By Lisa Gray

Do you still need to plan your 2011 Spring Break? Do Cabo and Puerto Vallarta sound too overdone and unoriginal? Do you want to learn new skills in a unique outdoor experience? Every year, UCSB Adventure Programs offers spring break opportunities perfect for gauchos who said yes to all the above. Whether you’re partial to snowy wilderness, desert-like hikes, or refreshing rivers, there is something for everyone. This year, for all outdoor enthusiasts who want a more intense experience, Adventure Programs proudly presents the Wilderness First Responder course. Trips are open to everyone, and thanks to Rec Sports and students’ initiatives, students may enjoy reduced rates. Spots are limited, so head to the Rec Cen cashier’s office to sign-up now!

Colorado River Canoe Trip
Saturday, March 19th - Tuesday, March 22nd

What better way to learn canoeing than by paddling up the Colorado River for the weekend? Even if you already feel comfortable in a canoe, experiencing the serenity of traveling through the Black Canyon, lined by breathtakingly high cliffs, is incomparable to your average river canoe trip. In fact, all skill levels are encouraged to join the experienced trip leaders, who are more than willing to teach or perfect canoeing skills. The three day trip begins at Willow Beach and ends at the Arizona Hot Springs campground for some rewarding relaxation. Round trip transportation, canoeing instruction, canoes and canoeing gear, breakfast and dinners while camping, as well as group cooking gear are all included in the registration fee. You must supply your own personal equipment, lunch and road meals. Sign up now to ensure you will experience one of the best and most beautiful ways to spend spring break on the water.

Backpacking in the Grand Canyon
Friday, March 18th - Thursday, March 24th

The beauty of the Grand Canyon has intrigued mankind for hundreds of years. Despite the constant inflow of travelers, the canyon remains a natural wonder worth exploring. One can’t help but be awed from being “three quarters of a mile in the depths of the earth [surrounded by] walls and cliffs that rise to the world above” (as described by John Wesley Powell). Due to permit scarcity and competition, UCSB Adventure Programs is extremely fortunate to have received permission for five consecutive days of hiking and camping through the main corridor of the canyon.

The group will leave Friday morning for the South Rim of the Canyon. The next five days will consist of eight to ten mile hikes, which require participants to be in good physical condition, preferably with previous backpacking experience. Night temperatures are expected to be cold, with the possible chance of snow, so pack warm! The trip home will include a planned camping stop and arrival to campus early Friday evening. Paying for registration includes round-trip transportation, breakfasts and dinners while camping, camping fees, permit fees and group equipment. Due to permit restrictions there are only nine spaces available for participants, so hurry to secure your spot!

Wilderness First Responder Course
Saturday, March 19th - Saturday, March 27th

For those of you who spend all your time outdoors and aren’t already certified Wilderness First Responders, what are you waiting for? You owe it to your friends and yourself to take this definitive medical training course. Being up to date and comfortable with proper wilderness medical aid is a must for all outdoor leaders and frequenters. A successful completion of the 72-hour course will earn you a Wilderness First Responder and CPR certification card from Wilderness Medical Associates valid for 3 years. All CPR course curriculum taught is consistent with current American Heart Association standards at the healthcare provider level. Register soon to insure your safety on all future outdoor excursions!

To register or find more information, please visit http://gauchosplay.com/adventure-programs/spring-break-2011. Several of these trips are offered multiple times in a year. Explore the UCSB Adventure Programs website to see what and when the other trips and courses are offered—there is guaranteed to be a course to meet any Gaucho’s outdoor interests.

By Lisa Gray

Spending time getting to know the natural world around you is more than worthwhile—anyone who has enjoyed rock climbing, kayaking, or hiking will attest to that—but it isn’t always easy to arrange or commit to wilderness excursions. The excuses are endless: You don’t know which trails are best, you aren’t sure what equipment canyoneering requires, you can’t find friends willing to climb with you on the weekends… The list goes on and on.

The Leadership Training Course (LTC) leaves you with no excuses. Proudly provided by UCSB Adventure Program staff (all of which are former LTC members), the course offers guided trips, equipment rentals, hands-on training, and enthusiastic friends to join you on your outdoor adventures. Physics major Jacob Staines tells us how the LTC shaped his freshman year of college and helped him make the most of all the outdoor opportunities around him.

