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Written by: Sindu Palaniappan
We took a moment to sit down with co-founders Amy Mullen and Courtney McShane of Bentley’s BEAR: Outdoor Activities Club to find out what one of Bentley’s biggest new clubs is all about.
Does BEAR stand for anything?
With a little laugh Amy said that originally it was an acronym, but that they lost it, and now it just goes by the subtitle of an outdoors club.
What does the club do?
BEAR is an outdoors club in which members explore the New England area. It’s a great opportunity for kids who are from other states, and especially for those from other countries, to come and see what New England terrain is like. Courtney said that one of her main reasons for coming to Bentley was because she wanted to be in the Northeast. Amy said that the club aims to expose students to the outdoors, since there aren’t too many opportunities to go camping or hiking.
How big is the group?
The distribution list is over three hundred people, but different amounts of people go to certain events based on their interests. The recent camping trip was about thirty students.
When was BEAR established?
The group was established at the end of last year, so in comparison to other groups here on campus, it’s still very young. Some of the students who are a part of the club went on organized camping trips before the group was established, so it has been important to them for a while now. Amy mentioned how BEAR was rejected by the ABA the first time they tried to gain recognition, and after a second attempt paired with over 60 testimonials written by students, faculty, and other outdoors clubs, BEAR was accepted as a Bentley organization.
What recent events have you held?
The most recent event held by the club was a tie-dye event, and coming up this Saturday, the group is going ice skating and snowtubing. So if you’re reading this right now and those things sound interesting to you, e-mail GA_bear@bentley.edu and get involved!
What are you looking to hold in the future?
As the weather gets warmer, Amy and Courtney point out that the club will be hosting more events. More camping trips are on the way, especially since the last few went so well. More hiking trips are being planned as well, even a trip to hike Mt. Washington, for all you hiking enthusiasts. They are also looking to hold more rock climbing events, and in the spring they are planning on hosting a barbeque, cleverly named “BEAR grills.” There’s nothing better than a little humor paired with good food.
How do you deal with transportation for these?
“We drive ourselves,” they said simply. Using student cars, the group coordinates within itself. Talk about teamwork.
Give us a few fun stories.
Both Courtney and Amy laughed when I asked this, showing that they both have had some good times with the group. Courtney shared a story about camping at one of the E-Board member’s houses in New Hampshire. She said that after getting the state’s permission, they held an enormous bonfire, using things like “mattresses and pieces of the house” to fuel the flames, which “was really cool.”
Amy talked about one of the camping trips she went on when it was pouring rain. She said everyone got soaked but their attitudes were still fantastic, probably because of “the no complaints rule.” She said it really showed how the group itself was up for adventure.
She threw in another story about a rock climbing event they had hosted on “ladies’ night.” If you were a girl, you got in for a dollar, or if you were the next best thing, a boy in drag, you also got in for a dollar. She said it was pretty nice to see boys in dresses and wigs rock climbing.
To be a part of this club, email GA_Bear@bentley.edu!
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