On the last weekend of September, the MUN Outdoor Adventure Society (MUNOAS), along with fifty-odd students, rented a school bus and travelled westwards to Terra Nova National Park for a camping trip that featured stargazing, coastal hiking, and good natured fun. Whether it was with sore legs in the day or phone-illuminated partying in the night, students of various cultural backgrounds explored their physical and metabolic tolerances at their own pace. Led by team members co-presidents Shakib Rahman and Clark Simonson, the two-night stay was a rousing success for all involved.
One of the biggest contributors to MUNOAS’s success made no appearance on the campground nor on that joyful-but-cramped school bus. Blake Colbran, the society’s recently appointed event coordinator, was simply too busy to come along.
“[Before] my first hike with Shakib, I was not a super outdoorsy person,” said Colbran, “Terra Nova would’ve been the second camping trip of my entire life.” Nevertheless, the third-year undergraduate student spearheaded MUNOAS’s advertising front, payment system, and independent website development all while juggling several student administrative roles at MUN’s residences.
While today Colbran works tirelessly to continue MUNOAS’s resurgence into the university scene, navigating the event planning process in the past has not come easy for him. Entering university for his first year was a “baptism by fire,” as he puts it, as it can be for many incoming students. Academic stress coupled with a vacant Residence Coordinator position in Cluett Hall kept Colbran from organizing house events and meeting new people—or so he assumed.
“I learned very quickly that there’s nobody stopping you from doing stuff like that. Don’t worry about getting permission from people,” said Colbran. He firmly believes that event planning, much like a well-oiled machine, requires plenty of adjustments and tinkering. This applies to both the technical and social aspects of coordinating groups of people.
“If three people show up the first time then it’s not a failure, you just learned something for next time.”
Colbran credits his experiences with student organizations alongside MUNOAS, which taught him the paths of convenience customers tend to take. He is credited with establishing the society’s first website, but attributes his successes to the website builder Wix, which he claims straddles the line between style and convenience without presenting too big of a paywall to vault.
“If I was involved with MUNSU, I would increase the funding [to clubs and societies] to provide everyone with a Wix account. It’s just that versatile,” said Colbran. These ideas have taken the society far: both the Terra Nova trip and the previous week’s event sold out within several days, with students complimenting the website’s payment process for its ease of access.
Colbran encourages students to socialize and engage with others to stimulate a plan for an event, regardless of the leadership role they take, whether it be a booming voice for a made-up ball game or a bright mind for video editing and production, it does not matter.
Despite the predictably worsening weather on the Avalon Peninsula, MUNOAS’s executives do not seem fazed. Citing future plans, Colbran wants to continue the club’s path towards exploring diverse natural and social environments. Events include a hike on the Spurwink Island Path, along with a casual social walk to Quidi Vidi.