Doti-Struppa Rock Wall officially reopens

After being closed for two years, Chapman’s Doti-Struppa Rock Wall is finally reopening for students and faculty to use and climb to their heart’s desire. Photo by EMILY PARIS, photo editor

The Doti-Struppa Rock Wall finally reopened to the Chapman community Sept. 19, introducing new improvements and changes to the wall as well as a grand reopening event for students and faculty to participate in. The reopening comes after its closure over two years ago due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Located in the basement of the Sandhu Residence and Conference Center, the 51-foot tall climbing wall was originally opened in 2009. The Doti-Struppa Rock Wall is also considered the tallest university-owned climbing wall in Southern California. 

Students and faculty with or without climbing experience are encouraged to use the wall, with many novice and experienced climbers already expressing their excitement for the reopening.

Jesse Vergara-Garrison, a senior film production major who works as the lead rock wall assistant, has been passionate about the rock wall ever since his freshman year, calling it “the one place that he felt at home” on campus. 

“My idea for the rock wall is that it's a place that students can come have fun and forget about the stress of college,” Vergara-Garrison told The Panther. “This is beneficial for students because they're exercising but also it helps their mental health.”

The rock wall closed in March 2020 due to the pandemic. According to Vergara-Garrison, the room where the rock wall is located is small and wasn’t COVID-19 compliant. Now that the rock wall has been opened once again, Vergara-Garrison and the rock wall staff are planning many events for student and faculty climbers to participate in, such as competitions and an upcoming Halloween-themed night.

Many students have actively expressed their enthusiasm for the rock wall’s reopening and are hopeful to use the wall as the semester continues on. In a recent poll conducted by The Panther, 60% of the 120 students who answered the poll said they aren planning to use the rock wall at least once throughout the fall semester.

“The environment at the rock wall is very friendly and open to all, even if you have no knowledge of how to rock climb,” said sophomore communication studies major Elena Da Rosa, who works as the front desk assistant at the Doti-Struppa Rock Wall. “I was very excited for the rock wall to officially reopen, and some of my friends are super excited for the reopening. I cannot wait until they come to climb.

During this past summer, rock wall employees went through extensive training in order to be prepared for the wall’s reopening. According to Da Rosa, all employees got their CPR and belay certifications in order to“take care of climbers safely and confidently. The employees were also in charge of setting up the climbing wall over the summer and now work to ensure that the wall stays secure and maintained for students and faculty to use throughout the school year.

With the rock wall being reopened, senior data analytics and economics double major Nathaniel Cuadros stated that word of mouth and signage have helped to encourage more people to try out the facility. 

“Not only is climbing a form of exercise, it's a community building, friendship making, passion farming experience,” said Cuadros, who works as an assistant at the rock wall. “The sensation of progression and the feeling of accomplishment after reaching something that might have taken a few attempts or days or weeks to get is amazing.”

The Chapman Wellness and Recreation department, in conjunction with the rock wall staff, held a grand reopening event of the rock wall for interested students and faculty to attend DATE.

The event, formally called, “Rock Out at the Rock Wall” allowed participants to meet fellow climbers, compete in climbing challenges for various prizes and partake in refreshments and treats that were provided by staff.

Senior economics and data science double major Kyle Blazer called the rock wall a formative part of his time as a freshman.

“I would climb several days a week, and many of my best friends who I made in college I met at the rock wall,” said Blazer, who is also a rock wall assistant. “Even in this past week, I have seen students become friends and enjoy a shared interest in climbing, which has been incredibly rewarding to see.”

With the hard work that the rock wall staff have been putting into prepping the rock wall for students and faculty to access all throughout the summer, Blazer and his coworkers are grateful for all the time and effort that Vergara-Garrison has put into the rock wall reopening.

“(Vergara-Garrison) took on the daunting task of reopening a wall that had been untouched since the start of COVID-19 and spent countless hours maintaining equipment and replacing bolts, while also single handedly setting every route on the wall,” Blazer said. “The whole Chapman community has him to thank for ensuring that we have access to this incredible facility.”

The Doti-Struppa Rock Wall was named after both President Daniele Struppa and former President Jim Doti, who are both devoted climbers. Doti has climbed five out of the world’s “seven summits,” while Struppa has climbed in the Andes, Himalayas and the Alps. 

The Doti-Struppa Rock Wall allows for students and faculty to work on their climbing skills while also being able to relieve stress and make new friends. Students interested in climbing the wall should sign up for a Wellness and Recreation membership via the Chapman RecPortal and bring their ID Card to access the facility. The Doti-Struppa Rock Wall hours are also found on the RecPortal. 

“In my experience, climbing is one of the best ways to relax and cool down with friends after a long day of classes and work,'' sophomore software engineering major Jaden Johnson told The Panther.

Johnson works at the rock wall as an assistant route-setter, where he helps to design the various routes that people are able to climb. 

“Especially after all of my software classes, I just want to do something fun with my friends and just relax,” Johnson said. “Having the rock wall as a sort of safe haven for climbers of all levels is a really awesome thing that you don’t get to see everywhere.”