Q: Why did you register for the LTC?
Jacob Staines: I was drawn to UCSB Adventure Programs Leadership Training Course [by the] opportunity to learn. There is so much to do out in the mountains or on the sea, you would be hard pressed to go out there and not learn. I wanted to compliment what experience I had with some professional training, as well as develop new experiences.

Q: Now that you’ve spent nearly six months with your fellow LTC-ers, you must have a lot of great memories. Do you have a favorite?
JS: One of the best parts about LTC is the inevitable development of the LTC family. One of my most profound memories from LTC was on the car ride back from our three-day canoe trip on the Colorado River. This trip took place in November, before any classroom sessions had begun. We had set out, for the most part, as complete strangers. We spent three days on the river, and came back more comfortable with each other than some of us were with our roommates.

Q: The LTC consists of an unbelievable amount of valuable hands-on and classroom instruction. Can you tell us a little about the learning experience?
JS: The learning in LTC comes in three forms.

1.    First, we go out with instructors to experience the wilderness first hand. Here we learned to repel, roll kayaks, cook on a camp stove, and countless other hands-on skills and techniques.

2.    Next we would take these experiences with us into the classroom, where we could break down conflicts and scenarios, discuss options, and learn how to problem solve.

3.    Last, through LTC we are given the freedom to go out and use the AP gear on our own time, to further develop our experience, and to put our classroom discussions to use.

Q: Now that you’ve nearly completely the course, how would you say the LTC has changed your daily life?
JS: What I feel I have developed most drastically is my outlook that the world is out there waiting for me. If I want to spend my Thursday morning rock climbing, all it takes is a desire, some friends who share that desire, and a little planning to make it happen. LTC has helped me to develop all three of these aspects.

Q: It seems you have definitely made a lot of friends and memories. Would you say the LTC has affected your social life as well?
JS: LTC has had a greater role in my social life than any other aspect of college thus far. I have gotten to know everyone in the class on some level, and most have become very close friends. There are people from the UC, the CC, and from the surrounding residence, all of whom I can seek and interact with on my own time. Indeed, some of my closest friends were those who I first met in LTC. I feel that describing LTC as anything less than a family does not do it justice.

Q: The LTC is considered training for future UCSB Adventure Program staff. Are you considering taking that next step?
JS: I am eager to become part of AP Staff, where I will be able to develop my skills even more, develop my friendships even more, and help others to meet the same goals. Oh yeah, and have a hell-of-a-time doing it!

Q: How would you promote adventure for those who are considering adding some excitement to their life?

JS: The occasional adventure every few weeks fits very nicely into college life. If gives me something to look forward to and to seek passion in, and it gives me the chance to balance my studies with mentally and physically healthy activities. It’s a win-win.

Check out the details at www.recreation.ucsb.edu/adventureprograms/staff.aspx or just visit the MAC to talk to current Adventure Programs staff! Take a course that will change the way you take advantage of the outdoors.

By Brent MacDonald

UCSB Women’s Lacrosse finished the annual Santa Barbara Shootout with an even record of 2-2 this past weekend. Wins came against University of Michigan and Lindenwood University, while the Gauchos lost to women’s club teams from University of Pittsburgh and University of Florida.

“We communicated with each other a lot this weekend,” junior Courtney Choi said. “It’s something we practice everyday and we took it to the field this weekend.”

The tournament opener for UCSB against Michigan was played amidst a torrential downpour of rain, the first of its kind during a women’s lacrosse game this year.

“It was really intense,” Choi said. “There was so much wind…[we played] mind over body and pushed through it. It was a fun game.”

UCSB gained an 8-5 lead at the half, and continued its offensive play throughout the second period. The Gauchos outscored Michigan 3-1 in the final ten minutes of the game with two of its players sitting out due to yellow card violations given during the first half.

“We changed up our attack,” Choi said. “We were still able to get those goals with two less people on the field.”

The second game of the tournament for UCSB was played against Pittsburgh, which had lost its first game of the shootout against BYU. The Gauchos trailed Pittsburgh by one goal at halftime, and saw the lead increase to 7-3 with just twelve minutes remaining. UCSB went on a 4-0 scoring run in the final minutes to push the game to overtime.

