An extracurricular activity I partook in last year was Peaks & Professors, a student club that organizes hiking trips for USC students. What sets this club apart from other outdoors clubs, though, is that on each trip, one or two USC professors joins the group.
This is a great way to get outside and away from the screens that often dominate our everyday lives. I’ve always enjoyed hiking, so I knew I would like this club. It’s special, though, because of all the different people the club brings in. These professors study anything and everything: I’ve seen trips with professors who teach anthropology, international relations, astronautical engineering (my major!), music production, philosophy, dance theory, and so much more. It’s always a treat to immerse myself in nature, all the while having an invigorating conversation with a professor who does, or—more often than not—does not study what I’m studying.
We talk about both academics and non-academics, and regardless of where we hike, how long we hike for, or what we talk about, I end up with multiple new friends (in both my fellow students and the professor).
I’d recommend Peaks & Professors to any new or returning students who are just looking to make some new friends, reconnect with nature, and have a good time. Plus, if you’re a hiking guru, there’s overnight trips, sometimes spanning multiple nights, to places even farther away and more remote than the average day hike. The hikes I enjoy, though, are just a few hours on the weekend: enough to give me a short break from school while still allowing me to complete my other weekend tasks and chores.
I’m so excited for more incredible peaks and inspirational professors this semester!
