The irrational passions of students

Despite the academic, familial, social and work-related obligations of an average college student, there are some students who can meticulously schedule time for a hobby.

For Martin Bielicki and Jeff Daniels, setting aside time for their hobbies of film-making and rock climbing is second nature.

With the help of his brother and a few close friends, Bielicki, a freshman undecided major, spends his spare time creating various types of films.

"We mostly do ridiculously funny films. We don't write scripts, we just come up with ideas and then improv," said Bielicki.

The group, named Ohmygroin Productions, creates short films, collages of clips set to music and short flash animation movies.

According to Bielicki, his interest in film making began when he stayed up all night finishing his brother's project for school, which involved an editing program.

Bielicki said that filming and editing are two steps that are taken to create a film but for him, the most enjoyable part of the process are editing and viewing the finished project.

Ohmygroin Production's films include "The Haunted", a silent black and white film set to music of the exploration of an abandoned house, which Bielicki said was interesting because combining music and film has a unique effect.

"I realized there is a direct connection between music and film. It's really satisfying to put the right music to clips that convey the same emotions," Bielicki said.

According to Bielicki, the Ohmygroin Production group is currently working on a zombie movie, which they plan to enter in a contest at a local community college.

"We've gone into detail planning scenes and location and dialogue," said Bielecki.

Daniels, however, is on the other side of the hobby world.

A junior engineering major, Daniels breathes heavily and wipes the sweat from his brow as his adrenaline rush comes to a peak and slowly drains out of his exhausted muscles. He looks down the mountain he has just independently climbed with the help of 80 pounds of gear, and smiles at his accomplishment.

According to Daniels' theory on rock climbing, he has conquered death. Tomorrow, he will do it again.

Raised in Albany, Daniels began climbing 12 years ago at a rock gym. Since then, he has become an avid indoor and outdoor climber, learning and trying out every technique available, including bouldering, multi-pitch climbing, ice climbing, and rock climbing.

He has his guiding license and has worked as a guide in the Adirondacks, taking groups on one-day to two-week climbing and hiking adventures. He is also a rock climbing trainer.

"A few of the kids I trained went to Nationals," he said.

Daniels has also taken his rock climbing talents and entered himself in the American Bouldering Series and the Junior Competition Climbing Association at 15. He placed fourth in Nationals in 2001 in Ohio.

Daniels has traveled as far as England and France in his endeavors. On one occasion, he flew back and forth to Massachusetts in between summer classes to meet with a group of avid climbers.

According to Daniels, as well as being a very challenging physical sport, rock climbing can be a very strong way to develop communication and problem solving skills when working in a group.

"Climbing can be very communicative, it's a very social event," he said.

As climbing areas in the Buffalo area are scarce, Daniels frequents the Niagara Rock Gym, and The Glen in Niagara Falls for bouldering.

When home, Daniels said the Utica and Albany areas have great climbing spots.

Despite the many dangers associated with climbing, Daniels chooses to continue his hobby because focusing on the dangers too much takes away from the excitement of the sport.

"There's so much danger and so much to think about when climbing you just have to block it out," he said."When climbing you don't think about anything else, if you do you're going to end up in a whole world of hurt."

Since he was 10, Daniels has had close encounters with danger such as when he stabbed himself in the leg his first time ice climbing in the Adirondacks.

On another occasion, he recalls climbing an extremely high cliff; he was afraid but had to continue climbing up because it would have been more dangerous to downcast to the bottom.

"I cried the whole way up," he said. "Eventually you fight for so long that you give up on being afraid."

Daniels loves of the overpowering feeling he gets when he has accomplished a climb.

"It's an incredible feeling at the end of the day," he said. "When you get done with it there is a really thick euphoria - so thick you can cut it with a knife."