16Ba The Michigan Daily Weeiend Magazine - Thursday, April 2, 1998

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OUTDOORS
Continued from Page 128
Haight said.
The number of people going on
trips varies according to the intensi-
ty of the activity. Rock-climbing
usually includes 8 to 10 people,
because of the need for a smaller
instructor-to-participant ratio. An
activity such as hiking, however, can
include an unlimited amount of peo-
ple.
Different skill levels are listed for
each activity, from beginner to
intermediate. The physical exertion
also ranges from easy to moderate
to strenuous.
No matter how easy or intense the
activity, instructors are on the scene to
direct and inform participants.
Instructors, who often are undergrad-
uates themselves, undergo intense
training sessions that focus on how to
work with a group and how to handle
the demands of an activity.
The instructors seem to be just as
excited and enthusiastic as their
participants, if not more so.
"Even if I'm not getting paid, I
think it is totally a great experience
and definitely worth it. It's a chance
to meet new people and have fun,"

"It's a chance to
meet new people
and have fun"
- Kara Martin
Kinesiology junior
said Kinesiology junior and instruc-
tor Kara Martin.
Participants' reactions can be just
as rewarding as the time spent out-
doors and meeting people.
"I worked as a camp coordinator
with people with disabilities on the
fourth of July. A 30-year-old man told
me that it was the best time of his life.
"This really impacted me and I
was touched that he would say
something like that," Martin said.
Instructors and participants may
be inspired by an indoor rock-
climbing excursion with a bunch of
strangers or a weekend white-water
rafting trip with the closest of
friends. Kovacs summed up the
mutual feelings of all those who
take part:
"The trips provide a great oppor-
tunity to create lifelong friendships
and experiences one will never for-
get."

Courtesy of Lawrence Kovacs
Rackham student Krista Van Vleet backpacks along the Bruce Peninsula on an Outdoor Adventures program.

Upcoming clinics:
Outdoor Adventures offers a number of clinics throughout the year. The fee
for each is $10, and the clinics are held at the NCRB. For more information,
call the Department of Recreational Sports at 764-3967.

April
April
April
April
M April

2 - Backpacking Clinic IV, 7-9 p.m.
7 - Map Reading Clinic, 4-6 p.m.
9 - Compass Clinic, 4-6 p.m.
14 - Bike Repair Clinic I, 7-9 p.m.
16 - Bike Repair Clinic II, 7-9.p.m.


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