The Outdoor Recreation department at Iowa State University offers many workshops and activities for around $1 to help take away those summer time blues.

Throughout the year Outdoor Rec Services provides around 30 weekend trips. Many of the trips are for canoeing and backpacking, Scott White, program coordinator of outdoor recreation activities at ISU, said.

The charges for the workshops, trips or renting of equipment goes to the purchasing of equipment, White said. “It’s self-supporting.

“The popular activities over the last five or six years have been different types of climbing, rapelling and waterskiing,” White said. “Watersports have always been a traditionally popular activity.”

The programs are built for the beginner or intermediate level participant. “Many of our constituents are very much at the novice level and we must keep that in mind when trying new events,” White said.

He also explained that a lot of other schools have an interest in winter activities, but if ISU were to take on other programs it could possibly “narrow down the amount of people participating if it’s too specialized.”

When an outdoor sport becomes popular, the outdoor rec services will take a look to see if it’s feasible. “We’ve had waterski workshops for 11 or 12 summers,” White said. “We’ve had requests for sailboards, but after some research, it turned out to be one of the biggest maintenance headaches.”

Starting as a rental service, the outdoor rec program has been at ISU since 1971, White said. “I’ve seen lots of expansion … a 7,000 percent growth in a nine year period.”

ISU wanted to “develop a rental program so students, staff and faculty could get quality equipment at a good price,” White said.

The major focus is still on equipment rental, but since the addition of instructional workshops the program has been able to expand.

Workshops are completed over a two-, three- or four-hour class period. Students can “just come over and learn,” White said. There are close to 60 workshops a year, ranging from sailing to cross-country skiing.

Many of the workshops, which take place at the Armory, are turned into weekend adventures, White said. “Weekend excursions have taken place at the 4-H State Camp. A lot of students don’t realize it’s part of the university … around 2,500 acres,” White said.

Instructors are graduate and undergraduate students. “People enjoy working here as opposed to slinging hash in cafeterias,” White said. “Lots of people work here through their college career.”

White believes participation in the workshops and trips allows people to become part of the program. Old employees continue to keep in touch with White. “I just received a call from an employee who worked here 12 years ago.”

The classes may not be worth credits toward graduation, but White believes the workshops and trips are good stress-relievers for students.

“The minute you walk into college you have to decide what you want to do,” White said. “It’s difficult at 18.”