RRC Archives

Christie says rock climbing walls 'epidemic' hitting U.S. colleges:
http://www.phillyvoice.com/christie-say ... -colleges/

I'll preface this by saying I think Christie is a complete shitfuck. That said, I think it's being blown out of proportion. As I understand it, he's saying colleges spend too much on perks that aren't education, he just happened to cite climbing walls as an example of friviolous spending. Still a dubious point, but climbers freaking out about Christie being "anti-climbing" probably haven't read past the headline.

Yeah the audience was laughing (with him I presume) as he described this climbing wall epidemic. He is likely half joking thinking people will connect with this as an example of wasteful spending on campus. Obviously he will lose the climber vote with this position, but last I checked climbers were mostly left wing nuts so I guess it doesn't matter to him.

I would be curious to know how much colleges spend on "non-curriculum" items. It should be reasonable but some emphasis needs to exist on physical activity. Or we could just keep the American youth fat and useless doing nothing but tweeting and playing video games.

If "non-curriculum items" includes bloated administrative staff, insane landscaping, out of control presidential salaries and spending, luxury student housing AND rock-climbing walls, then yes they spend a staggering amount on those things.

I think it is mostly just funny.

You have rocks. What the hell do you need a rock climbing wall for? ...go outside and climb those rocks.

If the Uni's would stop putting in so many walls, maybe the crags wouldn't be so crowded.

All those years I wasted buildering during my undergrad...if I had just held out as a climbing bum a few more years...

Actually JB built a pretty amazing wall at EKU about ten years ago. He's quite handy with a nailgun.

If you want a real throw back to campus climbing before tuition subsidized indoor walls read my article "The Science of Buildering Revealed" that was published in the Fall 1978 issue of the University of Cincinnati Mountaineering Club newsletter - https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B-QaA5 ... view?pli=1 Some of those buildering problems are still there and new ones have since arisen