Tech offers options for thrill seekers

For students at Tech, the monotonous labor of classes, homework and late-night studying in the library can become all too familiar as any and all hopes of discovering new ways to have fun on campus slowly fade away.

However, unbeknownst to many students, a variety of clubs on campus want to cure this lack of adventure in rather unconventional ways and add a certain thrill and excitement to a  students life.

In thinking of the typical Tech student, images like calculators, textbooks and even Pokémon may come to mind. But what about jumping out of an airplane from 10,000 feet?

The Sport Parachute Club is an organization that was formed in 1969 and has since become the most decorated non-military sport parachute club in the nation.

“Skydiving is definitely the most thrilling thing a person can do,” said John Nahabedian, GT Sport Parachute Club president and a fourth-year BIO major. “I’m still amazed that humans can even do it.”

Night and high altitude jumps, along with those involving biplanes, balloons and rafts, are just a taste of the variety of adrenaline-packed stunts the club offers students.

However, the requirement of possessing a $1,300 skydiving certification in order to participate in the club often deters even the most adrenaline-craving from joining.

“If people could know what it feels like before paying the money, they wouldn’t mind the $1300. It’s really a novel experience,” Nahabedian said.

If jumping out of an airplane scares you more than your upcoming Differential Equations exam, then perhaps ditching the concrete jungle of Atlanta and heading into the wilderness with fellow Tech students might be what you’ve been waiting to do.

Outdoor Recreation at Georgia Tech (ORGT) offers a variety of day trips and longer expeditions to students of all experience levels who yearn for adventure and the chance to connect with peers outside the school’s walls.

An eight-day trip to Zion National Park in Utah this summer and trips to Moab, Utah, and Yellowstone National Park in Wyo. last summer are some examples of the expeditions ORGT hosts.

Day-trips and instruction classes also constitute a large part of what the organization does at little to no cost, thanks to heavy funding by alumni and Tech associations.

While ORGT prides itself in being a cheap and invigorating way for students to have fun, Matt Marcus, the Adventure Recreation Coordinator at the CRC, believes the organization has a larger impact on members.

“I think many students only take into consideration the fun aspect of ORGT, but it goes deeper than that. ORGT offers students the chance to gain valuable leadership experience that would impress employers when looking for a job; skills like risk management, marketing, and others, that you may not get from a class or even an internship,” Marcus said.

“A lot of people say they will go on a trip when they have time but by their third, fourth, or even fifth year when they finally do get involved, they wish they had sooner,” said Katelyn Randall, a  third-year CE major who joined ORGT on a trip to Zion National Park over the summer.

There is also a way students can hit the beach during the weekends, and that is through GT Surf Club.

“People are usually pretty surprised that the club exists at a land-locked university,” said Ben Emerson, Treasurer of Surf Club and an AE grad student. “We offer students the chance to surf whether they are experienced or have never touched a surfboard before.”

Emerson recently returned from a surfing expedition seeking out big waves caused by Hurricane Irene.

The recent installation of Magicians at Georgia Tech (MGT) adds yet another opportunity for students to get a thrill by showing off their tricks to fellow students ant friends.

As the only collegiate magic club in the state of Georgia, MGT strives to entertain and inspire students via magic tricks.

Irving Anaya, a fifth-year EE major, helped to unofficially establish the club in 2008 and is now president.

“Magic is a great ice breaker and a unique skill that helps students with self-confidence,” Anaya said. “It’s the perfect de-stressor.”

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