Gear Rooms and Other Bits | ODC Newsletter 1/17/23

Hello Beautiful ODC Humans!!

Your favorite club email is back. It’s the start of the semester and from looking at my syllabi today, I think mine might suck. However! myself and the other officers are super super stoked for another wild ride of whacky and crunchy and amazing and scrumptious adventures with y’all. Here’s to 2023 and lets get after it!

~ mitch

 

 

ANNOUCEMENTS:

New Gear Room Times!!!

  • New semester, new schedule! Scroll on down to see this semester’s gear room times! This schedule may be subject to change as the officers get their ducks in a row, but we’ll let ya know if that happens. These will start TOMORROW (Wednesday the 18th).

Your Borrowed Gear Wants To Go Home Now! 

  • First of all, a big thanks to all of y’all that worked with us and our winter break policy to borrow gear, everything went prettty smoooooth. Now that we back on the regular schedule, this is just a reminder to return the stuff that you borrowed! We just don’t want any stray ice axes left in your grandmother’s closet or something.

Disco Cowboy 2: The Return

  • Oh Man. That’s right. Prepare your sparkles and cowboy boots because the coolest most insane party theme of the year has returned. Stay tuned for more deets on this funky fresh wild west shindig! (but keep your calendar clear the 27th ;] )

Reusable Bag Drive

  • Bring reusable bags to the gear room to help out low-income community members who may be affected by Charlottesville’s new plastic bag tax! There’s a collection box in the gear room courtesy of UVA Sustainability. 

Wilderness First Aid Courses!

  • Our friends over at MEDIC SOLO are offering some WFA courses in cville soon! January 21-22, 2023; April 15-16, 2023 and June 10-11, 2023. ODC will reimburse the cost of WFA/WFR if you lead six trips outside the “golden hour”.
  • See www.solowfa.com for details and to register!

 

 

 

GEAR RESOURCES AND POLICY

Gear Room Schedule:

Mon: (1/16) 3:00 pm —> Sophia Benmhend (202) 644-0304
Tues: 10:00 am —>  Will Lankford (202) 321-1197
Weds: 1:00 pm —> Phillip Reeves (571) 332-3740
Thurs: 5:30 pm —>  Mitch Lang (804) 955-8990
Fri: 9:15 am —> Ed Aten (434) 326-8868

If none of these times work for you, please email the officers outdoors-officers@virginia.edu at least 24 hours in advance to schedule a separate time to be let into the gear room. Please only do this if you really can’t make the gear room times, not just because you don’t feel like it or didn’t plan ahead.

This schedule will ideally be consistent throughout the semester, however, changes may occur. You may stop by the gear room to check out or return gear and be reimbursed at any of the times listed above.  Please text the officer leading the gear room if you will be late. Officers remain at the gear room only for as long as people are checking in/out gear (usually about 20-25 minutes). You may also purchase ODC t-shirts, hoo rags, patches, stickers, and more at the gear room!

BEFORE RETURNING GEAR REFER TO THE GEAR CLEANING DOC BELOW

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bUsjBA8Hy_MyyoLGIpkYciH3lTVKB-9fjO2ZfhXowdY/edit

If you return damaged, dirty, or incomplete gear, you will jeopardize your ability to check out gear in the future. It is your responsibility, not the officers, to return your gear in the condition you received it.

Please refer to our reimbursement policy here.

You can check our gear inventory here.

If you want to check out any water sports gear or a mountain bike, please email the officers at outdoors-officers@virginia.edu. They are stored at separate locations. We ask that you give at least 24 hours notice.

Gear is due one week from when it is checked out unless renewed by an officer at a gear room. Keeping gear past its due date is a UVA Honor Offense. Club trips have priority access to gear.

Directions: Map to Gear Room

Start at Echols Dorm

Go right on McCormick

Turn right on Alderman Rd

Take a left on Leake Drive

Walk to the end of the road. There are several buildings and parking on either side.

Pass a picnic table on the right. Keep going!

Walk straight to the first big maintenance building directly ahead. Walk behind the building on the left side. Walk up the stairs

End: Knock on the door.

 

 

TRIP RESOURCES AND REMINDERS

Leading Trips:

To become a trip leader, thoroughly read the Trip Leader Manual (resources page of the website) and send the officers an email (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) letting them you know you have done so. They will then activate you on the website! Alternatively, come to a Trip Leader Workshop, lead by the officers several times each semester and posted on the website.

As a reminder, climbing, caving, mountain biking, and whitewater trips have special rules to lead! To learn more about types of trips and to become an approved trip leader for the sports listed above, feel free to contact the club’s Sport Advisors.

    • Climbing:
      • Eliza (Ejs4zb@virginia.edu)
      • Joseph (jca5cu@virginia.edu)
    • Caving
      • Renee (rle6juc@virginia.edu)
    • Biking
      • Phillip (pfr3yq@virginia.edu)
    • Hiking/Backpacking
      • Grace (gag4jaz@virginia.edu)
      • Ed (eba4ksx@virginia.edu)
    • Whitewater Sports
      • Mitch (mcl2hxw@virginia.edu)

If you have questions about how to lead trips, take some time to read through the Leaders Manual and Leading Trips pages under Resources on the club website.

Want to lead a trip for an under-represented group in the outdoors? Lead an Affinity Trip! See the link for details and guidelines.

Absences:

Please be aware that if you are joined on a trip, and you do not show up, or you drop out at the last minute, you are depriving another member of a spot on that trip.

No-shows and last-minute absences not only hurt trip attendance, but they also make logistics more complicated.

If a member is reported for two absences, trip leaders are permitted to take this into account when moving people off wait lists.

Sexual Harassment and Equity Reporting:

Outdoors at UVA is committed to providing a safe and welcoming space for everyone to enjoy the outdoors. If you feel you or another have experienced sexual or gender-based violence or misconduct at the hands of another club member, you can report the misconduct here.

If you feel you or another have experienced harassment based on race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, etc. at the hands of another club member, you can report the misconduct here.

Outdoors at UVA’s Sexual Misconduct policy can be found on our Resources webpage and is linked here. Our policy for harassment and discrimination is here.

 

 

ADVENTURE OF THE WEEEEEEK!!!

  • No AOTW this week! Cause duh we haven’t even had a week back yet. We’re super super stoked for all the adventures y’all have posted already. Remember to send em in for a chance to be featured!

(Instructions)

Each week we’ll feature a different adventure that happened within the previous 7 days. To be featured, send us (outdoors-officers@virginia.edu) a couple of pictures of you and your pals adventurin’ and a little blurb about what you did!

We’re reallllllllly stoked to see what y’all get up to – but please. Do not take pictures of people without their consent. And don’t submit them to us without their consent. Don’t be a creep and a weirdo.

Who will be the next ADVENTURE OF THE WEEK?!?! we await your submissions!

 

 

OTHER JAWN.

Social Media:

FB: (https://www.facebook.com/groups/OutdoorsAtUVA/)

Insta: (https://www.instagram.com/uvaoutdoors/)

GroupMe: (https://groupme.com/join_group/68250538/0HmzE2tL)

Email Social Chair Shay Utzinger (smu5dv@virginia.edu) with any trip pictures to be featured on the club Instagram!!!!!