This year, the annual Texas Outdoor Leadership Conference occurred at Sam Houston State University Camp on February 7. Southwestern University’s Outdoor Adventures program, along with 18 other Texas colleges, attended this event not only to represent the university but also to demonstrate its competitive strength over the other organizations. From a station race to a cooking competition, the Outdoor Adventures team showcased SU student talent in a myriad of  challenges.

The national Outdoor Leadership Conference program is designed to bring together educators and students for a day filled with meaningful connections, engaging workshops, and resource sharing, leaving participants energized and ready to lead. This year, before the long-awaited competition, the program hosted 30 presentations led by students on basic outdoor risk management concepts, creative ideas for field trips, and different ways to learn from nature while enjoying it responsibly.

The Adventure Race

 The day dawns on a hectare of flat land where the university teams wake up in the middle of a small forest with no beds, no kitchen, and no roof over their heads. The first challenge of this event began even before the competition proper, because, like true campers, they must prove they know how to live outside of civilization. Therefore, this first camp becomes a test to see which university has best prepared its participants to adapt to the first night at 50°F with a wind chill of 40°F  and only a few tents for shelter.

At 3:20 p.m., once the sun was high in the sky, teeth stopped chattering, and the presentations were finally over, everyone gathered in the center of the park’s amphitheater. For the race, 13 stations with various activities were set up within a 5 mile perimeter. Competitors were free to choose the route they took to complete the stations, but they had to follow one specific rule before setting off: “Your group cannot split up; you must remain together as a unit.” Therefore, if one person tried to get ahead or another fell too far behind, the entire university would be disqualified.

After the starting bell rang, all the groups ran off in all directions. Most groups consisted of between 10 and 15 players, so they moved slowly to avoid accidentally leaving anyone behind, but our group of only five was able to seize the initiative and finish half of the games in record time—especially those that required the entire group to play at the same time. The most notable stations were the “Blindfold Tent” (the game shown in the first attached photo), “Do You Know Knots?” and “Kayak.”

Although our Southwestern University representatives did not come in first place, they completed 11 of the 13 stations, leaving them a little dissatisfied but motivated enough to play better in the next conference.

The Cooking Contest

The last challenge, the cooking contest, began at 5:00 p.m. The contest challenged us to cook a main course and one dessert using only camping cooking equipment within a two-hour time limit. For those in the know, camping cooking equipment is not very powerful nor extensive, as it must be light enough to carry in a backpack. At most, it consists of one or two burners and two small pots for cooking small items, so creating moderately elaborate dishes is not easy. Our team prepared Beef Bulgogi Bowls and Mango Sticky Rice, which took much collaboration to get the dishes out on time.

Unfortunately, SU’s team did not win first place in either category. However, we were able to taste the dishes and desserts from the other 18 participating schools once the cooking phase was over, and that was quite a delight!. The rest of the event turned into a race to see who could eat the most before the rest of the people finished what was left of the other groups’ food. The competition turned into a veritable culinary carnival with all kinds of foods and desserts from around the world in one place.  In just one hour, the place was completely emptied of all the delicious food, enjoyed by the Outdoors Adventures program in harmony with other universities throughout Texas.

Resolutions

It is safe to say that the members who joined us this weekend with Outdoor Adventures will have a new story to tell. From running 5 miles without rest, to falling out of a kayak and losing expensive glasses—as happened to me—to discovering flavors they had never tasted before, Outdoor Adventures will always leave students with a story to tell.

For next year’s Texas Outdoor Leadership Conference, there’s hope that more than five students will sign up to participate in these exciting games. Community created at events like these can be unforgettable due to the closeness that develops between members of all schools. The race and contests are more than just a competition, they are opportunities to connect with other young adventurers in camaraderie rather than as opponents. Creating a sense of community among Texas youth is the primary mission of the Outdoor Leadership Conference and, for that reason, it is also the mission of Southwestern University with Outdoor Adventures. Although we can only extend this purpose within the school at the moment, it is more than enough for us, because in times like these, it is most necessary to seek unity, and we will find unity hand in hand in adventures like this one.

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