Penn State Says Wilderness Is Too Dangerous For Outdoors Club

Penn State is putting an end to student-organized outdoor trips because school officials found them to be too risky. The 98-year-old Penn State Outing Club announced that the offices of Student Affairs and Risk Management determined that activities, such as canoeing and hiking were too dangerous to for students without adult supervision. 

Penn State spokeswoman Lisa Powers explained that "the groups are being disbanded in their current high-risk model and are actually being re-organized to provide more oversight of activities by trained and professional staff."

The school assessed the risks associated with 79 clubs on campus and found that 20 of them had some element of risk, but only three groups were considered high-risk and banned from organizing activities in the fall semester. 

The Outing Club's president Richard Waltz said he supports measures to increase safety, but was upset because the decision was made without input from the club

“Safety is a legitimate concern, but it wasn’t an open dialogue,” Mr. Waltz said. “What’s happening to the club is a shame and negatively impacts the student experience.”

The group's treasurer Timothy Hackett, who has been at the school for four years, says that nobody was ever injured on any of the activities organized by the club during his time at Penn State. 

Christina Platt, who is the club's incoming president, said she understands the reasons why the school had to put a stop to the student-led outdoor trips.

“Our increasingly litigious society is making it far more difficult for people to get outside without the fear of lawsuits for any misstep. I can hardly blame Penn State for protecting itself against further litigation after a number of high-profile scandals in the past decade,” she said.

Waltz said that the club has changed during its 98-year history and will continue to adapt and grow.

“The Outing Club has been through many changes in its 98-year history, and our focus now is on trying to keep a community of like-minded people together,” Mr. Waltz said. “We recognized the university has made its decision and we expect it will stand by that decision. We have to work with what we’ve got and adapt.”

Photo: Getty Images


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