By GRACE GITTELL
Right now, the excitement of being back on campus and the craziness of Block 1 are occupying the minds of all. But as Colorado College students know, Block Break is always right around the corner. Whether you’re a first-year or a senior, planning breaks can be a stressful process, but the opportunities made available by various groups on campus make this planning process much easier. There are many options open to everyone, with each one tailored to the wide range of interests of CC students.
If you are interested in exploring the outdoors, look no further than Outdoor Education. The annual Aspen Bike Trip, a long-standing tradition at CC, is a supported bike ride from Woodland Park through the mountains to Aspen. Students will camp along the way; they will bike through the mountains, and coordinators will drive any gear they don’t want to carry to the next campsite.
The two First-year Outdoor Orientation Trips (FOOT), available only to first-years and new transfer students, are a family outing to Conundrum Hot Springs and a trip to the Goose Creek Loop. The family outing to Conundrum Hot Springs is a trip for students interested in heading to the White River Wilderness near Aspen to enjoy swimming in the hot springs, camping, and hiking. The trip to the Goose Creek Loop, the advanced option, is a backpacking trip in the Lost Creek Wilderness. To sign up for either of these trips, visit SUMMIT.
If you are interested in giving back to the Colorado Springs community, the Collaborative for Community Engagement has many opportunities for you. While they help students find semester-long community service internships, they also help connect students with organizations that are looking for passionate students to volunteer whenever they have extra time.
Since many students find themselves too busy during the block, Block Break is the perfect time to get involved with local organizations. Kids on Bikes, an organization with a mission to provide bikes for local children, is looking for people to help them fix bikes. Knowledge of how to do minor repairs on bikes is preferred, but Kids on Bikes will teach you all that you need to know. The National Kidney Foundation also needs volunteers at their Southern Colorado Kidney Walk on Sunday, Sept. 22 of Block Break 1, which is a great opportunity to give back and spend the whole day outdoors at Memorial Park Lake. To sign up for these opportunities, visit the CCE website.