadership Program will be hosting a Wilderness Women Hiking Trip.
According to the Outdoor Leadership email sent on March 18th, 2019, “This trip is led by women for women, and is designed for active women seeking to learn new outdoor skills and enjoy great hiking among good company in an open and accepting environment. The trip cost is $20 and will include all gear, food, guides, and transportation. To sign up, stop by the HUB desk on the first floor of Drysdale.”
Tappe Grotos, a senior at the university, said, “I have been on a couple of hikes with the Outdoor Leadership Program and really enjoyed them. I love being outside…and really enjoy spending time hiking and hanging out in my eno hammock. Although I am not attending the trip this weekend, this event would be something that I would be interested in.”
Coordinator of Outdoor Leadership Programs, Tim Slusser, said “Currently adventure sports are predominantly white male, and as the coordinator, I am hoping to close that gap and get more women and minorities involved.”
Slusser also stated that “I try to make the events at a break even rate, making all trip half the value of the full price.” Continuing, “I do not want barriers to be an issue…I do not want money to be an issue for students.”
Junior Elena Fergusson, stated, “I have not attended an Outdoor Leadership Event before. I really love being outside and doing different things like hiking and camping, however, I have not heard a lot about the program to even try to get involved. I wish the events were advertised over different platforms other than email…because we receive a thousand of those a day, and it is easy to overlook them…because the events, like the one this weekend, sounds like a lot of fun.”
Senior Taylor Morris, added “I have also never attended any of the Outdoor Leadership Program events because I do not think they are advertised well at all. If I knew about the women’s event this weekend, I would have maybe considered attending. When I do hear about the events, it is through other students after they have already attended the event and not through the school a few weeks prior to the event. I really enjoy the types of activities provided by the program, and hope to maybe go to one before I graduate this May.”
The University of Lynchburg webpage for the Outdoor Leadership Program encouraged students to, “Come have fun with us. You’ll not only have a great time and learn new skills, you’ll increase your appreciation and respect for both the natural world and other people.”
If you have any questions about the backpacking trip this weekend, or would like to attend future Outdoor Leadership Program events, please email at olp@lynchburg.edu. Registration for the event this weekend closes March 27th-28th, 2019