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Volume CXXXII, Number 12 |
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BOCers back early
CECILY UPTON
COLUMNIST
While most of us were lounging around enjoying the last weeks of our extended winter vacation, a few Bowdoin students were back on campus, not for sports, but to participate in the Wilderness First Responder program required by the Outing Club in order to become a certified BOC leader. The WFR course, as it is called, is eight grueling 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. days spent studying the protocols for dealing with medical emergencies in the wilderness. At the end, the students must pass a written test, as well as participate in a massive staged rescue effort.
This years rescue involved the fictional crashing of two planes over the Bowdoin soccer field during an "air show." I volunteered to be one of the pilots of the planes, and soon found myself strapped into my "ejection seat," which resembled a folding chair, with my blue tarp parachute billowing behind me. I am happy to say that my fictional lower lumbar spine injury, as well as my real encroaching frostbite (the scenario took place on a very cold day), were treated with knowledge and care.
Now that everyone is back on campus, I am sure that you have noticed how everywhere around the Bowdoin campus there is snow-on the roofs, on your car, on the quad, everywhere. This has been a record year for snowfall in Brunswick, and there is no better way to enjoy it than by signing up for a BOC trip. Here at the Outing Club, we are excited about our winter schedule, which includes snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, telemark skiing, winter camping, winter mountaineering, cabin trips, campus wide activities, and a plethora of great speakers. We are hoping that the tons of snow will mean tons of participation in these upcoming events.
This weekend, the first snowshow of the year, which filled up very quickly, will be heading out, as well as the first telemark class at Sugarloaf. Also going out into the cold is the first winter mountaineering class students. This group will spend several weekends winter camping learning the skills of survival and success in the sport of winter mountaineering. This class is an exciting addition to the program of the BOC and will hopefully continue in the upcoming years.
Look for information regarding two great speakers coming soon. The Chewonki Foundation will be returning for another natural history lecture, this one involving owls. The folks from Chewonki will be bringing live owls in to show while they discuss the lifestyle and habitats of these amazing birds. That lecture will be on February 3 in the Outdoor Leadership Center at 7:00 p.m..
The highlight of the speaker schedule for the semester is Ed Webster, a seasoned mountaineer, who will be sharing stories and slides about the history of climbing on Mt. Everest, including some tales from his own experiences on the mountain. Mr. Webster will be speaking on February 10 at 7:00 p.m. in Smith Auditorium.
It would be a shame to miss any of these great events, so make sure to attend the lectures, as well as sign-up for the trips. See you on the trails!
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