Although Elizabethtown College has a wide range of clubs and extracurriculars for students to join, some students have to get creative and organize their own clubs to reflect an array of interests. This is the case with the newly-founded Outing Club, which has recently made its debut on campus this semester.
The inaugural cabinet members for this new club are junior Meg Hawkins (President), sophomore Carly Jackson (Vice President), senior Gavin McCabe (Secretary) and sophomore Thomas Urrunaga (Treasurer). A transfer from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and member of their Outing Club, Hawkins said she “was surprised to find out that no official outdoor oriented club had been made, so I made it my goal to get the Outing Club up and running.”
The Outing Club’s mission is, according to Hawkins, “to promote mental wellness, physical well-being and create a close-knit community through fun and adventurous outdoor trips.” Those who are interested in exploring the outdoors may find the Outing Club perfect for them to visit local spaces for hiking, exercise and appreciating the outdoors. When asked why students may want to join the Outing Club, Hawkins said, “ideally, our activities will reduce stress through exercise, as well as improve sleep, lessen anxiety and provide members with an opportunity to meet other people who appreciate nature just as much.” With several benefits to offer, students looking to spend more time outdoors exercising now have a space to do so in the company of other like-minded students!
For those interested in attending meetings or learning more about the club, Outing Club will be hosting meetings every other Tuesday at 8 p.m. Their next meeting, however, will be Thursday, Feb. 16—seeing as Valentine’s Day is on the previous Tuesday. Meetings will last approximately 30 minutes and will allow the cabinet to announce details about upcoming trips, as well as allow members to share among themselves about their own experiences in the outdoors. This Saturday, Feb. 4, Outing Club will also be hosting their first off-campus event: a hike at Mt. Gretna to see the Fire Tower. The hike itself is approximately three miles, and members will be meeting at Brinser Lot at 9:45 a.m. to kick off the event. After the hike, the cabinet will also be providing light snacks to members.
Students interested in keeping up-to-date on Outing Club meetings and events can find them on Instagram @etownouting, or by signing up to be a member. Members will receive weekly email updates with more detailed information about meetings and events!
