By Ethan Walshe
Managing Editor
Do you think that you would have the skills to survive in the wilderness all alone? Between April 25 and 28 five members of the Cirrus outdoor adventure club put their skills to the test and did exactly that.
Sophomores Sean O’Donnell, Felicia LeBlanc, Sean Clancy along with freshman Shanon Fan and Katie Stokes were dropped off along with club advisor Zach Brumbaugh in the woods at boy scout camp Wanocksett and had to survive with only their wits and some basic supplies about them.
Of the five students who participated in the overnight adventure, only two of them were on the trip from the Wednesday evening until the Saturday morning. The others arrived on either Thursday or Friday. Upon arrival, the first thing they needed to do was to set up a shelter to protect themselves from the impending rain storm. The ensuing downpour caused some problems for the participants
“I hold the record for the most wet person to ever complete the solo,” joked Shanon Fan as she remembered her experience. “Getting a shelter up before the rain came down [was the hardest part of the trip], and obviously I didn’t succeed.”
According to Sean Clancy, who took part in the entire trip, the hardest part was trying to sleep on the ground while it was also raining, soaking the ground. This sentiment was echoed by other participants as well.
“[On] Friday night I don’t remember sleeping at all,” reflected Felicia LeBlanc, “I just remember being really cold and wishing I was asleep.”
After their night of so-so sleep, the Cirrusites had entire days ahead of them to explore the environment around them, read, and just generally get away from the outside world. As none of the members were allowed to bring any sort of electronics with them on the solo trip, this was a real opportunity for them to be alone with their thoughts and put their skills to the test.
After the whole experience, the participants said that they felt a sense of accomplishment having been able to survive on their own for an extended period of time. The comforts of home had become foreign to them over the two to three days and their own houses were a welcome sight.
“I felt relieved [when I got home]. I got to sleep in my own bed, which was nice,” said Clancy.
The return to society was a bit of a culture shock for some of the participants as well.
“It almost felt weird to get back into a normal schedule, and being surrounded by people and actually having technology around. Even though I was only gone for a day it was kind of a shock to have absolutely nothing and then go back to having everything. It made me appreciate the small things,” LeBlanc said with a smile on her face as she remembered the task she and her peers had just accomplished all on their own.