With 13 seconds remaining in the extra period, Pittsburgh scored the goal to ensure its victory.

“Overtime is always really difficult,” senior Ashley Antoon-Algieri said. “Our offense wasn’t playing the way they usually do. We needed like five more minutes to come back.”

UCSB’s third game ended with a loss against Florida University. Florida was only up 6-5 against the Gauchos at the half, but went on to outscore UCSB 6-2 in the second period for a final victory of 11-7.

“Florida controlled the ball the whole game,” Antoon-Algieri said. “They’d get it on offense, calm it down and score a really nice goal. We weren’t in the game.”

The Shootout came to an end for UCSB when it faced off against Lindenwood University in both team’s final games of the tournament. Both Lindenwood and UCSB were equally balanced throughout the game as each team took 18 shots on goal. A five-goal run in the first half gave the Gauchos a 7-6 lead at halftime. Another scoring spree anchored a 4-1 run for UCSB in the second period, and finished the game with an 11-7 victory.

Beating Lindenwood allowed UCSB to finish the tournament without going on a three-game losing streak, and served as an important part of the team’s motivation for the season.

“Those two [losses] were our wake-up call,” Antoon-Algieri said. “It’s good to lose early [in the season] and have that wake-up call. We walked off the field satisfied with that last game.”

UCSB will return to the practice field for the remainder of the week in preparation for its game against visiting John Fisher College next Monday February 28 at 12:30 pm on Storke Fields.

Adam Makhyoun, a fourth year Psychology major at UCSB, is a regular participant in Intramural basketball and football. Even though Adam looks like another athlete pulling down rebounds and catching passes, he faces unique challenges, not just while on the basketball court or football field, but in every day life.

When he was 19 years old, Adam was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. “I lost thirty or forty pounds in a month,” Makhyoun said when describing the symptoms he experienced just before he was diagnosed. “I went to the doctor and my blood sugar was at 768, which means I was in danger of falling into a coma. I spent a couple days in the ICU and they got me back to normal. I read some books, talked to some nurses, and I’ve been learning about the disease ever since.”

Diabetes is a metabolic disease where the body is either unable to produce the required amount insulin, or the cells do not respond to insulin, resulting in high blood sugar. Makhyoun was eager to explain the difference between Type 1 diabetes and Type 2 diabetes.

“I am Type 1, which mean I’m insulin dependent, so basically my pancreas does not work. Type 2 diabetics are insulin resistant. Their body rejects the insulin that is produced. 95% of people with diabetes have Type 2, so I am part of a small minority.”

Diabetics must be constantly aware of their blood sugar level, and most carry a testing kit with them.

“I test between classes, always before I eat, and before I go out or go to play ball,” Makhyoun said. “It’s always the first thing I do when I wake up, and I test six to ten times a day, depending on how much I have going on.”

Makhyoun stressed how beneficial playing sports is for his condition.

“When exercising, your muscles absorb the sugars in your blood, and I can sometimes go four to six extra hours without additional insulin. I love basketball, and the fact that it helps with my diabetes makes it that much better. But you have to watch out, because ten to twelve hours after playing, sometimes when you’re sleeping, you will get hit with low blood sugar. But I just eat some sugar and I’m back to normal in a matter of minutes.”

Makhyoun stressed how importing eating well is in his life, “the most important part of a diabetic’s life is family, food, and friends, in no particular order.”

Despite his condition, Makhyoun remains constantly optimistic.

“Diabetes is more of a yield sign than a stop sign,” he said. “It makes you more aware. I pay much better attention to my health now than I did before. I’m better off now in my life, with diabetes, than I was before.”

Adam Hurwitz, a third year Global Studies major, has participated in Intramural Sports every quarter since his sophomore year, except when he studied abroad in Madrid, Spain for Fall 2010. Hurwitz is currently pursuing his hobby of table tennis by playing in the singles A-1 league.

While in Spain, he was still able to play his favorite sport.

“I played [table tennis] at a hostel in Barcelona,” Hurwitz said. It was awesome.”

