Block One, 2011 Volume 1, Issue 1 Outdoor Education Newsletter Colorado College The Priddy Experience: A Closer Look The Priddy Experience Trip is a five day, stationed throughout various Colorado those two days alone, the students complete community-service based, orientation trip for mountain ranges including the Sangre de around 10,000 hours of community service. first-year and transfer students. The Priddy Cristos, the Collegiate Peaks, and the San On Saturday, the groups have a full day of Experience is a part of New Student Orienta- Juans. In the past nine years, NSO has exploring the area around them. Saturday tion (NSO). First year and transfer students teamed up with over 100 regional nonprofits activities include shopping in Santa Fe, arrive on campus a week before classes start. and national forests. All of the trips are led by summiting one of Colorado’s 14,000 foot There are a few days of on-campus orienta- current CC students, with the exception of a peaks, soaking in hot springs, and going to an tion, followed by the off-campus orientation few backcountry trips that are led by recent antique car show. The trips return on Sunday trip. The trips consist of seven to ten incom- CC alums as professional guides. afternoon, ready to start class on Monday. ing students and two upperclassmen student Incoming students are placed on trips The trips create a truly special introduc- leaders. Students volunteer in a front based on a questionnaire they filled out tion to Colorado College. Trip participants country, urban, or backcountry setting, during the summer. They meet with their form close bonds with their peers, as well as tackling social and environmental issues groups during on campus orientation, where their leaders. Incoming students are now including hunger and homelessness, educa- leaders facilitate ice breakers and “getting to ready to start college with a solid group of tion, LGBTQ issues, trail maintenance, and know you” games. On Wednesday, the trips friends. Thanks to the upperclassmen sustainable farming. The trips are spread out depart by van or bus and arrive at their leaders, many of the first years’ questions throughout Colorado and New Mexico, with volunteer site. about social and academic life are answered one trip to Texas. Our backcountry trips are Each night, the students and their lead- and their nerves are calmed. ers discuss a variety of topics related to life at A first-year wrote on their 2011 trip eval- Colorado College. These topics include: uation , “I genuinely enjoyed every moment academic expectations, campus social life, of the past five days. The views and activities and the importance of culture. The nightly were all incredible, but the people I got to reflections allow students to express their share them with were what made the experi- fears and concerns about coming to college, ence great” (San Juan National Forest). These and many learn they are not alone. experiences are available to every incoming Thursday and Friday are volunteer days. student without cost. The trips, now Students perform a variety of volunteer completely overseen by the Outdoor work, ranging from building a part of the Education Department, are an integral part Continental Divide Trail, building backcountry of every student’s experience at Colorado Students on the Priddy Experience volunteering at campsites, picking organic asparagus, and College. Santa Cruz Farms, Espanola, NM cooking a meal for a homeless shelter. In -Lauren Paley ‘11 Happenings MEETINGS: TRIPS: SPECIAL EVENTS: Outdoor Recreation Club: Every Tuesday ·Day Trips Student Leader “Welcome Back BBQ” at 12:15 in the WES Room BreakOut Saturday: Ronald McDonald —9/13 Climbing Association of Colorado College: House: 9/17 ORC Retreat to the Cabin—9/16 Thursday at 12:15 in Upstairs Worner BreakOut Saturday: Farmfest 2011 in FUCC Film Screening—9/23 Kayak Club: Roll Sessions and club Denver: 9/24 FUCC Ski Pass Sale in Worner meeting every Monday -8 9:30 pm— ORC Day Hike Series: 9/17, 9/19, 9/21, All skill levels welcome! 9/22 Outdoor Education trip to REI: 9/22 GEAR HOUSE HOURS: Monday-Friday: 4 pm-8 pm · Block Break One BreakOut—La Puente RITT KELLOGG CLIMBING GYM HOURS: BreakOut—DAWGS Monday-Thursday: 4 pm -10 pm ORC—FOOT Trips Sunday: 6 pm-10 pm Cycling Club—Aspen Bike Trip Priddy Experience at DAWGS, Dalhart, TX Thoughts from the field: Broken Hand Pass, NSO 2011 Although every year I have to ask myself, "great NSO or greatest NSO?" This year I didn't have to ask. The backcountry trip to Broken Hand Pass this year was the most cohesive, inclusive, and open group I have been a part of in any aspect of Colorado College. Lizzy Eichorn, myself, a third time NSO leader and Music Major, and our 11 first-year ducklings made our way into the Sangre de Cristo Wilderness to take part in two days of campsite building with the Rocky Mountain Field Institute to improve