Outdoor Club Pushes for 'On-Campus Hemlock'

Photo by Thomas Breeden.

By Broadside Correspondent Siobhan Fabio

A student group at George Mason University, The Rock On! Outdoor Club, is working quickly to establish “replacement” outdoor leadership and recreation centers on both the Fairfax and Prince William campuses because the university did not renew its contract with Hemlock Overlook.

Rock On! has been petitioning students and trying to garner student support for the on-campus outdoor leadership and recreation centers, envisioning them as worthwhile resources focused on education, recreation and sustainability.

According to Susan Johnson, director of Hemlock Overlook Center, many university departments, including the Freshman Center, New Century College, School of Recreation, Health and Tourism and University Life, recognize the importance of leadership and recreation centers in student development and support the initiative. “The groups see the value of experiential education and realize that having facilities on Fairfax and [Prince William] campuses makes this education more accessible,” Johnson said.

Johnson said, however, that the initiatives are not a done deal.

Currently, Prince William and Fairfax campuses are developing and finalizing business plans that should be ready to present to the administration by mid-June. At that time, the administration will decide whether or not to finance the projects. If approved quickly, the Prince William campus outdoor center could open as early as August and would be geared toward leadership training. Construction on the Fairfax campus outdoor center would take at least a year to complete, but when finished, would include two basketball courts, two volleyball courts, a multipurpose field, a high ropes course, rock climbing wall and a picnic pavilion. As proposed, the outdoor center would additionally have an outdoor recreation rental facility where students can rent backpacking equipment, canoes, mountain bikes and snowboards.

Mason Outdoor Club hopes to show strong student support for the project and encourage the administration to fast track the project with their petition drive. “The purpose of the outdoor center is to build leadership, trust and communication while still having fun,” said Shannon Orcutt, a government and global affairs double major and president of Mason Outdoor Club. Orcutt believes that an on-campus outdoor center would give students a way to participate in fun outdoor activities without the hassle of travelling to Hemlock.

The Outdoor Club’s petition drive has gotten 500 signatures thus far. They have also created a Facebook group, “Students For An Outdoor Center/Programs At George Mason University,” where students may voice opinions about the outdoor center, ask questions or access the online petition.