This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at UW Stout chapter.
Name: Josh Sipma
Year: Freshman
Major: Industrial design
Hometown: Minnetonka, MN
1) Why did you choose Stout?
They had a great program for my major (industrial design)
2) What made you want to start a cycling club?
I LOVE biking, and while it seems like there are some good road routes and off road trails around here, there is no Stout biking club! After talking to lots of people, it seemed like there was a lot of interest in riding together, so I figured there was enough interest to support a club!
3) Can you tell Her Campus more about the club?
The Cycling Club of UW Stout is still in its infancy stages to say the least. For this spring semester, we plan to focusing on recruiting members and spreading the word about this club, along with some group rides once it warms up. Next fall semester, we plan on some local trips to Eau Claire and such. The ultimate goal would be to bring a race team to the Midwest Collegiate Cycling Conference (MWCCC). We have something for all cyclists though, with riders coming from road, mountain, and BMX disciplines of biking! We will be at the Involvement Fair on Tuesday Feb. 3rd with more information!
4) Has the club been successful so far?
If a club being “successful” means that they have been around for a long time, then you could say yes and no. A prior cycling club used to exist on campus, but was closed a few years ago because the president stepped down and no one wanted to take over the reigns. However, if you judge “successful” as amount of people interested, then I would say this club is very successful so far! We only have about 15 members so far, but that is with no corporate advertisement, only word of mouth! We aim for around 20-25 members by the end of this spring semester.
5) How will this club benefit Stout?
There are many reasons that biking is a great addition to the UW Stout campus! Biking is a great sport to pick up, because it doesn’t require much commitment, but if you want to get really into it and commit to getting better, you can. Biking has always been a community sport, and mountain biking especially brings out the friendliness in people. Another reason is that many people do not have a car on campus, and encouraging bike use is a great way to save money when you don’t have a car. When you ride a bike, your life moves slower. You are no longer just going from place-to-place, trying to reach a destination. The journey is the destination. On the flip side of that, being on a bicycle encourages active movement and cardio development, but lacks the monotonous repetition of running or swimming. Biking is fun. The environment is engaging. The community is welcoming. Its a fun way to stay in shape, make friends, and develop green ways of thinking!
6) What other activities are you involved in on campus?
I am involved in CRU, HEC, the climbing wall, IDSA (Industrial Design Society of America), and lots of other weekly things that arent really part of a club (swing, life drawing, climbing comps, going to the gym, and sometimes intramural sports.
7) What do you see yourself doing after college?
Moving to Colorado and teaching snowboard lessons in the winter, and mountain bike lessosn in the summer, or California and working at a surf shop and learning how to skimboard and get really tan and be a surf bum ;)