Hurwitz explained how Intramural Sports are one of his priorities to fit in with his school schedule. He also plays Intramural indoor Soccer right now, making it the third time he’s played table tennis and soccer in the same quarter.

“I like to play both every quarter,” he said. “I usually try to get my classes early because games are at night.”

Hurwitz got into table tennis by playing ping-pong during tenth grade when he and his friends became interested in the sport.  Table tennis differs from ping-pong in that it has more formal rules and is played up to 11 points; ping-pong can vary in its rules and how long games last.

“I played all throughout high school,” Hurwitz said. “One summer that was pretty much all I did. I bought a table for my garage. I just played with my friends all the time … so I thought I’d try my luck with random competition [starting in 2009].”

A friend’s parents sparked Hurwitz’s interest in the sport.

“My friend’s dad was really good,” he said. “He used to play professionally in Ireland.”

Although he didn’t play for Intramural Sports right away, Hurwitz did make use of the ping pong tables in the residence halls his freshman year.

“I lived in San Nicholas and played there all the time,” Hurwitz said. “I’d go over to play in Anacapa a lot too.”

Hurwitz is interested in knowing what a table tennis career after college would be like.

“I’d really like to continue playing, if I’m able to,” Hurwitz said. “There are a lot of people who play in legit leagues.”

However, Hurwitz admitted that he unsure of what playing in such a league would consist of, “I don’t know anything about professional table tennis. There are probably a lot of people who play professionally in China.”

One of Hurwitz’ roommates, Connor Oakes, also plays in the A-1 league this quarter. They haven’t had an official match against each other this quarter, but they do practice together when they get the chance.

“Sometimes we go to the gym and play for a while,” Hurwitz remarked, and then explained why they won’t make a doubles team. “I don’t like doubles too much, it’s too chaotic. I just play it for fun.”

Hurwitz’s current record is 2-2, and has had some close matches so far.

“One game I was up two sets to zero, the other guy came back to tie it 2-2, but then I won the final set 11-9, so that was an exciting game to win,” Hurwitz said.

The best finish Hurwitz has had so far was third place in Winter 2010. Despite missing a couple games for being sick, he hopes to have similar success as the playoffs approach this quarter. He identified some of his toughest competition; besides Oakes, a graduate student Andrew Berman and first year Economics major Peng Zhang. Hurwitz is looking to make it back to at least the semi finals again.

“I should definitely have another good finish,” Hurwitz concluded.

What UCSB Adventure Programs has to offer is not just for solo outdoor enthusiasts; nearly all 14 adventure areas lend the perfect opportunity to try something new with a best friend or a group of friends. Within the last few years, for example, climbing with friends has grown in popularity. Visit the Climbing Center in the MAC on any given night and you might see a pair of friends like Moose Warren and Beth O’Connor, supporting each other up the rock wall.

“When we first started coming in here, everyone knew our names because we were the only girls climbing,” O’Connor said. “Now there are a lot of girls.”

Though most people might not consider rock climbing much of a break, athletes love it because it offers a new type of challenge, both physically and mentally.

“Someone once told me, ‘I think you’d like climbing—it’s a really nerdy sport,’” O’Connor said. “At first it was like, ‘what are you trying to say about me?!’ But now I totally understand. It’s a lot like a puzzle. You might not be able to move on to the next move unless you get your feet in the right place.”

The satisfaction of scaling the 30-foot rock wall isn’t purely from hoisting your body weight up foot by foot. It also comes from being able to “see” the proper path that will allow you to reach the top. Regardless of your skill level, the Climbing Center can always offer a harder challenge by rearranging the artificial holds. The design of the wall face itself can offer additional challenge—the easiest courses are perfectly vertical while the hardest courses force the climber to move upward and slope away from the base of the wall.

“It takes a lot of upper body strength,” O’Connor said. “You can get your feet on the holds, but they won’t always support you.”

While the steeper courses can be intensive on the arms, the Climbing Center staff and certified instructors are always keen on sharing tips and tricks to make climbing a reality for every student.

Of course, rock climbing isn’t the only option for any adventurist group. Warren and O’Connor reminisced about a few of their past Adventure Program experiences. Similar to rock climbing, canyoneering is the art of descending a canyon through a mixture of hiking and rappelling. Trips accommodate both novices and experts alike and may take participants anywhere from local San Ysidro trails (complete with waterfalls!) to canyons in Los Angeles.

