At first glance, Dartmouth Outing Club President Ben Berk '00 seems like any other College student. His distinguishing feature is the wispy blond beard he has been cultivating since the beginning of this term.
But New York native Berk is an individual in every sense of the word -- from his plan to pursue a special major in Information Age Studies to his treks across Alaska, a place he describes as "another planet."
"Technology fascinates me, but there's nothing like sitting on top of a mountain," Berk said.
He said he is passionate about the DOC and interacting with other people, and he believes the DOC captures the essence of Dartmouth.
The DOC should remind students how wonderful Dartmouth is -- the magnificence of the surroundings, the student community and, most importantly, its "sense of place," he said.
Berk spent last summer as a member of the trail crew, dividing his time between Moosilauke Lodge and the Ledyard Canoe Club and building a bridge, among other activities.
"It was an awesome experience" he said.
Berk said he is committed to his studies -- he recently entered a paper in a scholarship competition -- but he finds time to create DOC programs and activities.
Berk, who said the DOC influenced his decision to come to the College, recently developed a Basic Leader Training program with the help of other DOC members, Maria Calvi '00 and Walker Holmes '00.
The training aims to teach leadership skills that will benefit students in all aspects of life, even after they have graduated from college.
Fellow DOC colleague, Carrie Kaplan '99, said Berk "tends to inspire enthusiasm in others ... Ben is serious about enjoying life."
Holmes said Berk has "persuasive contagious unbridled enthusiasm."
Berk has been president of the DOC for two terms and said he thinks he has further established the DOC as a "cohesive organization on campus."
He said he has an "over-developed sense of responsibility," but that his presidency is a selfish pursuit because he "enjoys so much when others find something in themselves they didn't know was there."
"I wouldn't be able to accomplish anything without making others realize how awesome they are," he said.
He urged others to take advantage of the DOC.
"The most common alumni regret is not having done more with the outdoors," he said. "The opportunities exist to discover and accomplish incredible things here and now, to create Dartmouth experiences without regrets."
Berk will be spending the Fall term sailing around the world with about 1,000 other students. His ambition for the term is to climb a mountain in each port where his boat docks.
"This will be a true outing," Berk said.
