<p>My S is just beginning his college search. He has visited a few schools this year and has started a list of some of the criteria he wants in a college. Besides the obvious of great classes and academic atmosphere, one of the things that is pretty important to him is a well organized and working Outdoor club. He loves outdoor stuff, as he is an avid mountaineer, rock climber and snowboarder. Vassar seems to have most of the other things he loves, small Varsity sport atmosphere, integrated dorms. inclusive and accepting student body, small classes that are discussion based, great med school accept rates, and diversity. Does anyone at Vassar know how the Outdoor Program is? He is also looking at Reed, Colorado College, Wesleyan, Bard, & Sewanee. He's afraid that the schools in Maine, which offer a lot of outdoorsy stuff, will be too preppy for him. He loves being around intellectual people that like to sit around a talk about random things, he doesn't really like to party, but is out-going and likes to do a lot of things.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t take my word on this, because club participation waxes and wanes over time and new ones form all the time, but when I was a student the Outing Club was very active. There was lots of mountain climbing trips because the Gunks are so close, and they even organized an “urban hike” along the length of manhattan one year.</p>
<p>The outing club’s description from the Vassar Student Association Site is:</p>
<p>“The Outing Club is Vassars connection to the great outdoors. Members receive a weekly email containing all the trips and events happening that week, and sign up as they please. There is no minimum commitment required; each member determines how active he or she will be. The Outing Club aims to stimulate participation in and appreciation for the outdoors; to promote low-impact usage of the outdoors; to provide trained, reliable, and safe outdoors leadership for the community; to provide specialized outdoors equipment and knowledge to the community, and to do all of this without financial discrimination. Activities include backpacking, hiking and mountain climbing in the scenic Hudson Valley area and beyond, rock climbing in the Gunks, cross country skiing, snowshoeing, whitewater rafting, and skydiving. Extended overnight trips run during October and Spring Breaks. The Outing Club emphasizes that all activities are open to any member of the Vassar community. All outdoor activities have trained leaders assigned to see to all the logistics of the activity, as well as to ensure the safety of the group. Any member of the community may train to be a leader. To receive the weekly email, become a leader, or pose any questions regarding the club, please contact the above name.”</p>
<p>The email address is: <a href=“mailto:outingclub.vsa@vassar.edu”>outingclub.vsa@vassar.edu</a></p>
<p>I’d email and see if your son can get on the weekly email list. He can take a look at the emails and see if he is interested in the things that are going on. Obviously he won’t be getting anything over the summer. He could also ask for a list of trip from this past year.</p>
<p>Thanks VassarGrad!!! I will have him check it out. It sounds like it is pretty good.</p>