Phi Eta Sigma 2: Snow Tubing Boogaloo

Are you looking for some fun last-minute winter activities? The Pitt-Greensburg campus chapter of the Phi Eta Sigma honor society might have just the thing for you, as they will be heading to Seven Springs to go snow tubing on Friday, Feb. 16.

Phi Eta Sigma has been organizing the trip every spring semester for the past six years now. However, the event did not always take place at the famed resort of Seven Springs. The honor society president, Keith Koenig, said that they have only been going there for about three years.

 “Before that, it was at Hidden Valley, but then they closed their snow tubing down, so then we switched to Seven Springs,” he said. 

Vice President Rachel O’Neill said that the reason why the snow tubing trip used to be held at Hidden Valley is purely because it was closer to Pitt-Greensburg than Seven Springs. 

“And it was a little bit cheaper, too, because they used to offer group rates, which was nice for ordering 30-plus tickets,” she said. 

The trip is also, by far, the most exciting and most profitable event held by Phi Eta Sigma during the entire fiscal year.

 “Our first year we sold 30, and last year we actually sold 40 because there was so much more of an interest in people going,” Koenig said. 

Phi Eta Sigma holds many more events during the semester as well. However, the snow tubing trip is the only one during the fiscal year in which the society travels off campus grounds. In terms of events held on campus, the club recently started doing Campus Beautification activities toward the end of every spring semester. 

Campus Beautification is a time in which students can help the club perform gardening activities to prepare campus grounds for springtime. “We plant flowers and redo the mulch outside of Chambers, and we also clean the creek out,” O’Neill said.  

“Campus Beautification started last year and we had a really good turnout. I think we had around 15 people show up for that, but snow tubing is definitely a much bigger event,” Koenig said. 

For those who may be interested, the snow tubing trip is not just for Phi Eta Sigma members and inductees. Anybody who wants to go is more than welcome. Tickets for the trip are $10 per person and they can be physically purchased at the front desk inside of Chambers Hall. There are only a few spots left, so sign up as soon as possible if you want to go.