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CEDAR CITY — For the past month, something has been pulling Southern Utah University students outdoors.
Professors are holding class outside on the quad. Administrators are leading students on strolls around campus. Lawns are dotted with yoga posers, hammock dozers and Frisbee throwers.
It's all part of an effort to win the title of "most outdoorsy school in the nation" in a contest put on by Outdoor Nation, a nonprofit organization seeking to connect millennials with the outdoors and combat unhealthy or sedentary lifestyles.
"(Students) find out that an activity is going on, and they've never done it before, and then all of a sudden they're falling in love with it and want to go out and participate more," said Austin Dennis, a senior studying outdoor recreation.
SUU has been a contender since the contest opened Sept. 6. Nearly 60 schools are competing in the campus challenge, earning points by posting photos of themselves getting outside and being active.
It's free for students, teachers, alumni, family members or community supporters to create an account on the contest website, align themselves with a school and begin posting photos of activities ranging from scaling rock walls or camping out, to casual nature walks and bird-watching.
Now, with the contest coming to a close Saturday, SUU is trading the lead almost daily with the College of St. Benedict and St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, and is on track to win a $1,500 grant supporting outdoor activities at the school. SUU is the only college in the state competing in this year's contest.
"I think it's going to be a struggle right until the end, but I think we're going to pull it through," Dennis said.
Dennis was conscripted by his co-workers in SUU's outdoor rental shop before he even knew what the contest was, finding them giggling around a computer screen only to inform him they had just signed him up to be the school's liaison for the competition. Along with others in the department, he threw himself in wholeheartedly, organizing off-campus trips for hiking, mountain biking or paddle boarding in southern Utah's expansive backyard.
As he returned to work at the rental center after an excursion, he was often pleased to see a first-timer from one of his trips stopping by to rent gear for another outing. As the contest has progressed, the school has organized giveaways of tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, headlamps and other toys to encourage students to keep competing.
On Thursday evening, SUU President Scott Wyatt will host a free outdoor bash at his large house on campus, offering dozens of activities and giveaways for students and community members to try out and post about in an effort to score 20,000 points in a single day.
"This is a great opportunity for the students, faculty, staff and friends in our city to come together to celebrate the outdoors, get some exercise, share a meal and have a blast," Wyatt said.
I think it's going to be a struggle right until the end, but I think we're going to pull it through.
–Austin Dennis, SUU student
In the contest's final days, Dennis and his team are focusing on contacting those who have created an account for the challenge but haven't posted yet, offering prizes and encouragement to submit an entry. Dennis wants to remind last-minute participants that they must include themselves or their friends in their photos — simple landscapes won't be counted.
No matter where it ranks when the contest ends, SUU's outdoor recreation program will continue to benefit from the experience competing, outdoor adventure education coordinator Rob Myers said.
Myers has marveled at the level of participation "from the top to the bottom," ranging from new students to campus administrators, to alumni and friends. In addition to building its reputation, the school's success drumming up participation for the event has tested the outdoor recreation department's resources and gotten staff members thinking about participation in future programs.
"It's given us a chance to kind of internally audit ourselves," Myers said. "It's fun to be a part of something that's bigger than you. We're an outdoor recreation program, but this isn't just about outdoor recreation. It's about the better part of being part of SUU's community."
