Katie Doolittle – Staff Writer

Mark Hanson ‘83 is in his first year as the Recreation Program Coordinator. In this position, Hanson is responsible for organizing and hosting different recreational opportunities for student life. Some of these activities include canoeing, kayaking, rock climbing, and bowling. 

For Hanson, as an Outdoor Education Professor in the Health and Exercise Science department and a former basketball coach, this opportunity perfectly aligned with his interests and background. “I have been teaching outdoor recreation courses for more than 30 years within the HES department.  The timing was very good as the position was created to fill a recreation gap at the same time that I decided to leave coaching,” Hanson said. 

The passion to teach students about different ways to spend their time is limitless for Hanson. “This position fits an interest in creating opportunities for students to get out in the area, be active and create more relationships. Many students aren’t aware of the many places to go and activities that are available in the surrounding area,” Hanson stated. 

While he’s no longer coaching, Hanson still is scratching that itch to share his knowledge with young adults. “It has been wonderful to continue working with college students and provide new options for them to get involved in,” Hanson expressed. 

For students, getting away from their studies and their other commitments can be difficult, but worthwhile. “The biggest challenge has been to get a sense of when and how long programming is best suited for our students.  The speed in which many events have filled indicates that we have regularly hit a sweet spot for filling students’ interests,” Hanson said. 

To better understand the interests of current Gusties, Hanson has assistance from students who share a similar adoration for the outdoors and exploring new activities. “They have been excellent resources for student interest, providing leadership and organization as well as pushing programming so students knew what was happening,” Hanson said. 

Seniors Tessa Johnson ‘23 and Morgan Miedema ‘23 began to work with Hanson this past fall for their Environmental Studies Senior Seminar. Their work involved incorporating environmental-related projects within Hanson’s student activities. 

“It was great to be able to help Mark get started with his new position/program and provide feedback from a student’s point of view. It’s also really nice to know that students have been enjoying all of the activities that have been done so far,” Miedema said. 

“What was enjoyable about organizing these activities was seeing how many people were interested in doing them as well as seeing people come back for more events because they enjoyed them so much,” Johnson added. 

Currently, Hanson is receiving assistance from students that just love the outdoors. 

Ryan Odermatt ‘23 began to help Hanson after taking his Fly Casting and Canoeing courses and expressed interest in his excursions. “I’m an experienced canoe guide so I wrote to him offering my help leading some of the canoe day trips on the Minnesota [River]. Turns out Mark needed the help so here I am,” Odermatt said. 

Through this experience, Odermatt is able to try new things and strengthen his leadership skills. “I love getting people outside or involved in any kind of social, constructive activity. One of my strengths is crowd control, so I do well when organizing large groups of people. I also enjoy getting outdoors more and into activities I might not have done alone,” Odermatt stated. 

Being outdoors offers the chance to try new cuisine. “The Beyond Boiling Water student cooking night was my favorite event. We made some delicious Chilaquiles and shared some fun cultural traditions between international and midwestern Gutsies,” Odermatt expressed. 

Along with trying new things, it can be equally enjoyable to return to well-beloved places. “My favorite event is our touring week trip to Ely. The students were great and excited. Also, it has been a long time since I have been able to enjoy the North Woods in the winter so that was special,” Hanson said. 

The future of the program may consist of more student involvement and more elaborate outings. “I would like to see some leadership programming built in for students who are looking for that opportunity as well as keep adding strong programming for area events,” Hanson said. 

If students aren’t able to attend Hanson’s trips but are interested in exploring the outdoors they can rent items like camping equipment, hammocks, stand-up paddle boards, and kayaks through the recreational lending program.