Rec Dept. plans to get students outside

Penn students yearning to see beyond the confines of West Philadelphia now have a lifeline. This Saturday, the Penn Department of Recreation will kick off its new Outdoor Adventure Program, which will immerse interested students, faculty and others affiliated with Penn in the great outdoors. The program's inaugural event will be a guided trail horseback ride. A hiking trip was scheduled for last Saturday, but according to College senior Steven Schwortz, co-president of the Penn Outing Club, inclement weather and "snags in getting the things rolling" forced a postponement "to allow a greater number of people to get access to it." Despite the setback, Assistant Director of Recreation Kris Wilson, who was involved in putting the project together, is excited about its potential. "[It] allows students, faculty and staff to get out and experience the outdoors of Philadelphia, instead of being on Penn's campus all the time," she said, adding that similar programs are offered by colleges and universities across the country. "It's really just beginning, and it's going to pick up. Hopefully, we'll have some great things going [on]." According to Wilson, the program will last each year from March to October. Penn hopes to hold two events per month, which will be somewhat season-specific. The spring events will include hiking, horseback riding, deep sea fishing and the 5K 23rd Annual Alumni Run. When the weather warms up, the program will plan biking, camping and whitewater rafting trips. Wilson, who has been working on putting Outdoor Adventure together for a little over a year, added that events will optimally be held within two hours' driving distance. Potential areas will include parts of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. Schwortz feels that the new program will be a boon to students who might be too intimidated to plan an outdoors experience by themselves. "There's an enormous amount of people that want to do this kind of stuff," he said. "There's a large majority of that [amount] that are kind of timid about going out and trying to do it themselves. "It provides a good way for people who are beginners to have a structured first experience [with the outdoors]," Schwortz said. The Outing Club, which conducts trips and events under a more unstructured, ad hoc atmosphere, will serve as guides for specific events. It will work in tandem with the Department of Recreation to promote the new program, according to Schwortz. "Essentially, since we serve partially the same purpose, we thought it would be a good idea for us to work together," he added. Penn students, faculty and staff interested in participating in individual events in the Outdoor Adventure Program are required to pay a fee, which will be based on the nature of the event. Students will be required to pay slightly less than Penn faculty or staff. The Department of Recreation also allows those not affiliated with Penn to participate in the program for a slightly higher price.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.