Loyalist Athletics offering trips

By Isaiah Mawhinney

BELLEVILLE – The start of a new school year is hectic, but fortunately Loyalist Athletics offers everyone a chance to de-stress on a trip out of town.

There are a variety of excursions to choose from, including Big Ski Weekend, a three-day trip at a resort in Vermont for $299. The advertisements say “space is limited!” but organizers say the trip is not full yet.

Campus recreation and fitness facility co-ordinator Cory Mestre says that the trips are filling up “slowly but steady.” For the more expensive trips payment plans are considered on a “case-by-case” basis, he said.

Some people may consider high-intensity activities like skiing and mountaineering as dangerous, but Mestre says their worst accident in 11 years has been a broken ankle. He says these trips are really well planned and safe for students to enjoy.

Some of the flyers advertising the trips aren’t noticed by all students. When 19-year-old Shayna Girard was asked if she knew of any trips with the college, she simply replied, “no, not really.”

These expeditions are undoubtedly appealing but money is tight for a lot of students. It could even be the deciding factor between whether or not they choose to go. Although some students like Girard said they can justify the $200 price tag, “I don’t think that’s bad. I think that’s reasonable.”

Some of these events could be unfamiliar to students. Slacklining, held every Tuesday at 5 p.m. outside the library, is the sport of balancing on a thin and flat rope-like material stretched between two points, according to the website MarksDailyApple. But the name is uncommon and Girard said she hasn’t even heard of it.

These treks are more than just a weekend getaway, they also help students interact and socialize with people who have similar interests.

“I think it will help ease [making] new friends,” Girard said.

The Big Ski Weekend will be from Feb. 3 – Feb. 5, 2017. For more information about what Loyalist offers for other campus recreation and trips, visit their website.