Most people would be content being inside their homes with a cup of a hot chocolate in their hand as the temperature decreases, the snow accumulates on the ground and the weather becomes more erratic. For the Plattsburgh State Outing Club, the fun has only begun when you have the Adirondacks and the Lake Champlain area so close by.
Senior and Outing Club President Dorian Yablin said club strives to get students off campus and get them doing activities they might not have the chance to do otherwise.
“The outings are mostly focused on nature-based attractions, whether that be hiking, white-water rafting, rock-climbing or ice-climbing,” Yablin said.
Yablin said the club tries to cater to student’s interests, which is why they start every meeting asking the members what they want to do.
“If someone says they want to go, let’s say, white-water rafting, we’ll try to make that happen if not this semester, then next semester,” she said.
Contrary to other clubs on campus who specialize in one specific outdoor activity, the outing club tries to do as many activities as possible.
“We try to cover the vast array of the different outdoor activities that the Adirondacks and the Lake Champlain area have to offer,” Treasurer Jacob Pasa said.
Pasa said everyone feels more comfortable in the club because they get a chance to talk and say what they want to do. They try to match where they go with the experience level of people involved.
“Typically the very first meeting we create a laundry list of everything and anything people want to do,” Yablin said. “So say that seven people want to go snowshoeing — at the next meeting, we’ll bring up places to go that sound like fun.”
The Facebook page is open to anyone who wants to post any outing ideas and find other people who want to participate with them.
Though the outing club has its loyal following, Yablin said it once struggled with maintaining a consistent membership.
“Everyone wants to do the activities, but they don’t take the time to plan them,” he said.
When Yablin first joined the club, she noticed people were talking a lot but not making anything happen. So, when she became president her junior year, she made it a point to change that.
“We now have it in our budget to go rock-climbing and ice-climbing each semester — that never happened before,” Yablin said “Now it’s possible to guarantee at least 12 students will have that experience.”
Pasa said those experiences and the support of the members are the things he appreciates most about being part of the club.
“Last year, we went to Jay Peak — I never snowboarded before, never been to a ski mountain. They took me to the top of the mountain, and I started to snowboard — I had a great time.”
Yablin said she likes seeing people try something new.
“Taking them out of their comfort zone and seeing them get to that destination is one of the most fulfilling things ever.”
Email David Luces at david.luces@cardinalpointsonline.com.
