<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1XDG2q_0vlxI20z00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1XDG2q_0vlxI20z00" width="550" height="626" ><figcaption>Mount Arab is a short drive away, but many students don’t have access to it. PHOTO CREDIT: ZACH JAWORSKI ’24</figcaption></figure>Improving Access to Nature for StudentsWhile living in the North Country surrounds students with endless options for outdoor recreation, the same rural setting that facilitates outdoor recreation also limits student access to the outdoors. Unlike schools in the city where students can walk or take public transportation to many recreational activities available to them, students at St. Lawrence University must drive. The availability of outdoor recreation is a key part of what SLU offers prospective students. For example, the SLU website cites that a large swath of the Adirondack Park is within St. Lawrence County. This, along with other statistics on outdoor recreation opportunities aim to show all the amazing opportunities for recreation and entertainment that SLU has to offer. Growing up in a suburban environment, a large draw to SLU for me was the rural setting and access to the outdoors. As a cross-country runner, not having to deal with traffic on every run and having more access to trails makes running much more enjoyable. Additionally, knowing there were many awesome opportunities to get outside and go for a hike or go fishing much closer than at home was exciting. However, one thing I negated to think about was how I would access the outdoors without a car. Planning to get off campus can be tough when you must rely on finding other people who have a car and are available at the same time. With SLU’s student body being very involved in clubs, academics and varsity sports always having to align your schedule with other students can be tough. While the Outing Club, Outdoor Program and other organizations on campus organize trips that get students off campus, they can be challenging to fit into a busy schedule. Organizations can use the school vans and cars to bring groups of students to different places off campus, but a program that allowed individual students to use the vans would greatly increase their access to the outdoors. This could allow students to plan around their busy schedules more freely and increase the amount of time they spend outdoors. In this proposal, I do see the challenges of the university especially in the cost associated with running such a program. The school would likely need to expand its vehicle fleet as well as money allocated for upkeep and gas. An obvious solution could be to charge a fee to use a them. However, this would bar students who don’t have disposable money from using school vehicles. Finding a way to make such a program equitable and available would make more spontaneous and shorter trips into the outdoors possible for students within schedules busied by academics, extracurriculars and athletics. The school pushes students to get involved across campus which inevitably fills the schedules of students. Accordingly, if the school is going to present outdoor recreation opportunities nearby as reason to attend SLU, then they need to do a better job at giving students a way to access the outdoors. </div></body>

Mountain View, CA

NewsBreak

Unlocking the Outdoors at SLU

While living in the North Country surrounds students with endless options for outdoor recreation, the same rural setting that facilitates outdoor recreation also limits student access to the outdoors. Unlike schools in the city where students can walk or take public transportation to many recreational activities available to them, students at St. Lawrence University must drive.