Moving on up
Anyone up for a rock climb? While walking to classes yesterday, students could take a quick break from everyday routine to test their physical limits on a 24-foot "cliff" in the University's amphitheater, courtesy of the U.S. Army.
The 4,800-pound artificial mountain "shows people they can do things they don't think they can," said Sgt. Arnold, who declined to state his first name, as he watched students struggle up each of the mountain's four lanes of varying difficulty.
The Army's Total Army Involvement in Recruiting team, which travels around the country to increase awareness of the Army, brought the rock-climbing wall to the University.
Sgt. Tommy Hamilton, the Army's station commander for recruitment in Charlottesville, requested the rock-climbing wall, which made its debut appearance in the area yesterday and is one of six such training walls in the country.
Hamilton said a larger version of the wall is used in the Army's basic training program.
But the wall was not just meant for students in the ROTC program or other military types. Over 200 students of wide-ranging physical skills used it to test their climbing abilities yesterday.
First-year College student Katie Mandel climbed barefoot.
"It's very hard," she said after her climb. "But it's fun. I like the idea of doing things I can't."
While the rock-climbing wall gives the Army greater visibility around schools, it is also just plain fun, Arnold said.
He also explained that although a small percentage of people at every location the team visits express an interest in the Army, the visibility still helps in general recruitment.
"A lot of people don't know what the Army can offer them," said Hamilton.
-Julie Hofler
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