October 14, 2005
Class of 1979's gift will help potential leaders learn the ropes
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Purdue University dedicated a high-ropes challenge course Friday (Oct. 14) that the Class of 1979 is contributing to the university to use in team-building exercises for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the general public.
|
A demonstration traversed the course during a dedication ceremony at the ropes course site, located west of campus near the Purdue Airport. Kathy Lawhead, associate director of recreational sports, said the course is the first of its kind in the Big Ten.
"The Odyssey Course is currently only at five other universities nationally," she said. "We look at the course as capitalizing on the trend of leadership development and team building. It also adds to our outdoor recreational opportunities."
Teams negotiate the course on three levels – the low level at about 4 feet off the ground, the mid level at about 20 feet off the ground and the high course level at about 40 feet off the ground. Participants are harnessed securely at all times on the course.
At any one time, the course can accommodate up to six teams of two to six participants. Including training and practice, the course takes three to four hours to complete. Lawhead said there is a basic course as well as variations and sets of rules to increase difficulty for advanced groups.
|
There also is a ropes course competition of another sort – a contest for students, using a construction budget of $5,000, to design a commemorative marker or plaque. The winning design will be placed at the ropes course site to recognize the Class of 1979 gift. The top prize is $2,500 in tuition and fee remission. Second place wins $1,500 and third place $1,000.
Keith Krach, a member of the Class of '79 who made the lead $100,000 gift for the course through his family foundation, said he credits much of his professional success to his leadership experiences at Purdue, particularly his membership in Sigma Chi fraternity.
"I'm international president of Sigma Chi and have been involved in leadership training for 25 years with the fraternity," Krach said. "The Purdue high-ropes course will provide a leadership learning experience not only for fraternities and sororities but also for sports teams, academic classes, faculty, staff and business groups in the community."
On Friday (Oct. 14) the Class of 1979 Gift Committee and Krach served as grand marshals for Purdue's Homecoming parade. After the parade, Purdue's School of Industrial Engineering honored Krach for his $500,000 gift for the renovation of Grissom Hall.
Krach's current enterprise is 3 Points Inc., an investment holding company in Los Gatos, Calif. He co-founded Ariba, an early corporate player in business-to-business e-commerce, in 1996. The company went public in 1999. Krach served as Ariba's initial CEO for its first five years and orchestrated three major acquisitions of technology firms and several strategic alliances with key service providers.
Red Herring magazine named Krach one of the top 10 entrepreneurs, and his company was named "best managed" privately held high-tech company in 1998. Prior to co-founding Ariba, Krach was chief operating officer of Rasna Corp., a mechanical computer-aided design software company. He previously worked for General Motors Corp., where he headed up the company's robotics operations and became the company's youngest-ever vice president.
Krach came to Purdue from Rocky River, Ohio, and earned a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering in 1979. He then earned an MBA from Harvard.
The Class of 1979's gift, which includes funds for training and administration support for the high-ropes course, totaled $209,000.
Lawhead said charges for use of the course have recently been set, and student groups and organizations, such as residence hall advisers, fraternities and sororities, will be charged the least.
"But Keith and the Class of '79 donors will get a free trip through if I have my way," Lawhead said. "This is a terrific addition to this recreation area that already includes a low-ropes challenge course with a 10-foot challenge wall."
The Odyssey Course was designed and installed by Alpine Towers International, based in Jonas Ridge, N.C. The company also designs and installs climbing walls, ground courses and other challenge courses.
The announcement is part of a two-week celebration leading up to Purdue's Saturday (Oct. 15) Homecoming. Events focus on ways Purdue is improving education and helping the state of Indiana as part of the university's strategic plan and $1.5 billion fund-raising campaign.
Writer: Mike Lillich, (765) 494-2077, mlillich@purdue.edu
Sources: Kathy Lawhead, (765) 494-3111, klawhead@purdue.edu
Daniela Bin, media contact for Keith Krach, daniela@3Pointsinc.com
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
Note to Journalists: Broadcast-quality video b-roll is available by contacting Jesica Webb, Purdue News Service, at (765) 494-2079, jwebb@purdue.edu.
Related Web site:
Purdue Campaign News Page
PHOTO CAPTION:
Team facilitator Aaron Montgomery, a senior in the College of Technology (from left), helps Alli Osborn, a sophomore in the College of Liberal Arts, and Beth Homrich, residential life manager in Purdue Village, perform a traverse following a dedication ceremony today (Friday, Oct. 14) for Purdue's new high ropes challenge course. The course, donated by the Class of 1979, is the first of its kind at a Big Ten university and is now available for use in teamwork and leadership development exercises. (Purdue News Service photo/Dave Umberger)Ê
PHOTO CAPTION:
The Purdue Class of 1979 is contributing a high-ropes course to the university. Shown under construction in September, the course will be available for students, faculty, staff, alumni and the public to use in teamwork and leadership development exercises. The high-ropes course is the first at a Big Ten university. (Purdue News Service photo/David Umberger)
A publication-quality photo is available at https://www.purdue.edu/uns/uns/images/+2005/ropes-course.jpg
To the News Service home page