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By: Javon Huynh, Multimedia Reporter
If you’re a student at Georgia Southern looking for an adventure but don't know where to start, look no further!
The Campus Recreation and Intramurals (CRI) Southern Adventures program offers a series of nine free clinics. It is designed to help you plan safe and enjoyable adventure trips throughout the fall and spring semesters.
Southern Adventures also provides a trip series that explores multiple camping and caving sites. From basic sea kayaking to backcountry cooking, there's a clinic for every adventurer.
Last March, students participating in the backcountry cooking clinic learned to cook a two-course meal, featuring a broccoli and beef pasta dish and a tropical granola dessert, through easy-to-follow steps. Students and CRI staff utilized outside stove burners to prepare the pasta and a dessert using the items provided and adhering to the CRI team's instructions.
The CRI Student Director Olivia Woodworth said some of these skills could be essential.
"If for some reason they find themselves in a backcountry setting later in life, they will be able to take what they learned and bring it with them, instilling very transferable skills in our participants,” Woodworth said. “Additionally, it allows them to appreciate the environment in which we work every day.”
If backcountry cooking doesn't excite you, perhaps paddleboarding will! Recently, paddleboarding warriors attended the student adventure clinic at GSU's
Lake Ruby, where both experienced and novice students learned new skills.
Our Sincerely Southern reporter, Hayes Oliver, was on hand to capture the event and shared his experience in a video vlog from last week.
If you are an adventurer still unsure whether to join a skills clinic, don’t worry. Instructors are not expecting students to become an expert overnight. Instructors are students themselves studying in majors related to the classes they teach.
“Skills clinics provide the education and knowledge to participants in order to take these skills with them elsewhere so really we are not trying to get everyone to go on their own trip tomorrow,” Woodworth said.
Kennedy Bass, a junior at GSU majoring in outdoor recreation who has advanced to a student leadership position via her work with CRI, explained how the clinics can trade worries for fun.
“Many people have come to the skills clinics wanting to conquer fears of heights or even water and we have helped them do so,” Bass said. “Students can gain confidence in the outdoors through the skills clinic. They are also so much fun and everyone who participates always has a blast.”
The skill clinics are free for students attending GSU, and staff are willing to provide and assist students with all the equipment for the selected clinic. Additionally, there are private clinics for students that have an interest in something that is not offered during the semester series.
“Many students do not know we have free skill clinics,” Bass expressed. “We have scheduled skill clinics for each semester but you also can get a group of your friends together and request a personal skill clinic over a topic you want to learn.”
In addition to teaching students new outdoor skills, Southern's skills clinic aims to foster a sense of community among participants so that they can get to know one another through similar
interests or experiences. To meet people and learn more about GSU’s college life, first-year students can start at Southern Adventures in search of a pastime or hobby.
“I did the clinic paddle boarding because one of Southern Adventure’s employees announced it in my class which piqued my interest,” said Gavin Gwynn, a first-year recreation major. “This was not my first clinic through CRI as I have begun regularly attending all of their clinics this semester.”
If you think you want to join the Southern Adventures community, have the relevant skills, or are interested in participating in the CRI's final two activities this semester, be sure to pre-register.
Pre-registration is highly recommended to keep classes small. GSU students can register online.