“One time we got to rappel through a waterfall, literally through it,” O’Connor said. “It was huge! There was about 15 pounds of water coming down on our heads.”

Warren fondly remembered the perks of taking the Leadership Training Course, the class from which she was chosen to be a UCSB Adventure Program staff member.

“It’s so much fun because you meet so many cool people that share the same interests,” junior Warren said. “On the weekends you can just ask, ‘Who wants to take out a kayak and play in the surf zone with me?’”

The Leadership Training Course (LTC) allows dozens of UCSB students to experience backpacking, kayaking, canoeing, and more with all their friends. Leadership skills, risk management, and trip planning is also taught to students who want to continue on as staff members.

If it’s not a long-time commitment, but a one-time big group activity that you are looking for, Warren suggests the rope course, located in Rob Gym.

“It’s similar to an obstacle course, but above the ground,” Warren said. “We have lots of team building stuff like big leaps, where you jump off a platform and we catch you. We have big net bridges you can cross. We have a mini-climbing wall. And we have a zip-line, my personal favorite!”

Groups of all sorts have enjoyed the bonding effects, from UCSB teams and clubs to local community groups, young and old. As Warren described, there is something for everyone to enjoy and benefit from.

“Groups go in there and they do it, and they’re super excited,” Warren said. “They love it!”

Whether you are an expert or beginner, in a big group or a small group, and are looking for a one-time thrill or a quarter-long experience, there is an activity available for you to try. Warren and O’Connor are just two of the many UCSB Adventure Programs beneficiaries. Take a leaf out of their book: try a weekly date at the rock wall, and then treat yourself to a reward.

“Now for the best part of the evening,” O’Connor said. “Dinner!”

__________________________________________

Rock climbing, canyoneering, kayaking, the Leadership Training Course, and the ropes course are all just a few of the many group opportunities provided through UCSB Adventure Programs. Visit http://www.recreation.ucsb.edu/ for additional information and other opportunities.

A group of graduate students who devote countless hours of research to their field may not be the first thing that comes to mind when thinking of Intramural Sports players.  However, for PhD graduate student and team captain of The Blasters Chris Evelyn, Intramural Basketball is an important part of balancing studies with play.  Evelyn earned his masters at UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science and is now in his fourth year in the department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology researching the evolution of salamander species in California.

“[I’m] trying to get a handle on what it takes to develop and complete an original research project at a high level,” he said. “As any graduate student can tell you, this is a long road often full of setbacks and a lot of lessons learned.”

On the court, his team is providing the lessons. The Blasters are currently 3-0 in the MA-1 league, winning by an average of almost 40 points per game. However, the team is not playing for wins and losses.

“We just want one good game a week,” Evelyn said. “We look forward to playing hard.”

Evelyn played at Loyola Marymount for four years, walking on as a freshman and eventually getting a scholarship as a senior. Other grad students on the team with prior playing experience are Finn Rebassoo from Occidental College, Justin Clark from Iowa, Jason Green from Northern Oklahoma College, Mollique Johnson from Southern Connecticut State, and William Clay from Mississippi Valley State. Duncan Kennedy and Chris Burton, the only undergraduates on the team, played in high school.

Rebassoo was named the 2003 outstanding male senior scholar-athlete at Occidental.  Rebassoo finished second on Occidental’s all-time scoring list with 1,562 career points and was the 2003 Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year.

Evelyn also explained how he isn’t the only one with a PhD research project. Rebassoo is working on an experiment at the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland, Clark is completing research on Socratic philosophy, and Clay recently finished a project on Boolean networks in mathematics.

“You wouldn't necessarily know that they also excel on the basketball court,” Evelyn admitted.

This group of students came to form an impressive team simply by playing in the Rec Cen on a regular basis.

“There has been a pretty consistent group of undergraduate and graduate students who play in the Rec Cen the past few years,” Evelyn said. “Our team is really just a group of great people who are all unselfish players. It's great to run around with a group of guys who just love to play ball and really know how to play.”

Despite their full schedules as grad students, the team understands that participating in sports is important to make time for.

