Wilderness Explorer Class Offered for Freshmen

A new course at Fairmont State University allows freshmen to become acclimated to the college experience while rock climbing, back packing and whitewater rafting through West Virginia's scenic beauty.

Students enrolled in the class will also receive an added benefit three college credit hours as a general elective. The Wilderness Explorer Freshman Seminar is a new addition to course offerings available to freshmen. During a six-day field trip Aug. 15-20, the students will camp outdoors and enjoy whitewater rafting on the New River, climb rocks at Coopers Rock State Forest, backpack through Spruce Knob and visit Seneca Rocks, Blackwater Falls and Canaan Valley.

During discussions around the campfire at night, students will have the opportunity to talk about issues that weigh on the minds of many freshmen. These include fears and anxieties about the prospect of college life, how to develop time management skills and effectively deal with social issues such as drug, alcohol and tobacco use. During the trip, the students will keep a daily journal, take quizzes and take a final exam. The students enrolled in Wilderness Explorer will be using "The Enduring Wilderness" by Doug Scott as a textbook for the seminar. During a visit to campus earlier this summer Scott met with the students and student leaders and autographed each of their books. He also made an informal presentation on the history of wilderness designation in America.

The Wilderness Explorer Freshman Seminar is an initiative of FSU's grant of more than $1.8 million from the federal Title III Strengthening Institutions Program. The program has four main goals: developing learning communities, transforming academic advising, strengthening faculty development and endowing scholarships.

Dr. Barbara Fallon, FSU Title III Activity Director and Learning Specialist, said the entire FSU community is excited about the new Freshman Seminar course.

"The students will be engaged in the high adventure that wilderness provides and also be learning about stewardship of public lands, good choices, the responsibility for one's self and others and the basic college skills of good study habits and time management," Fallon said.

The seminar instructor/wilderness guide, Matt Schmuck, graduated from FSU in 1996 with a degree in physical education and taught an outdoor leisure sports course last semester.

"For the students, I think the benefit is that they will be entering their first semester and already have three credits," Schmuck said. "Also, when you are doing these activities you make a lot of really good friends."

The seminar has appealed to a broad range of students like Kenny Morris, a non-traditional student from Lost Creek, W.Va., who plans to major in computer security. Morris will likely be the oldest student taking part in Wilderness Explorer. When he begins his courses this fall, he will be a freshman, but he gave himself an early boost-start by taking courses through the summer. Originally from Ohio, he is looking forward to experiencing firsthand the outdoor recreational opportunities West Virginia has to offer and visiting some of the places that are representative of its natural beauty.

"It looked interesting. The outdoor element appealed to me and the idea of doing some things I haven't done before," Morris said. "I'd done a lot of hiking when I was in the military, but I've never really hiked for recreation and I've never had a chance to do whitewater rafting."

Kayla Terlosky is a traditional freshman, having graduated from East Fairmont High School earlier this year. The seminar is affording her the opportunity to go whitewater rafting for the first time, something she has always wanted to do.

"Right now I don't know what to expect," Terlosky said of the six-day excursion. "I'm really looking forward to all of it."

Andy Tennant, an FSU junior majoring in architectural engineering, will be making the trip as a student leader along with Wade Harper, who worked with the Governor's Honor Academy earlier this summer and John Moore, who is an emergency medical technician.

Tennant said he is looking forward to the physical element of the outdoor activities as well as the mentoring experience.

"It's just a blast, going out and climbing rocks. But I was an R.A (resident assistant) last fall and I loved the experience of getting to know people and having an impact on the lives of the freshmen. I like being a positive influence on them, and this seminar offers some great places to make that connection. In camp life, you go not knowing a single person and you come back with friends."