Bennett Silverman is a busy guy. As co-chair of the Outdoor Reaction Club, he oversees backcountry trip planning, coordinates leader training, and still makes time for climbing and whitewater kayaking. He was gracious enough, however, to make time to sit down with the Catalyst, talk about his role in the ORC, and discuss what he sees as a new direction for outdoor education at Colorado College.
Bennett’s involvement in the ORC started early. As a first-year, he was one of the lucky few to have the chance to live in the Outdoor Education Special Interest Community, an SIC located in Slocum Hall and affiliated with the ORC. As the year progressed, his certs continued to pile up, and by the end of Spring Break, he was a Level II leader.
The following block break, he led his first backpacking trip to the Great Sand Dunes National Park. For Bennett, his interest in outdoor education stemmed not only from his love of the backcountry, but the opportunity to share that passion with others.
“I’m someone who has grown up in the outdoors, but I wanted to get out there in a way that meant I could share those experiences with other people,” says Silverman.
With new leadership in the outdoor education professional and student staff, the ORC is implementing new programs that aim to bridge the divide between the electronic-world that is Summit, the ORC’s online trip registry, and face-to-face interaction among members of the community.
“Summit has really revolutionized how word gets out about trips,” says Silverman. He also mentions, however, how he has seen a decline in meeting attendance since the introduction of Summit due to the digital nature of how information is circulated. Strengthening personal ties continues to be a central focus among the ORC. Silverman makes it clear that efforts have centered around, “try[ing] to re-establish that community piece and make the ORC more accessible to people.”
The Outdoor Recreation Club Committee was devised by Silverman’s fellow co-chair Melissa Seehausen this year, and is focused on forging ties with other clubs on campus by partnering with them to plan trips that serve their club goals.
The creation of ORC families, a peer mentor program, is also a new addition to the ORC. According to Silverman, the families are intended to be a resource for students either wanting to progress as leaders within the program or pursue personal outdoor adventures of any kind.
Silverman’s advice to both the experienced and the novice is simple: those who are interested should get involved. If you have questions for the ORC and also a craving for chocolaty treats and your daily serving of calcium, you are in luck. The ORC holds a Milk and Cookies reception every Thursday of first week at 7:30 p.m.