From Sept. 18 to Oct. 15., Southern Utah University will compete against 92 universities across the country to defend its 2015 title as the “Most Outdoorsy School” in the nation in the Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge.
SUU is encouraging students, faculty, alumni, families, and community members to demonstrate school pride and get as many individuals to participate as possible. Multiple departments are working together in a campus-wide effort to offer ways for everyone to enter the challenge, get outside, share with their friends, and earn points and prizes.
During the four-week competition, participants must download the Outdoor Nation app and post photos of their outdoor activities. Activities include biking, camping, hiking, hunting, swimming, hammocking, rock climbing and stargazing. Individuals are allowed to post up to five times a day, receiving points for each entry. Outdoor Nation tracks entries and has a scoring system it uses to determine the winners.
“We should be taking advantage of SUU’s ideal location for the outdoors,” said adjunct professor and SUU Outdoors staff member Kevin Koontz. “We want to instill a love of the outdoors in each person and make them better outdoor stewards who take care of their surroundings.”
SUU is giving away weekly prizes to participants from event sponsors as well as more than 30 individual and regional awards.
The kick-off event, organized by the First Year Experience office, is a party at the Lake on the Hill Sept. 20 from 4 to 7 p.m. There will be a DJ, food, and games. SUU Outdoors will provide water gear including life jackets, paddleboards, and inflatable kayaks.
Multiple groups on campus have organized weekly events for the challenge period:
—Mondays: Make a Difference Service Project sponsored by the Community Engagement Center from 3 to 5 p.m. and stargazing at the Ashcroft Observatory from 9 to 11 p.m.
—Tuesdays: Outdoor yoga in the business quad from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
—Wednesdays: “Walk with a leader” sponsored by SUU Presidential Ambassadors at 2 p.m.
—Thursdays: “Campus hammocks” sponsored by SUU Outdoors from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
—Fridays: Mountain biking starting at Cedar Sports at 5:30 p.m.
More information is available at suu.edu/outdoornation.
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