Photo by Aaron Meliza
Caption: Hiking Club president Adrich Valerian leads vice president Jasson Partogi under a fallen tree in the woods of SCC’s 800 building.
By Calvin Li
Whether you’re a hiking enthusiast or just someone who thinks of packing up and going for a hike when life gets rough, SCC’s new Hiking Club might just be for you. The club made their debut at the club kickoff this Tuesday, April 5, where over 20 students signed up.
“The most appealing part about this club is the free transportation and the socializing opportunities,” said Aldrich Valerian, SCC student and the president of Hiking Club. He said the transportation is really convenient as students could hike at places where they couldn’t normally go. “You could also socialize with other students,” he said. “And not just students, but other hikers on the trail as well. We could chat while on our way up.”
According to him, the Hiking Club will hike on trails like Lake Twenty Two, Ice Caves, and Heather Lake, as well as trails at Mt. Rainier.
Jasson Partogi, vice president of the club, was in the same art class with Valerian last year. There, they discovered their shared passion for hiking and decided to start a hiking club together. Partogi, who is from Indonesia, fell in love with hiking last year, while hiking in the Portland area.
“You can see the nature, and it’s breathtaking.” Partogi said. “The fresh and chilly air, that little mist that was above the trees and mountain…it’s really hard to put what I saw in words. What I saw and felt just made me forget about life for a moment.”
Movakel Sargizi, the adviser of Hiking Club and former SCC Recreation Coordinator, enjoys hiking for a different reason.
“For me, it’s just the solitude, the fresh air, the exercise, the time that allows me to think,” he said. “It’s very calming and relaxing.”
Sargizi said he would “definitely” encourage students to sign up for the club, for the same reasons he enjoys hiking. He said his role in the club will mostly be providing guidance.
“I can give them hikes that are appropriate to their level,” he said. “Hikes that I know they are going to enjoy, depending on the level of the people joining the club, and based on my experience and my knowledge of the hikes around here. ”
The club kickoff this Tuesday was the first chance to sign up and to those who didn’t make it, Partogi said the club holds their meeting at 1:30 p.m. every Friday in Room 3025, and students are all welcome to join and sign up there.
