"Some students don't realize that we have all different levels of trips. They think that it's all for students who are outdoorsy, whereas we really do have trips for people who are very outdoorsy and [for] people who have never been in the woods before," Bode said.
Some students were convinced to register once they learned how many other students participate, Bode said.
"When they hear that over 90 percent of students participate, they don't want to miss out," she said.
Bode also mentioned financial considerations as a factor in students' decisions. Many students do not realize how affordable trips can be once financial aid is applied, she said.
The Trips office sent e-mails to non-registered students after the June deadline to inform them that they could still apply, Bode said. Many students simply forgot to register before the deadline arrived, according to Bode.
While the number of trips has not changed from last year, the Trips office made two trip changes to broaden students' choices, according to Bode. The mountain biking trip that was discontinued in past years will be replaced by a bike-and-hike trip. The nature writing and nature painting trips of previous years will be combined into one trip.
Mountain biking was logistically difficult, Bode said, due to a wide range of biking skills among participants. The bike-and-hike trip will have one starting location instead of several stops along a specific route. Participants will go on short hiking and biking excursions during the day and return to their campsite at night. Combining the drawing and writing trips will give participants more creative freedom, Bode said.
Trip leader training is progressing on schedule, according to Scott Limbird '09, Director of DOC Trips. Over two-thirds of this year's leaders have completed training, he said, adding that the remaining leaders are likely sophomores who plan to complete training this summer.
Training includes seminars on risk assessment, group dynamics, and wilderness skills, Limbird said. Leaders must also be certified in CPR and first aid, which the DOC facilitates by offering $3 classes, he added.
Bode led first year trips during her sophomore and senior years, as well as trip during her sophomore summer. She was a member of Lodj Croo during her junior year, she said.
"It's the program that every program at Dartmouth should strive to be, the feeling at least," Bode said, laughing.
Limbird has led one freshmen trip and was a trip leader trainer last year.
"I think [the DOC is] the best program at Dartmouth College, and it's the most fun to participate in," Limbird said. "It's something that I'll never be able to do again."
Jordan Nesmith '11, who will finish his trip leader training this summer, shared Limbird's sentiments about the value of freshmen trips.
"I thought that my trip leaders were the coolest people ever," Nesmith said. "Trips made me sure that I came to the right school, and I want to share that with my trippees."
