Great Outdoors Club aims to boost membership through nature

Ayden Link pictured among other club members enjoying one of their many outings as a club (Photo courtesy of Ayden Link).

Sophomore French and Spanish student Ayden Link has been the president of the Great Outdoors Club since the spring semester of his freshman year. He stepped up early during his time with the club due to graduating e-board members, stating “During COVID, it was maintained differently.” Link explained that the Great Outdoors Club is fundamentally different post-COVID, saying “We used to be a really big and popular club, and then COVID hindered that, but we've been trying to rebuild.”

Link explained why he joined the club and why he encourages others to do the same; “I wanted to find my people, I think everybody does in their first year.” Link told The Lamron “I knew that I loved being outside to go camping, and I thought, how cool is it that there's like an organization on campus that does all this stuff and all these cool trips?” 

The Great Outdoors Club emphasizes the inclusive nature of their club and encourages members to participate in outings based on their interests as Link said, “I remember going to the very first meeting, one of the first weekends I was here on campus my first year. They were talking about all the different hikes that they were doing; the Indian Fort Reserve, Letchworth, and the Fall Break trip to the Adirondacks. It just sounded so incredibly exciting.” Link then said to himself, “I need to be part of this.”

When asked if he thinks this connects to his major, Link added, “It absolutely does not.” He explained, “At the end of the day, the outdoors is for everyone, so everyone can come back to it and they can adapt their major to the outdoors in any way possible.” Some of Link’s research interests focus on language barriers in both state and national parks and park rangers who know how to talk to people who might not necessarily speak English. “People who want to go outside deserve to have access to accessibility, getting people outside no matter who they are, or where they come from,” said Link.

Link added that he thinks it's important to step outside your major on campus, adding, “Oh my gosh, absolutely. I mean, we're a liberal arts institution. I feel like that's one of the perks of it.” He went on, “I feel like it's honestly really beneficial stepping outside of your major and just getting different exposure to different points of view because it can strengthen the relationship with your major, enhance your experience, and it might introduce you to something new.” 

Link believes that enough people know about the club, however, not enough people join, stating, “The club interests a lot of people, but I think they have like a fear of committing to it because they think that the club might be binding.” Link explained that anyone is welcome to be included in what interests them and that members are not expected to be present at every outing. “I want to see you where you feel like you belong and where you want to be,” he said.

Geneseo is surrounded by so much natural beauty that people don't necessarily think about and Link explained that while students think Geneseo is just a rural cow town, it is actually at the crossroads of the Finger Lakes and the western North Region. Link added about the area, “You have nice people, you have super beautiful valleys with a rich diversity, and also a nice tight-knit campus community.”

Link added some final words about the club, stating, “We are one of the coolest, coolest, most welcoming clubs on campus. If you'd like to be outside, we would love to have you there.” The Great Outdoors Club meets every other Monday at 7:30 p.m. in Welles 138.