Chapman Outdoors Club experiences leave students with fresh perspectives

Chapman Outdoors Club members set up camp on their trip to Joshua Tree April 2 to 3. Photos courtesy of Sophia Vandertoll

For freshman English major Eliza Wenger, outdoor activities have always been a part of her life. Growing up, she traveled with her grandparents to Sedona, Arizona, and went on hikes around Cathedral Rock. Yearly camping trips to Big Sur and Mammoth with her family were also a staple in her childhood experience.

After discovering Chapman Outdoors Club through the Student Involvement Fair and looking through the group’s Instagram page to see what kinds of activities are offered, Wenger told The Panther she knew the student organization would be a good fit.

“(Outdoor activities were) always a part of my life, and as I got older and just started going on hikes myself, I learned I really loved it,” Wenger said. “And that was something I wanted to continue in college with a group too. So it’s been really nice to have a community to do that with.”

The club participates in a variety of activities, with hiking and camping being their main suits. They’ve also planned other events throughout the year such as a beach bonfire, rock climbing and kayaking.

Kyle Blazer spots rock climber Noah Masur. Photo by Alden Lannelli

Co-logistics coordinator for Chapman Outdoors Club Olivia Anderson, a sophomore peace studies and French double major, spoke about the many possibilities for outdoor activities that Southern California has to offer.

“I love being here because there’s just so much to do,” Anderson said. “There’s the mountains, and then there’s also the beach, and there’s desert — so many options of (things) we can do for Outdoors Club.”

Anderson also said the members of Chapman Outdoors Club are individuals that she has been able to find commonalities with.

“All the people in Outdoors Club are really cool, have the same values as me and just like to be connected with the Earth and each other,” Anderson said.

Chapman Outdoors Club President Thomas Gerbert, a senior business administration and peace studies double major, joined the club as a freshman back in 2018. He told The Panther his primary drive was to explore the scenery of Orange and surrounding areas.

When asked about any favorite trips during his time in Chapman Outdoors Club, Gerbert said his plethora of experiences with the group have been of equal significance.

“Every event to me has been memorable in a way, just because it’s been a way to meet people who are like-minded and share the connection with the outdoors,” Gerbert said.

One of the club’s biggest events this year was their trips to Joshua Tree, which spanned one day on Nov. 13 last fall semester and two days from April 2-3 during the spring semester.

Wenger fondly recalled joining the day trip to Joshua Tree last fall, specifically when the group took designated hikes and the club members were granted free reign to explore the area. 

“It was really fun seeing other members engaging in the outdoors in ways that I’m way too scared to,” Wenger said. “(Some club members) were doing crazy bouldering stuff and jumping up on all these rocks. I was so afraid people would die, but no one died obviously.”

Wenger said she got out of her comfort zone during the trip, because the group wanted to climb on top of a pile of boulders and watch the sunset.

“I was really nervous, because I’d never done any sort of climbing, but everyone (is) really supportive and helps you out,” Wenger said. “(I) definitely got helped up to the top, and they pulled me up and helped me get down too. Everyone kept each other safe, and we got up to the top, and it was really cool.”

Anderson said that engaging in outdoor activities allows her to refocus different aspects of her life and see that the events occurring in her life are part of a larger experience.

“It puts everything into perspective — being outdoors and seeing the rest of the world,” Anderson said. “It just makes it feel like the things I’m stressing about aren’t that serious. There’s more to this world than my homework and the little things that I stress about.”

Gerbert added that a personal benefit he sees to participating in outdoors activities is coming back from these trips with a better understanding of what areas in his professional life he needs to prioritize.

“I’ll be thinking about all these things like work (or) school, and (after being outdoors), I’ll come out with better ideas of what I should be doing,” Gerbert said. “It improves my creativity; it improves almost every aspect of my life.”

A big part of the experience for Chapman Outdoors Club co-events coordinator Sophia Vandertoll, a sophomore health sciences major, is getting away from the interruptions that electronics can cause in her daily life. According to Vandertoll, immersing herself in nature creates a tangible distance between herself and everything she has to get done.

“I think the best (thing) for me when I go in the outdoors is, I like to just leave my phone in the car, (and) other people take pictures for me,” Vandertoll said. “It always distracts me if I’m trying to take a picture, and it’s never as good as what it looks like if you just look at the view. I love nature and going out and being secluded and away from the busyness of Chapman.”

Vandertoll believes physical and mental wellness are significantly improved during these trips, drawing upon one of her own experiences going on a sunrise hike at the Dartmoor Boat Canyon trail in Laguna Beach on March 2 as an example.

“(Our club members) left at like 5 a.m., got there and did the hike,” Vandertoll recollected. “And I remember that day, I just had the best day, and I think it was because I started it off doing something outside, in nature and watching the sun rise.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic limiting the size and frequency of both indoor and outdoor gatherings over the last two years, Gerbert said he has a deeper appreciation for the outdoors as restrictions lessen.

“I used to take everything for granted being like ‘Oh, (the outdoors is) always going to be here; I’m always going to have access to these things, and I’m always going to have time for these things,’” Gerbert said. “And then now it’s like, ‘Yeah, they’re always going to be here, but I should still take the opportunity — every opportunity I can — to do what I want to do and explore the outdoors.’”