Outdoor Pursuits student employees protect students, teach skills

Earlham sophomore Saolie Rehm drops off the rock wall in the recreation center. DN PHOTO BOBBY ELLIS
Earlham sophomore Saolie Rehm drops off the rock wall in the recreation center. DN PHOTO BOBBY ELLIS

The Student Recreation and Wellness Center’s climbing wall may stretch 36 feet into the air, but students willing to scale its 1,500 square foot surface needn’t worry—and not just because they’re secured by ropes and harnesses.

The 33 student employees of Outdoor Pursuits are the human component of the rock wall’s safety system. They also contribute to other aspects of the program including its student-led workshops around the Midwest, and equipment rental center that carries everything from tents and camping gear to bikes and backpacks. 

Alexi Demopoulos, a sophomore life science education major, works as a belay attendant at the climbing wall.

"The climbing wall atmosphere is very relaxed, but the staff is very professional and ready for any accident,” Demopoulos said. “I am responsible for every person's life that walks into the climbing wall, and although it can be a hard sport, the people you’re surrounded by make it so worth it.”

Demopoulos said he uses his prior climbing experiences to set new routes for climbers to work on, and although the activity can be strenuous, he’s always finding new ways to encourage those he’s climbing with.

“I love meeting the people both on- and off-staff,” Demopoulos said. “I feel like the epitome of the atmosphere we have is just a bunch of people getting together despite age or race or gender, having fun, [getting to] be creative and doing something crazy.”

Jessica Allardt, the assistant director of Outdoor Pursuits, said that finding the right employees is important to the department. But she isn't just looking for people experienced in rock climbing or the outdoors. 

 “What we really look for is students that are excited and interested in the activity and are willing to learn more," she said. "Those are the workers that usually have the most fun, and make the programs the most memorable for students.”

Justin Parsons, a junior geography major, is a manager in the service and rental center. He's been outdoor enthusiast since childhood, he said. 

Parsons attended a summer bridge program at Outdoor Pursuits as a freshman, and said the hands-on work that student employees took part in intrigued him.

He now leads Outdoor Pursuits programs throughout the year in addition to overseeing rentals.

"We do a lot of different, really cool trips,” Parsons said. “This summer, we went to West Virginia and we all got to camp and swim and go white-water rafting. It's a lot of fun for me, and I think it’s even more fun for the people that go on the trips with us.”

Although student employees at Outdoor Pursuits are leaders during trips, the staff encourages participants to take a great deal of responsibility for themselves, Parsons.

“We really like to just offer guidance during the trips, and the programs are designed to help students, especially newcomers, to learn a lot of skills by practice,” Parsons said.

Allardt agreed.

“It’s really great to watch the participants in our programs grow, and with so many opportunities we have here, this is a great way for college students to get hands-on experience in all sorts of activities,” Allardt said. 

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