This past Wednesday, Campus Recreation of Slippery Rock University hosted a Bike Ride at Moraine State Park bike trail. This bike ride is one of the different activities and adventures offered by Campus Recreation.
Due to limited supplies and COVID-19 restrictions, not many people have the ability to attend Campus Recreation adventures currently. For the bike ride, five students were able to sign up and enjoy the bike ride together.
In a normal semester, Campus Recreation is able to provide transportation for all students, but social distancing restrictions have prevented that this semester. Additionally, there is always one director of Campus Recreation at all activities. Each director organizes the adventure and provides supplies for all students involved.
For this bike ride, Andrew Loue, the assistant director of adventure, organized and led the adventure. He also spoke about the importance of going on adventures and recreation activities.
“Adventure forces you to live in the moment,” said Loue. “There is always so much stimulus every day, and outdoor rec. clears distraction and clears the mind.”
Many students struggle with stress and anxiety, but outdoor Campus Recreation adventures can help to clear the mind and make students feel better. Exercising is also a great way to destress, and having outdoor activities can make exercising more enjoyable as exercising releases endorphins in the body, which makes people feel happy.
Outdoor Campus Recreation adventures also allow for growth and learning amongst oneself. Going out and trying new adventures allows students to discover new likes and dislikes, and to go out and meet new people and make friends.
“Everyone has imaginary lines of fear and anxiety, but going on adventures allows you to cross those lines,” said Lowe.
Adventures such as the ones offered through Campus Recreation are the perfect opportunities to go out and overcome any fears and anxieties students may have about trying new things or going on different adventures. After overcoming these struggles, students can then experience the most important aspect of all Campus Recreation adventures: having fun.
“Having fun is a big part of your life,” said Vanessa Snyder, the aquatics director for campus recreation. “It is important for adults to be fun and silly and to destress.”
All Campus Recreation adventures provide opportunities for students to have fun, be happy and feel uplifted. As more activities are being brought back, it is important to challenge yourself and find what’s right for you.
During the COVID-19 shutdown, Campus Recreation activities were canceled, which was really rough on students. During this time, many people lost contact with one another. Since then, the faculty of Campus Recreation has been hard at work planning adventures again.
“It was really overwhelming and slow at first,” said Snyder. “COVID was depressing, but returning recreation activities helped.”
Some adventures that are being offered through Campus Recreation are bike rides, kayaking and zip-lining. Additionally, pool-related activities are slowly coming back in addition to many new activities being offered. There is also an Egg hunt this Sunday, which is very popular amongst college students.
Any adventures or activities of Campus Recreation are available to all students. Many of the events are very popular and spots are often filled up quickly. Be sure to check out Campus Recreation of CORE to see all upcoming adventures.
