(Top) Leader Samantha Creech brings her ukelele on the trails to play during break times. (Bottom) Students celebrate reaching High Falls.
THE PATH AHEAD Even after Bulldogs have taken their first steps onto campus and through the Blue Ridge Mountains, their journey continues with UNC Asheville’s Campus Recreation and Outdoor Programs, which also has a new leader this year. WENDY MOTCH-ELLIS comes to campus as the new director of campus recreation, after serving 12 years in campus recreation work at UCLA and serving NIRSA, the professional association for campus recreation. She’s especially interested in wellness on campus, and in the role that outdoor programs can play, giving credit to the team in place. “Leah Belt, associate director (an alum ‘06) and Phil German, assistant director, bring our outdoor programs to life through their mentorship and guidance of our amazing students in Campus Recreation’s Outdoor Leadership Program.” That goal of getting everyone active and outside fits perfectly with Campus Recreation’s Outdoor Programs which offers trips for UNC Asheville students including climbing, kayaking, backpacking, caving, skiing, mountain mindfulness, fly fishing and rafting. The program also teaches the Outdoor Leadership Training Program (OLTP), which is a four-credit opportunity for students to learn about leading others in the outdoors
and is a great start for students who want to become pre-rendezblue trip leaders. The program lasts a full year and involves classroom learning, wilderness medicine training, field training in backpacking, kayaking and climbing. Campus Recreation also offers a team-building program through low-challenge course initiatives and group development activities. For their own adventures, students, faculty, and staff can rent gear and equipment from Campus Recreation, including everything from renting commuter and mountain bikes at the on-campus Bike Shop to checking out tents and sleeping bags for overnight adventures. “Our future goals for the program are to continue to offer UNC Asheville students opportunities to grow through experiential learning and to provide them with the skills necessary to have a safe and impactful experience in the outdoors,” MotchEllis said. 4
WINTER 2018
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