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The Outdoor Activities Club (OAC) recently traveled the region of Ponca, Arkansas from Saturday, Nov. 9 to Sunday, Nov. 10. There, the club went to a state park located within the area which included several trails and camping sites allowing students the opportunity to explore nature and have fun while at the same time in a safe manner.
An overall three-hour drive from Pittsburg to Ponca, the club began with Whitaker Point hiking which provided all who attended with a wonderful view of the mountains. Right after hiking, the group headed to find a camping site where everyone worked together. On the second day of hiking, OAC ventured to the Lost Valley trails which included waterfalls and caves.
“Most of the people who join the organization have never been camping before,” said OAC President Seth Snider. “So, we provide skills, knowledge, and equipment to help give members the opportunity to go on these trips.”
Duties during the trip for students included finding a place to camp, work as one united group to open space for the tents, collect rocks/wood for the bonfire, set up tents/hammocks, help each other with cooking and support the group with other situations.
Luckily, the group had no troubles when it came to cold weather.
“I would say we were very lucky since it did not rain and it was not cold, where the lowest was around 40 degrees,” said OAC Vice President Filipe Araujo. “In addition, it was sunny all weekend long.”
Overall, the trip was successful in the eyes of Snider.
“I feel like we had a really good turnout,” Snider said. “Approximately 35 students came to the outing. They all seemed to really enjoy it. Thankfully the weather wasn’t too bad.”
Duties of Snider and Araujo include planning the trips, leading the group on the trips, scheduling trip times, choosing locations, coordinating with drivers and setting up the campsite.
OAC is an organization that allows students to enjoy the outdoors and have a break away from their busy schedules at school. The OAC mainly schedules camping and hiking trips, but this is not always the case. The last event provided was when the club was at the Paintball Ridge in Joplin. In the past, the club has even been to Colorado for a skiing trip.
OAC does not have regular meetings except for before each event when the presidents inform everyone where they are going planning the logistics. There is no membership fee as the only money the club asks for is before each trip for gas since other students are driving.
“I would say that anyone who would like to make new friends and have some great time outside campus should join us,” added Araujo. “We are always open to new members. If there is interest, we are on Facebook and Gorilla Engage, just need to look for PSU Outdoor Activities Club.”
Currently, there are no events planned for the OAC this semester, but an announcement is soon to come for an event in the coming semester.