Liz Trudel, Staff Writer
The Outdoor Adventure Board (OAB) is a student-run organization managed by the Sullivan Fitness Complex on the Portland campus of USM. The OAB provides thrill-seeking college students with free or reduced rates on a multitude of recreational activities. The mission of the group, as stated on the university’s website, is to “Enrich the University of Southern Maine collegiate experience with the availability of unique and affordable recreational opportunities. Provide opportunities for community engagement and while teaching outdoor skill sets to a diverse group of recreational enthusiasts. Build connections between peers, community, and the outdoors in the effort to develop and positively influence interpersonal and intrapersonal growth.”
During the fall semester of 2017, the OAB conducted several excursions including numerous hiking trips, white-water rafting, indoor rock wall climbing and horseback riding. They also took an outing to an indoor trampoline park and Acadia National Park.
Over the course of the spring semester, the OAB has scheduled various expeditions to engage students in off-campus exploration. On Feb. 12, Feb. 26, March 5, and March 19, the OAB will be attending Monday Night Madness Skiing at the Shawnee Peak Ski Area in Bridgton, Maine. The first sixteen people to sign up will be provided with transportation and free lift tickets.
On Feb. 17, from 9-2 p.m., the group will be going ice fishing, free of charge for students. Lunch and snacks will be provided as well as transportation, and no fishing license is necessary for the outing.
On Feb. 24, OAB will travel to Camden Hills State Park in Camden, Maine for a day of snowshoeing. Snowshoes will be provided to students.
March 3, the OAB will be teaming up with the Maine Alpine Guide to provide USM students with a free full-day beginner mountaineering/hiking trip. Complete technical gear will be provided to all students.
From March 22 to March 25th, the OAB will be taking a long weekend ski trip to Sunday River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine. Ski and snowboarding packages can be purchased through the OAB at a discounted price and include three nights of lodging and three days of lift tickets.
On April 14, they will be traveling to Monkey C Monkey Do in Wiscasset, Maine, for a day full of ziplining and laser tag.
A freshman from Upton-Hastings who attended a recent ice climbing trip at Cathedral Ledge in North Conway, NH, states, “every student should attend at least one trip with the OAB. It’s an easy way to get involved within a community on campus, and the atmosphere of the community is amiable and welcoming to all different types of people with all different athletic abilities. The board manages the logistics of the trip so that students can get off campus and and enjoy themselves with a group of like-minded peers while engaging in activities that they may not have the opportunity to participate in otherwise.”
For more information contact the Outdoor Adventure Board via email at [email protected]. To learn more about upcoming thrilling experiences, follow the club on Facebook at @oab.usm, Snapchat at @usmoab, or Instagram at @usm.oab.