If you believed the media’s opinion of college-aged people, you’d likely have the impression that people in their early 20s have a natural inclination toward thrill-seeking behavior and a love for adventure.
While that’s certainly true for some, at Tech, the average student does not resemble the adventurous youth portrayed in movies as swimming with sharks or jumping out of planes. Well, for the most part.
“When I get in the mood for adventure, I usually watch an action or horror film to stifle it. But last year when I saw a Groupon deal for skydiving, I couldn’t resist and bought a ticket. Jumping out of a place was definitely a thrill,” said Varun Katdare, a fourth-year BME major.
Katdare is not alone in his experience; air-borne activities are surprisingly popular at Tech, with a large interested population comprising various clubs dedicated to the adventurous hobby and a surprising percentage of students graduating with skydiving or bungee jumping experience.
“Any time things get too stressful for me, assuming the weather is not freezing, my buddies and I drive to the Oconee river and go rafting on the same routes containing level four and five rapids that made up the course for Olympic athletes. One of them is such an intense drop that it’s nicknamed ‘Godzilla.’ One of us inevitably falls off the raft at that point, which makes it more fun because of the danger involved,” said Brian Palmer, a fourth-year ECE major.
Other students are content watching the adventures enjoyed by others as opposed to engaging in thrill-seeking behavior themselves.
“Honestly, sports are enough of a thrill for me. Give me a football game with any of my favorite teams, and my heart is racing faster than if I’d been skydiving! And I don’t even need to worry about whether I’ll survive the event. Well, generally speaking anyways,” said Jason Greene, a second-year ARCH major.
“I always think my friends are crazy for seeking such dangerous outlets for their adrenaline doses I’m content just going to Publix near 5th street to find ingredients for a recipe I have not tried to make yet, or going to a club in downtown Atlanta to dance the night away with my friends,” said Chloe Smith, a second-year ECON major.
“Honestly, the most thrilling thing I do is also my favorite thing to do—perform. Singing is my creative outlet, and there are few things more enthralling than the rush of getting on stage in front of a crowd full of fans and watching them sing along to your music. It beats any other thrill I can imagine,” said Catherine Quesenberry, fourth-year STaC major.
Whether it comes from engaging in risky behaviors or from publically displaying an authentic, creative expression of art, the love for thrills & adventure-seeking found in students at Tech is as diverse as the students themselves.