Adventure. It’s something people yearn for. They thrive off of the rush they get when experiencing things that are different. It provides the opportunity to learn and to develop new interests. Adventure can be challenging at times, as it pushes people to set goals they never thought they were capable of achieving. It broadens horizons. Whether climbing the highest mountain or reading a new book, there’s a need in everyone to step outside the box. Adventure is everywhere. They just have to seek it.
When it comes to adventure, sophomore Phoebe Huff is an expert. So much so that she has dedicated a large portion of her time at Ouachita to exploring the most adventurous locations in and around Arkadelphia.
Huff quickly became familiar with the town and the university, as she visited her older siblings who were also students at Ouachita.
“I almost didn’t want to go here because my siblings came here. Then I kept coming back to visit them and eventually couldn’t see myself going anywhere else. There was just something really special about it,” Huff said.
Huff explained that she was first drawn in by the beautiful campus and the biology program. After exploring different majors, Huff is now a mass communications major with minors in both sociology and graphic design. With the intent of living somewhere new every six months, she would like to eventually own or start a non-profit helping people internationally.
“Since I was 15 or 16, I’ve been on different trips with different non-profits. One was in Nicaragua and another was in Jonesboro. My heart has always been for non-profits and specifically international ones,” Huff said,
In addition to the goal of working for a non-profit, Huff has specific areas she would like to serve in.
“I would like to work somewhere with water because there’s a really big need for it. Where there is water, economy blooms. With that, people are more likely to get education and be healthy. There’s just so much that can come from having clean water,” Huff said.
As of now, Huff is working towards these goals by being involved in other aspects of campus life. She pursues her love for adventure, sparked by various trips with her family, as she participates in things like the rowing club, which she enjoys doing with her friends. She also is a member of the Women of Tri Chi, Ouachita Student Foundation and writes for the Online Signal.
Before realizing all the things she could do at Ouachita, Huff endured a time of discouragement.
“I don’t like being in one place for a really long time. I was ready to get out of my hometown of Jonesboro, but when I came to Arkadelphia I didn’t really know of anything to do. It wasn’t until my second semester that I actually started to adventure out and find things to do here, “Huff said.
She has since developed several hobbies over her time at Ouachita. Some of them being visiting the watch tower in Hot Springs, renting kayaks and floating on Lake DeGray and hiking Pinnacle Mountain.
“I’m an adventure person and a people person. I like to say that my hobby is people because I love getting to know new people,” Huff said.
As she adds these new adventurous hobbies to her collection, Huff enjoys sharing these ideas with others who may not be familiar with them.
“I’ve become friends with several transfer students and people who didn’t really do a lot on campus. I started to realize how much I had done and how much were things people didn’t even know existed. I love being able to show them that there are actually several fun things they can do in Arkadelphia,” Huff said.
This has inspired Huff to start a vlog, Delph Life, which will show people the fun things there are to do in and around Arkadelphia.
“It’s going to be a very casual, fun and personal conversation about things you can do on campus, through campus or around campus,” Huff said.
Huff is in the process of planning out things to do each week. She intends to do things that she enjoys such as hiking Pinnacle Mountain and going to Coffee House on Fridays, as well as trying some new things like disc golf. Ideas for the vlog are inspired by Huff and her friends. Her goal is to incorporate activities that everyone might enjoy.
“There will be things like going to downtown Hot Springs and walking different trails, attending concerts on campus and going to Lake DeGray. There will also be seasonal things like going to a pumpkin patch in Conway and looking at Christmas lights in Hot Springs during Christmas. I will also plan for new things like watching Judah and the Lion. I also want to show people how many fun things there are to do that we get emails every week about but may not pay attention to,” Huff said.
Students will also have the opportunity to message Huff and ask her questions about her experiences.
Although Huff has started the vlog, she wants it to be something that will stay around for a long time. Eventually she hopes that a new student will take over in her place and continue to reach all students and those that are looking for new fun things to do. She especially wants the vlog to help incoming freshman and transfers who may not be familiar with the area. Huff plans to begin the vlog with 5 minute intervals each week. She wants to start them out as short as possible right now in order to make it convenient to watch them even in the busiest of weeks.
The introduction to the vlog is already out, and the first official vlog will come out this Friday. You can find Delph Life every Friday on the Signal website.
By Emily Brosius, staff writer
