Michigan Tech was one of 10 universities challenged to log the most outdoor activity within an eight week time frame. Starting Sept. 27, activities could be logged at oncampuschallenge.org and points were then awarded to their respective schools. The challenge was open to students, alumni, faculty, staff and community members.
The grand prize is a campus wide celebration and some outdoor gear for the number one university. This was awarded to the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John’s University with a total of 162,880 points on November 22 when the challenge ended. Second place was taken by yours truly, Michigan Tech, with 48,910 points.
The other schools placed in the following order, starting with third place: California State University-Long Beach, George Mason University, James Madison University, University of Central Florida, University of Iowa, Appalachian State University, University of Wisconsin-Madison and Spelman College.
From each school, an individual was selected to be The Most Outdoorsy Person and five people from the entire competition tied for the title of The Outsider of the Year. Michigan Tech was represented by two of these five, namely Nathan Miller and Vincent McClain, with 2850 points each. These individuals will receive an internship with the Outdoor Foundation and head-to-toe outfitting from The North Face.
Throughout the competition, there was a variety of activities sponsored by the Outdoor Adventure Program, WHSA, Outdoor Venture Crew, IRHC and Paintball Club to encourage outdoor activity. This included a free adventure bandana for current students, bike repair clinics, a photo competition and more. Local businesses also joined the adventure; Downwind Sports, Cross Country Sports and Amy J’s Pasty offered the bandanas to members of the community.
Outdoor Nation issued this challenge to get kids active. According to their website, “The average person spends eight hours a day in front of a screen and only minutes outdoors, and 1 out of every 3 young people is obese or overweight in America.” In today’s world of technology and advanced communication, taking time away from the screen can be hard to do.
This competition was purposed to encourage students to at least venture out of their regular routines. Students at Tech love being active and getting outdoors when they can. Who can blame them when they have the wonderful Keweenaw as their backyard? Tech trails and OAP are great resources that are easily accessible to students and open the way for a wide range of outdoor possibilities.
The OAP, created in 2006 with support from alumni Charles and Patricia Nelson from the class of 1936, began in the lower level of the MUB. The OAP moved to its new, specialized location in 2010. What started as a way to provide students with the necessary tools to take advantage of the outside world has transformed into another major reason for prospective students to come to Michigan Tech. The program has grown in the past few years due to the support of administration, students and all the grassroots efforts to provide low cost equipment rentals and trips for students.
“College students have the power to change the world. This challenge is about school communities and student bodies joining together to try and get the most people outside and active,” said Outdoor Nation. There will be more challenges from Outdoor Nation, and Michigan Tech has the possibility of being chosen to compete again. The important part is to enjoy the natural world. Get outside on a hiking or biking path, make use of the snow and learn to ski or try out snowboarding and remember to capture the memories with a camera.