Finding a play(ce) on campus

“Get ready for the best four years of your life,” parents all across the country say as they move their kids into the dorms for their first year of college. However, dealing with roommates, working and walking to 8 a.m. classes in sub-zero weather doesn’t feel like the college experience most people would hope for. 

That’s why it’s important to the MSU Outdoor Recreation Programs to provide students and staff an outlet for day-to-day stress in his new initiative, find your play. 

Ty Atwater, Director of Outdoor Recreation Programs, says that he believes that there’s play involved in just about everything that we do, whether that’s Club Sports or group yoga at the North Dome. Atwater himself is a poster child for his own initiative having found his own play twenty-some years ago at Oregon State University. 

“I showed up on campus for orientation and they had a rec[reation] night so I went climbing and had never climbed before but I was climbing curious. By spring that year I had a job at the climbing wall,” he said. 

Flash forward many years and calluses later, Atwater still remembers what an incredible community and support system this activity gave him. He wants to bring this same sense of place to the rest of the MSU community. “Play is not something that goes away when we become adults so just take one step out of your comfort zone,” he said. 

If Atwater wasn’t already enough of a success story, there are so many others who’ve found their play in just as random and quirky ways as Atwater did. For MSU polo team secretary Megan Weston, it was Catapalooza that brought her to find her passion. 

Weston had been a horse rider for years but had never heard of the sport. She was bright-eyed with anticipation at tryouts this past week. For her and the rest of the team, polo isn’t just about riding, it’s also about the family they find there. “My best friends are on the team, my roommate is on the team, we all are super close and it's just a really fun environment,” Weston said.

Another Catapalooza success story comes from junior Jane Andrews, now a captain on the ultimate frisbee team here. “ I just started coming to practice with one of my friends and really fell in love with it,” she said. 

The best part of the recreation department is that even if you are questioning how an activity works or if you would enjoy it, this is an opportunity to try it out. They have created a niche for everyone. 

25 club sports are gearing up for a full season this semester, while the bike/ski shop is open for business and the Outdoor Recreation Program is weighing out their packs getting ready for  backpacking trips this fall. 

One of the most joyful things MSU can provide is play, so take advantage. Take a leap of faith and be inquisitive. Have fun and explore because one practice, class or question might open doors for you that you didn’t know about yesterday.