Weekend Warriors club takes outdoor activities to the max

By: James Cohen

Posted: 8/25/06

It's called the Weekend Warriors. It's Drexel's first outdoor activities club, running trips such as: skiing and snowboarding, canoeing and kayaking, windsurfing, water-skiing, rock climbing, paintball, hiking, horseback riding and even Six Flags trips. The club is open to all Drexel students, regardless of your experience level; from beginners to experts, everyone is welcome.

The club was officially formed in September 2005. The first trip was kayaking and canoeing, where students could choose between kayaking and canoeing for a two-and-a-half hour trip down the Brandywine River. For some it was the first time they had kayaked down a river.

In the 2005-06 school year, we took three other trips: rock climbing and two skiing and snowboarding trips. We went to both Blue Mountain and Camelback. Jon-Michael Marino, a freshman majoring in music industry and business administration, wrote us after going the Blue Mountain trip, saying, "Just wanted to let you know my two friends and I had an awesome time on Saturday's ski trip. You guys ran everything great. We were there on the slopes for seven hours, which was way more than enough time to wear ourselves out."

One of the best parts of club is the great prices we are able to offer to Drexel students. Our recent windsurfing trip in August 2006 was a sweet deal. A one-hour windsurfing lesson regularly costs $75 per person. The club's cost for transportation, a one-hour lesson with certified instructors, three hours of practice time with new equipment, and time to relax and enjoy the nice weather for a few hours away from campus with some friends… priceless. Joking aside, the cost was a mere $25 for all that was offered.

CAB co-sponsored our ski trip to Camelback, also providing great savings for students. The club's snowboard rental and lift ticket cost was only $33, compared to the regular group rate of $66. We sold lift tickets for just $15, compared to the regular group rate of $36. The club prices also included seven hours of skiing time and transportation, which is included in the price of every trip.

CAB representative Nicole Martino said about the club: "Students, as well as myself, are always stoked to participate in the many different opportunities that the Weekend Warriors are able to provide. The organization is a great addition to the community. I look forward to the many other trips I will be able to partake in."

The club started off as just an idea in my head. With the help of our advisor, Dan Simmons, and fellow club members, our membership list has grown to more than 300 people. The main goals for the Weekend Warriors are to help students take risks and seek new friendships. The trips give students a chance to take a break from the constant stresses of classes and time to relax and enjoy a few hours away from campus with friends. Weekend Warriors allows members of the Drexel community a chance to increase their college experience by becoming involved with an organization and having a rewarding and memorable time.

We have numerous trips planned for the 2006-07 school year. In fact, we have already gone windsurfing in Atlantic City. There are several trips planned for the fall term: paintball, Oct. 14; Six Flags Fright Fest Oct. 28 and indoor rock climbing on Nov. 11. For winter term, we are in the planning stages of a three-night ski trip to Killington, Vermont, from Jan. 4-7, as well as several trips to Blue Mountain and Camelback. The spring term will consist of kayaking and canoeing, horseback riding, hiking, and rock climbing. The club will also be selling $10 long sleeve black shirts during trip ticket sales. The shirts have the club's logo on the back of the shirt, with the words "Drexel University Weekend Warriors" on the front.

For more information on the Weekend Warriors, e-mail ww@drexel.edu.

Josh Cohen is a junior majoring in business administration. He can be reached through ed-op@thetriangle.org.