Outdoor Rec Center Offers Array of Options for New Students

By Conor Yarbrough
News Director

Texas State University recently became the fourth largest university by population in the state.

If you’ve been going to school here the last couple of years, you’ve seen the growth happening right before your eyes. New buildings have gone up, old ones have been modernized. If you walk around, things just look better. With those improvements have come more students. With more students, more diversity, and with more diversity, the greater the options of ways to spend your time in college.

If you’re the outdoors type, this is for you. Texas State has a recreation establishment dedicated to providing access to equipment for students to experience the outdoors to its fullest. If you’re ever in need of a kayak or looking to book a small getaway with other students, the outdoor center is your place.

“Come to the outdoor center, located in Sewell Park, and take advantage of renting kayaks, canoes, stand-up paddle boards,” said Celeste Gottschalk, Outdoor Center graduate assistant. “They can rent them for two hours if they’re just getting into it or if they have kayaked before and don’t have one of their own they can rent them for 24 hours, so take full advantage of that.”

But say even the wonderful San Marvelous is beginning to wear and you just need to get out for a bit.

“We also offer adventure trips so, canoeing, climbing, horseback riding, sunrise yoga,” Gottschalk said.

If you’re ever hoping to get out of town for a day, they offer special deals on student getaways as well.

“We have about 16 trips that are going out this semester that they would have to pay for but about another 14 in-clinic that are free,” Gottschalk said.

Gottschalk says the adventure trip program provides students with a means to accessing all parts of Texas.

“So, we have one that’s going out to Waco tank which is El Paso Area and then you have Palo Duro canyon which is Amarillo,” Gottschalk said.

The Outdoor Center’s first trip of the season kicks off with a three day canoeing trip on September 9 at Martin Dies State park in East Texas. A free canoeing clinic will be held by the Outdoor center on September 8.

Featured image by Madison Tyson.