New leaders permit more trips for Outdoor, Community Action programs

This year's Outdoor Action and Community Action pre-frosh programs both had record numbers of trips, buoyed by a significant increase in student leaders.

As a result, neither program put any applicants on the waitlist.

"A lot of people went through [OA] leader training last May," program director Rick Curtis '79 said. "And we had a huge number of leaders come back."

OA had 191 leaders, up from 163 last year, while the number of participants remained virtually unchanged. This year 610 freshmen participated in hiking, canoeing and rock climbing trips in eight states.

Community Action saw an increase in numbers as well, with 110 freshmen attending this year compared to 98 last year. After adding five leaders to last year's total of 26, CA added three trips, bringing the total to 10.

"The reason for the change was that we wanted to make all the groups a little bit smaller but have more [trips]," said Bess Jensen, program coordinator of the Student Volunteers Council.

Students on the CA trips volunteered at rescue missions, homeless shelters, schools and nursing homes, most of which were based in Trenton. Two trips were in Pennsylvania and one was in Princeton.

For the first time, all freshman CA volunteers took a guided bus tour of Trenton to begin their week.

The number of OA leaders also allowed the program's coordinators to add trips. Curtis said that availability of the trips is only limited by the number of leaders who volunteer.

With more volunteers, three senior leaders could travel with some groups instead of the customary two. The surplus of leaders allowed the program to add three trips for a total of 71.

The new trips were in the Shenandoahs in western Virginia.

In addition, Curtis said the number of medical evacuations was down from last year.

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"There were the usual sort of thing — sprained ankles and sore knees," he said. There was also an allergic reaction to a bee sting and a broken wrist.

Outdoor Action, the largest orientation program of its kind in the country in terms of total time on trail, was started in the fall of 1974 with 100 participants. More than 11,200 University students have begun their college experience with the trip.

Community Action was started in 1987 at Martin House in Trenton, with 20 original volunteers.