CSB/SJU to Compete in National Outdoor Challenge

Get outdoors. Win awesome gear. Help the College of Saint Benedict and Saint John's University be a national champion. This is the mantra that will be repeated over eight-weeks this fall at CSB/SJU and the nine other schools across the nation competing for the title of National Outdoor Champion. The competition runs from Saturday, Sept. 27 through Saturday, Nov. 22.

Outdoor Nation and The North Face selected the 10 schools that will go head-to-head to see which can get the most people in their student bodies and surrounding communities outside and active. The school that logs the most activities at the end of the challenge will win a prize package, including a campus-wide celebration, and a custom gear library. Other prizes will be available for the top individuals logging activities for each school and the most outdoorsy person overall as well as a variety of prizes awarded during weekly challenges throughout the competition.

SJU junior Tanner Rayman submitted the application that got CSB/SJU selected to compete in the challenge. "When I heard about it, I felt as though the challenge was made for us," Rayman said.

He highlights the existing programs at the colleges - Saint John's Outdoor University, the Outdoor Leadership Center and the Peer Resource programs - as the active groups on campus who strive to get people outdoors. "From thousands of K-12 students coming outside for field trips, to the wilderness trips led by students, to the outdoor gear and clinics we offer, to the people who come walk the trails every day, we already have a strong outdoor base going into the challenge," Rayman said.

Outdoor U department coordinator Jenny Kutter is overseeing the challenge for CSB/SJU.

"With the Abbey Arboretum at Saint John's, the sisters' woods at Saint Ben's, and the Wobegon Trail in between our campuses, the campuses and the area already offer a unique opportunity for all students and visitors to connect with the land through education, recreation or rejuvenation," Kutter said. "We're excited to have our campuses, our programs and our community highlighted on a national stage, to prove that what we have here in central Minnesota is really special."

Kutter and Rayman both noted that winning the challenge will depend not just on people in the community getting outdoors, but on whether or not they log their activities on the online platform. "We already know Minnesota has some of the most outdoorsy people in the country," Rayman said. "We just need them to sign in to prove it."

To participate in the challenge:

•-          Log on to oncampuschallenge.org
•-          Enter your outdoor activities and upload a photo or video documentation along with a brief description;
•-          Share your activities with friends for chances to win even more prizes;
•-          Up to five activities per day can be recorded per person;
•-          Most any outdoor activity is eligible, including: hiking, biking, rollerblading, walking, hunting, fishing, boating, having a picnic, cutting firewood, gardening, have an outdoor party, host a street dance, take your classes, research or work outside;
•-          Traditional team sports such as football, soccer, and baseball - while valuable outdoor activities - are not eligible for this challenge.

More details can be found at csbsju.edu/outdooru or by calling 320-363-3163.

Saint John's Outdoor University provides environmental and outdoor education through classes, events, and initiatives with the Abbey Arboretum, Saint John's University and the College of Saint Benedict.