By Samuel Hebestreit
Strap your shoes, chalk your hands, and get ready to climb.
Bellarmine junior Jackson Powell added a new rock-climbing club to campus last month.
“I love rock climbing, so I decided to share that with everybody else. You know, make new friends and get people connected at Bellarmine,” Powell said.
Club meetings will be held Mondays and Fridays from 7-9 p.m. at Climb Nulu, located about 3 miles from Bellarmine’s campus.
Powell said the club expects to have its first climbing session Oct. 28.
Powell said he hopes that working with Climb Nulu and with support from Bellarmine’s Office of Administration and Finance, he can negotiate the price for a monthly membership down to $30-$40 or $6-$10 for a day pass.
Because every BU club must have an adviser, Powell reached out to Nicholas Short, a professor who taught Powell’s sister, Ella, in his biology class.
“His sister was one of my students, and I share with my students what I do. She knows that I rock climb, so she shared that with Jackson, and he reached out to me,” Short said. “I’m happy to be the adviser.”
Powell said rock climbing is much more than simply just climbing.
“I’ve been climbing for about three years now probably and I’ve seen a huge difference in my skill level. It’s a great stress reliever, and I’ve gotten to know a lot of people. So, I love it.”
Short said climbing has many benefits.
“It’s the most consistent way that I’ve found to exercise. It’s really social. So, I’ve been climbing for about six years, and it’s a way to make and maintain friendships and stay healthy at the same time,” Short said. “You can expect to have a good time and learn how to use your body in ways that you haven’t done it before.”
First-year student Daniel Grider said joining the club is about furthering his climbing skills and making friends.
“I’ve been rock climbing a couple times before, so I thought, yeah, I’ll give it a try. I’ve only done a few climbs. My brother got me into it about a year ago,” Grider said.
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