Release date: July 26, 2004

Emory Freshmen Take a Hike (or Raft, or Horseback Ride) Into College Life

While many of their future classmates pack for dorm living, some incoming Emory College freshmen will be throwing on backpacks and hiking in to college life through Outdoor Emory Adventure Orientation. The popular program gives first-year students an opportunity to bond with future classmates while they camp out under the stars, raft down a river, go rock-climbing, explore caves or go horseback riding along scenic trails.

Each year, 230 incoming first-year students--about 15 percent of the class--take part in the program, a whirlwind of 15 different three-day trips starting Aug. 18 just before the start of regular orientation. During the trips, students have the opportunity to make friends and learn about Emory through upperclassmen before facing the pressures of starting college.     

Outdoor Emory Organization, the university's largest student group, runs the program, which has sold out every year since it began in 1991 as one of the first orientations of its kind in the country. Today, only a few other universities such as Duke University, Dartmouth College and the University of Washington in Seattle run similar, large-scale programs, says Adventure Orientation coordinator Kate Bowler, who adds that Emory's program is the only one she is aware of that is entirely student-run. The cost for students is $165, which includes a year's membership in OEO.

"We always have a huge range of kids--some with experience, others who've never camped before. Our trips can be pretty intense with some heavy-duty camping and no showers, while others are a more gentle introduction to the great outdoors," says Bowler, who graduated from Emory last spring and is now in graduate school at the university working on a degree in international public health. "It's a great opportunity to connect with people. When school starts, it's comforting to have a group of friends and familiar faces around campus."

Although Emory is located in the Atlanta metropolis, OEO is one of the largest and most active clubs of its kind in the country with more than 400 members. "OEO is popular because of our urban location. We give people the opportunity to escape the city," Bowler says.

In addition to weekend trips with activities ranging from backpacking to spelunking, OEO is heavily involved in community service. Members regularly participate in tree plantings and trail maintenance, and a program called OEO Juniors allows children from inner-city Atlanta to experience the outdoors.

Members also get a chance to live in Asbury House, a campus residence designated for OEO that provides housing for 12 students and a social meeting center for the group. For more information on OEO, see www.emory.edu/STUDENTS/OEO/.

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