“IM's and playing basketball in the Rec Cen have been great ways to build community with undergraduate students and other graduate students,” Evelyn said. “Many graduate students don't do too much besides study during the week so the social aspect of seeing the same group of guys each day has been great. It also helps my mental health to get some exercise each day and leave the stresses of the day behind for an hour or two.”

Despite frequently playing together in the Rec Cen, this is the first quarter they formed an Intramural Basketball team.

“We all know each other and this year we decided it would be fun to form a graduate student team before a few of us finish here at UCSB,” Evelyn said. “Clark, Rebassoo, Clay, and I have known each other for years so it's surprising we didn't do this before now.”

Playing Intramural Sports has proven to be a good decision for them.

“It's fun for all of us to get together and play in a different setting compared to our daily runs in the Rec Cen,” he said. “It’s fun for us to play with more structure.”

The team plays so well together thanks in part to practicing together on Saturday mornings.

“We made it out a couple of times but it's been tough,” Evelyn said. “School or life has gotten in the way the last couple weeks but hopefully we can get out there again soon.”

It is Thursday night at the Rec Cen. The usual sounds of sneakers squeaking on the gym floor and balls colliding with nets are present. But tonight, basketball players are not causing all the clamor. The shoes and voices making noise belong to the faithful few who show up for Intramural Table Tennis on Thursdays between seven and nine in the evening.

Many people have played ping pong in their basement or in a friend’s backyard, but few have played Table Tennis. The difference between the two games is a matter of standards, uniformity, and language. Table Tennis is the sport’s official name, advocated by USA Table Tennis, an organization that hosts nationwide competitions. However, in China, where the game has widespread popularity, it is called Ping Pong. There are regulated rules for the American Table Tennis competitions, whereas driveway ping pong games, can have “all kinds of crazy rules,” according to Adam Hurwitz, a third year Global studies major and Intramural Table Tennis participant. These rules state that games are played to eleven, and servers alternate every two points, and the ball must be tossed six inches in the air on all serves.  Trickery while serving is necessary as some serious Ping Pongers are able to determine how the ball is spinning by the looking at or hearing an opponent serve.

Three students separated themselves from the pack during competition, and by no coincidence, these three players have experience with competitive Table Tennis. Andrew Berman, a grad student at UCSB, learned to play from his dad and played in USATT competitions. Peng Zheng, a first year Economics major, played competitively in China. Lastly, David Ellerton, who is obtaining a Ph.D. in Religion Studies, also played in USATT competitions, but had not picked up a paddle in sixteen years before coming out for Intramural Table Tennis a couple weeks ago.  By the end of the night, Berman had beat Ellerton but lost to Zhang.  But Zhang lost to Ellerton, leaving no tangible way to determine a clear champion for the week.

Besides the impossible spin on their serves, their perfect form, and their unflappable composure during matches, one other aspect made these three stand out: their paddles. These finely crafted instruments were all custom made to fit each Sultan of Spin’s specific style.  The paddle rests so comfortably in each Rally Master’s hand that it seems like they were born holding it.

Despite the esteemed pedigree of these three Barons of the Backhand, they fit in as just another student in the jovial and relaxing atmosphere of Thursday night Intramural Table Tennis.  The games always contain friendly chatting and lead to odd discoveries as Connor Oakes, a third year Political Science major found out.  “David [Ellerton] played competitively against my sister,” Oakes said.  Between the lively conversations and the competitive matches, these Pharaohs of the forehand will be causing a racket at the Rec Cen every Thursday night.

****Managers Meeting January 10th!*****

We encourage our alumni and supporters to help UCSB Recreational Sports meet our goal of providing unprecedented recreation programs to our students. By supporting UCSB Recreational Sports, you contribute to the growth and progress of our students; both in respects to recreation and in their development beyond the university.

With the 2010 fiscal year ending in less than two months, now is the perfect time to give back to your fellow Gauchos. We invite you to support our efforts by giving your time, your personal talents, or a contribution.

We have setup two systems to better fit your donating needs, which allows you to either make a one time donation or make monthly donations online toward the improvement of UCSB Recreational Sports. Every amount of donation goes directly to help student involvement in recreation activities. You even can select a specific interest group within the department to receive your donation.

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