Students who enjoy spending time outside will soon have the opportunity to explore the outdoors through school. Spanish teacher Mark Lorincz restarted the Outdoor Club in late January due to the interests of juniors Brittany Cook and Abby Clough. The group plans to go paddle boarding and learn about ocean safety for their first trip before the school year ends.
“I had heard about the club and we [Cook and I] wanted to get more interesting things going on at Marshfield,” Clough said. “I feel like we don’t have that many clubs going on.”
The club was originally started 10 years ago by Lorincz, but ended last year after some students involved would not follow school rules during the club’s outings. Lorincz said he is excited to have a group of students who are eager to learn.
Lorincz plans to go on one paddle board and one surf trip this year after the late start of the club. There are currently five members including juniors Clough, Cook and Audrey Webster, sophomore Sawyer Heckard and freshman Jack Larson.
“My favorite part about this club is giving students an opportunity to enjoy things right in our backyard and opening up possibilities for them, because someone did it for me,” Lorincz said.
Heckard said he is looking forward to meeting new people and making friends through Outdoor Club. Club members should have an interest in learning about the ocean, a flexible schedule and be physically fit due to the physical demands of club activities.
All of the club’s trips are weather dependent due to safety concerns, such as wind blowing in the wrong direction or too big of waves. The trips will usually be rescheduled for a safer day.
“I want to introduce the students to a sport they can continue after high school that doesn’t require a court or field,” Lorincz said.
The group is testing out activities this spring and will have a meeting on June 4during lunch in Lorincz’s room to discuss activities for the 2014-15 school year. In previous years the club went on two to three ski trips in the winter as well as paddle boarding and surfing in the spring. However, the number of trips have been limited due to rising expenses associated with the activities.
“It takes a lot of time, energy, and money to plan the ski and snow board trips but we are trying to plan a camping trip,” Clough said.
According to Clough, the group is also interested in hiking and possibly windsurfing.
For Lorincz, Outdoor Club is his way of giving back to the community and teaching safety and appreciation of the ocean. Through the club, students learn proper technique of surfing and paddle boarding, along with water safety.
The club has more to offer than new experiences, though. The Coos Bay Chapter of the Surf Rider Foundation offers a scholarship that Lorincz plans to administer hopefully this year and definitely next year. The Coos Bay Chapter is devoted to the protection of oceans and beaches in Coos County.
“I want to do the club through the rest of my time in high school. It will be beneficial to me,” Heckard said. “I enjoy spending time outside, so this club will be a good fit for me.”
