Have you every wanted to swim with manatees? What about go skydiving, whitewater rafting, or backpacking through the Appalachian Trail with a group of fellow adventurers? If any of these things caught your eye, then you're in luck, because the Outdoor Adventure Club has plans to do it all.
A club dedicated to creating new adventures for Auburn students, the OAC gives anyone the opportunity to join in on various trips around the south.
Club member Kelly Herman, a California native studying environmental science, talks about why the OAC stood out to her when she first arrived in Auburn.
"Coming from an outdoorsy background, I wanted some sort of an outlet and there really wasn't any other group on campus like the Outdoor Adventure Club that would allow me to have that," she said. "When I went on O-Days, they had a table out and they were talking about all the cool events they were going to do and it was all very appealing to me. They weren't like any other club at Auburn that I had seen."
OAC president Derrick Stone, a senior in mechanical engineering, said, "College is about meeting new people, discovering new places and ideas, and engaging in brand-new experiences all while having a blast. Rather than restrict yourself to just chilling with people of a certain major, sex, hobby, or political affiliation, the OAC allows you to branch out and explore the rich social diversity of Auburn University."
"You can meet girls and guys from all different majors, states, and grade-levels while having fun exploring all the beauty and excitement the world has to offer as you create memories that will last a lifetime," Stone said.
The most recent trip taken by the OAC was to Beech Mountain, North Carolina, where a group about 40 people spent the weekend skiing and snowboarding.
"We had all access passes to the slopes, so once the sun was down, many of us went night skiing as well," Stone said. "When we weren't on the slopes, we were killing time by playing pool, watching movies, or relaxing in the hot tub."
Audra Graham, head of PR for the Outdoor Adventure Club, said, "We stayed in three separate cabins and we skied for all day Saturday and all day Sunday. We were there from Friday to Monday morning. It was a great time. We had people who were beginners and there were also people who had skied since they were three years old. So all ranges of levels," she said. "Our club is just totally adventure based and individual based and I just think it's awesome."
The OAC is a unique club because there isn't a specific time commitment involved with being a member.
"The OAC is one of the only truly non-committal clubs. No time, money, or participation commitments are required," Stone said. "You only go on the trips you want to go on. If you have a tough semester, you don't have to go on any trips. If next semester you have tons of free time, you can go on all of the trips if you so desire. We only have one hour-long meeting a month, and even that is optional."
"Whether it's skydiving, snowboarding, caving, backpacking, rock climbing, ziplining, whitewater rafting, or simply overnight camping, the OAC offers something for everyone and for all skill levels," Stone said.
The OAC is always open to new members and the schedule of meeting times all future trips can be found on their websit, auburn.edu/oac.
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