uncomfortable, eroding campsites into homey, sustainable ones. Our campsites looked so appealing that we had people asking if they could use them while we were still putting the finishing touches on the project. On the third morning of the trip we had a beautiful day to summit Humboldt Peak, a stunning 14’er looming above our campsite. The first-years on the trip are now so close that they have been taking time out of their busy first-year schedules to hang out together. Next year’s class is going to have to really step up to be as cool as 2015! -Brendan O’Donoghue ‘12 A Reason to Celebrate! What happened over the summer? Thanks to Bon Appetit Elizabeth Pudder, Assistant Director of Outdoor Educa- for the most successful tion & Orientation, Lauren Paley ‘11, staff intern, and NSO food pack-out yet! Brendan O’Donoghue, Shaye Smith, Marley Hamrick, and The Aspen Bike Trip is Ryan Ogi , student interns worked around 3,000 hours continuing its tradition on putting together NSO and getting Outdoor Education of being the longest ready for the year! running block break trip 54 NSO trips were sent out to various front country, urban, and backcountry service sites, donating 10,000 ever—over 60 years! hours of community service! The Ritt Kellogg New staff were hired to the Outdoor Education Past ORC members backpacking near Climbing Gym opened— department to get us of to a great start! the Baca Campus Thanks Dan Crossey for all your mentorship and Campus Group Highlight: Outdoor Recreation Club help! Welcome new staff You may ask yourself, why are these trips, weekend trips, block break trips, and even members in Outdoor people in spandex and hiking boots? Why are spring break trips. Trips range from a single day Ed! they dancing in 12 passenger vans to Euromo- hike in Colorado Springs to a multi-day, multi-sport tion and playing games like “Yee-Haw” and adventure. Recent ORC trips have included: hiking, “Ninja”? Who are they and what do they camping, backpacking, canyoneering, caving, do? They are Colorado College’s Outdoor Rec- mountain biking, rafting, kayaking, snowsnoeing, reation Club, better known to the campus hot springs and sand dunes adventuring, back Email us community as “the ORC.” country skiing, extreme sledding and more. There your photos! The ORC is a student-run club that was even an "Extreme Dating" trip in 2004, which sends members of Colorado College on outdoor included dinner and a movie. Participants were adventure trips. It was officially formed in dressed as pirates, dined at La Casita, paired off to 1970, operating under the mission state- simulate a blind-date scenario, and finished the Have a question about ment of a “student-led organization, night together watching a film. The ORC also Outdoor Education or any committed to introducing, educating, and partners with various on campus clubs and organi- of the groups we advise supporting the Colorado College community zations, including programs through The Office of (BreakOut, ORC, FUCC, through wilderness activities in a safe, enjoya- Minority and International Students, to arrange Kayak Club, Cycling Club, ble and environmentally responsible outings. Aside from trips, the ORC has a yearly Ahlberg Gear House, Ritt manner.” Using the name Outdoor Recreation retreat to the cabin, adventure film screenings, a Kellogg Climbing Gym)? Email us! Committee, the ORC was a subcategory of CC’s cross-campus scavenger hunt and an extensive OutdoorEd Leisure Programs Committee. Leisure Programs leader training program. @ColoradoCollege.edu has evolved and, the ORC remains strong. For The ORC has weekly meetings open to the 30 years, it was entirely student-led with very campus every Tuesday at 12:15pm in the WES little college oversight. As a part of the Room, as well as a very active email listserv. They Need gear? college’s “Vision 2010,” in 2002, a paraprofes- have multiple trips a block with sign-ups in Campus sional was hired in the Student Life Division to Activities. The ORC is excited about this upcoming The Ahlberg Gear House oversee the students’ outdoor recreation. In year and really interested in having new members (1024 Weber St.) has a 2004, the college hired its first Director of join—check it out! Outdoor Education who turned the ORC into a variety of outdoor gear staple program of the college. available to rent! The ORC sends out a variety of day -Lauren Paley ’11 with help from Andrew Wallace ‘12 Photos: Clockwise Order Students performing trail maintenance on Cross Mountain Photos from the 2011 Priddy Experience Sunset over the Comanche National Grasslands A CC student and a resident of the Trinidad Inn Nursing Home sharing a drawing The La Plata group striking a pose Trippees performing some heavy lifting at the Explora Science Center Students from the Larga Vista Ranch and Dairy trip exploring Colorado State Fair on their cultural day Photo by David Spiegel .