Part of this philosophy is encouraging students to feel at ease with nature and trying new activities.
"A friend once told me, `If you're having fun outdoors, you're doing something wrong.' This is kind of the antithesis of what we're about," explains Myers. "If you don't want to hike, don't hike. The main point is to have a good time."
Gearing Up
Outing Club members stress that the purpose of the club is to get students out of their dorms and into the wilderness. To help facilitate this, the organization boasts a huge collection of outdoor gear that members can borrow freely. Dues are only $10 a year and "You shouldn't have to go to EMS and buy gearevery time you want to go hiking," says Schmitt,referring to Eastern Mountain Sports, an outdoorequipment retailer. "I really like the idea thatoutdoor stuff should be free." "People tend to see the outdoors as veryexpensive," Myers says. "We like to be able totell them `Don't worry--we'll cover you.'" Not only does the club lend students itsequipment for free, it also uses club funds to payfor the gas and food its various trips require.For funding, the club relies on membership dues aswell as a number of grants from the UndergraduateCouncil and a College endowment dedicated tooutdoor activities. Outing Club is not the only organization oncampus that gets students into the woods, however.Other programs include the Mountaineering Club andFOP. But while other schools that have integratedoutdoor excursions into their curriculums, outdoorgroups at Harvard are limited to anextracurricular role. "I wish Harvard would consider getting a moreconsolidated, institutional outdoor program," saysBeth Bellman, the Director of FOP. "One thatrecognizes the values of teamwork and leadership." However, Schmitt points out thatloosely-organized groups are also valuable. "Iwould love to see an institutional program, butthere is also a need for casual, informal trips." The Great Outdoors As the meeting winds to an end, members slowlygather their belongings and prepare to leave. Afew stick around, chatting about the upcomingmoonlight hike along the New Hampshire shoreline.Theplan is to leave Friday night at 11 p.m. and,hopefully, to finish before sunrise. To most students, the idea sounds crazy. Maybeit's all that fresh air, but for some reasonOuting Club members see things a littledifferently. "When it's seven in the morning and you're on alake watching the mist rise, you get a sense ofperspective," Myers says. "It breaks up the rhythmof daily life and clears up the mind. It's a greatescape." And in some ways, an even greater escape thanscaling Mount McKinley