ISU Bengal

Issue date: 3/30/05 Section: Life

Media Credit: Steve Jolley Peter Joyce demonstrates proper knot tying techniques in his Rock Climbing Safety class, Wednesday afternoon in the Reed Gym.

So the old saying goes- those that can't teach. But that old cliché doesn't apply to Peter Joyce, ISU instructor and Outdoor Recreation Coordinator for the ISU Outdoor Program. In fact, Joyce's talent for teaching his students both the skills and love of the outdoors is what has endeared him to so many of the people that he comes in contact with. Joyce has been associated with the Outdoor Program for over 13 years, first coming in contact with it as a student in 1979. Joyce, who is originally from Connecticut, fell in love with the beauty and recreational opportunities here in Idaho and chose ISU as the place to earn a degree in journalism. It was while working on his undergraduate degree that Joyce first started teaching climbing classes for the Outdoor Program. It was also during this time that Joyce had first set his sights set on teaching at the college level .

" Believe it or not in college I had this fantasy of teaching photography at a college level, I though that it was glamourous. Granted I am not teaching photography, but I am teaching at a college level skills for activities that I do like to do," said Joyce.

After college Joyce spent some time in the military. He served five years in the Army as a Unit Training Supervisor. His specialty included first aid, land navigation, repelling and parachute operations. It was during this time that Joyce put this undergraduate degree to work and was a journalists for the Army, working in Korea, Thailand and Papua New Guinea. Joyce reflected on that time in his life.

"I worked as a photo journalist through the eighties, and then I decided that it wasn't my cup of tea," said Joyce. "I got disillusioned with the media and their agenda setting, plus I wanted to raise a family. It just wasn't something that I wanted to do anymore."

Joyce and his family eventually moved back to Pocatello in the spring of 1996.

"We liked the community and the outdoor recreation opportunities that South East Idaho provides and we thought that it was a good place to raise a family" said Joyce.

Continued...

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