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‘Wilderness Quest’ surpasses basic student orientation
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The summer is in full bloom with the 90 plus degree weather creeping into the Treasure Valley. With the Boise State 2007-08 athletic season officially over, the stage is set for the recreational aspect of athletics and healthy lifestyles to take over.
New student orientation will bring the college experience in an unfamiliar form than they might have become accustomed to.
Geoff Harrison, Campus Recreation Assistant Director, is heading the Ninth Annual Wilderness Quest Four Day Freshman Adventure (WQ). The quest will be held in the Frank Church Wilderness Area.
The FCWA is 2.3 million acres of rugged land and the largest of its kind in the continental United States. WQ caters to both freshman and new transfer students. The event takes place between McCall and Stanley.
Experiencing Wilderness Quest
The WQ experience is one of community and cooperation that extends beyond the basic orientation that most students experience upon arrival to Boise State University.
Harrison is not a part of the student orientation but is part of the WQ training that the guides for the new students will be in contact with. The leaders answer some of the tricky questions that many new students face upon arrival at a university.
“How do I build groups?” Harrison said. “How do I create a functional and productive kind of climate and culture where people feel good about themselves, where they feel comfortable to self-disclose? Learn self-respect . I think that that is one of our challenges when we are young.”
The goal of the staff is to prepare young minds for the social world that they will encounter in their future days at the college level.
“With our staff we really focus on some of that facilitative stuff that can get questions going without having to say ‘don’t do those things,” Harrison said. “It helps to create that open environment.’”
The WQ also focuses on some aspects of technical knowledge such as compass orientation, setting up camp, among other wilderness skills.
The ultimate goal for the incoming students is to build not just technical ability, but skills that they will be able to utilize for a lifetime, Harrison said.
“(Outdoor recreation) teaches people fishing, hiking. Those are lifetime sports.”
These skills are facilitated through the knowledgeable staff that conducts the WQ.
The leadership experience
The people who lead the new and transfer students are committed to the positive effect that is intended through the WQ.
They hone their skills as leaders working with the recreation center, Harrison said. “Those skills help to make them more marketable to organizations.”
Erin Downey, a WQ leader and recreation center staff member, entered into the orientation adventure as a freshman upon arrival at BSU.
Downey’s initial experience with the program was one of admiration and inspiration.
“What my experience was going through it, I wanted to give to others too. I wanted them to have as amazing an experience that I hShe attended a few different recreational functions before returning to the recreation center to join the staff and eventually became a WQ leader.
Downey was joined by her co-leader, Ashley Chapman, who entered the program after joining the recreation center staff.
“Just having leadership skills is beneficial in college,” Chapman said.
The use of these skills spill over into the classroom. Working with others and facilitating as well as cooperation has helped Chapman to thrive in the academic field.
The academic scene expands beyond the individual and develops into a sense of community.
“I am an older student and so taking freshman and having them look up to me as a leader . has extended my network of people,” Chapman said. “We make friends with the people that go on our trips.”
Afterwards we are going climbing together and other functions, Chapman said. “It builds community and that kind of stuff.”
Students from all aspect of study come together to function as a sort of “melting pot” that accurately represents society, Harrison said. “They are being challenged to think differently from different vantages and perspectives by their peers.”
Experience as a WQ leader helps to facilitate campus involvement and knowledge alongside community building.
“Leadership wise, I think that it just grows into a better understanding of Boise State,” Downey said. “We have to know all of the things going on on campus. Where (students) can go to talk to people. It is somewhat of a second orientation.”
The BSU ‘Rec’ Center
The Boise State Recreational Center, or the ‘Rec’, houses more than just basketball and weight sets. It also facilitates general outdoor recreation in general.
“We only rent to the campus community,” Harrison said. “We are one-third to one-half off the price of local lenders. We are totally a student service.”
Harrison also lays claim to some expertise that surpasses some of the competing local outfitters.
“Quality is higher than most of the outfitters . Our instructional programs are the same way.”
The experience teaches things that can create enjoyment and exercise that will stretch well beyond the boundaries of the collegiate experience.
“(Outdoor recreation) teaches people fishing, hiking,” Harrison said. “Those are lifetime sports.”
The Wilderness Quest is held in two sessions. The first is July 12-15 and the second July 16-19. The registration fee is $249. It includes equipment, meals, instruction and leadership, as well as transportation and a t-shirt to remember the experience with. An additional $16 will rent a sleeping bag, sleeping mat, and backpack if needed. The deadline for registration is June 27. Registration forms and additional information can be found at rec.boisestate.edu.
Kirk Bell
