Pioneer Adventure Weekend (PAW) returned to the Deer Valley YMCA Family Camp Oct. 20 and 21.

PAW was open to all upperclassmen at Point Park University.

The weekend get-away was planned by Maria Ochoa, resident director for Point Park, and ten of the upperclassmen resident educators (REs.)

“We all worked as a team to create it this year,” Ochoa said.

Ochoa, a Point Park graduate, said that when she came into her position at the school, she had “visions” to create an event for upperclassmen after she realized how many events are solely for freshman students.

“We lived, breathed and ate PAW,” Ochoa said. In her eyes, it all paid off because “it was even better this year.”

Over the course of PAW, students were able to participate in a high ropes course, a craft barn and outdoor sports such as shooting BB guns, kayaking, canoeing and hiking.

“It was definitely good to get away from campus,” Kris Chandler said, a screenwriting and political science double major and RE for the upper half of the Boulevard Apartments.

According to Chandler, the highlight of the trip was the campfire on the first night. Students had the chance to cook food over the fire such as marshmallows, s’mores, sausages, hot dogs, carrots, peppers and moon pies.

The weekend was filled with food featuring everything from pizza to salad to bacon to desserts. The camp also catered to vegan and vegetarian students by providing wraps, trays of vegetables and vegan cake.

What Chandler enjoyed the most was that there were so many different friend groups, but “different groups of people all came together.”

Ochoa remembers the students’ faces when they realized that they would not have phone service during the trip, but she believes that it was a positive thing to get away from the screens and “take that time to relax.”

She mentioned that she does not think that many of the students considered how “off the grid” they all would be.

“I really liked it because I was just able to spend it with friends,” said Gracie Ruiz, a junior sports, art and entertainment major.

Ruiz also noted that it was nice to get away from phones and social media and be “able to bond as friends in a community.”

The group stayed in the Mario Martin Lodge, which can hold up to about 110 people. About 45 students attended this year.

Ochoa said that she is hoping for even more students to sign up in the future and would like to take two buses rather than just one like the past two years.

This is the second annual Pioneer Adventure Weekend, and Ochoa has intentions of continuing on the tradition of this trip.

Ochoa is planning for the third annual Pioneer Adventure Weekend to take place next year on Oct. 19-20 and will most likely continue taking place the third weekend of October for years to come.