April 17, 2009

This week has been about as routine as possible at the Rocky Mountain Semester, since we had a full week of classes, activities, AMX, and chores. In Science class this week we learned about geology and stream morphology. To follow-up on our lesson on rivers we went to the Arkansas River to measure the velocity of the river and its area to calculate its total discharge, or the amount of water that flows through it. Some of us waded in the cold water in order to get the measurements required to complete the lab. In English class, we discussed A River Runs Through It, diving into abstract ideas relating to the book during student-led discussions. We also discussed word usage in the book and how words can be interpreted. Later in the week we studied grammar. In Math class, one group of precalculus students fired a potato gun to study projectile motion with parametric equations. In the Western History classes we learned about the Mormons and farmers and in AP US History we learned about the results of World War II. The Spanish classes studied commands, prepositions and the subjunctive "mood." They also went bowling with a local Latino youth group. The French classes listened to French songs and continued studying the subjunctive mood as well.

For morning exercise (AMX) this week, we had the full spectrum of weather. On Monday morning it was warm and sunny, but on Thursday, April 16th, it was cold and snowing. Since the fun run is rapidly approaching, we have been running "the loop" more often. The loop is a six-mile run around HMI that takes anywhere from 41 minutes to just shy of two hours, depending on who you are and how adept you are at running.

This week has also been a pretty typical week of activities here at HMI, which is to say that it has been absolutely crazy! On Saturday night we had a Passover Seder, which served as a fantastic way for everyone to learn about and appreciate the traditions surrounding this Jewish holiday. We sang many songs throughout the Seder, both in Hebrew and in English, both traditional and of our own invention. We learned about the different symbolic foods of Passover and the history of the holiday through a hilarious skit written by Maddie Nirenberg and Marty Schwarz. The meal itself consisted of delicious matzah ball soup, sweet potato latkes with applesauce, and brisket. Following the meal, people had the option to either continue participating in the Seder or watching Zoolander in the library. Those who stayed for the end of the Seder exclaimed that it was the best Seder they had ever been to!

Switching gears from Judaism to Christianity Sunday morning, we had an Easter egg hunt with plastic eggs hidden throughout the Main Building. These eggs contained everything from money to candy, and everyone enjoyed finding the eggs in the most unexpected places. In fact they still seem to turn up every once and awhile! Continuing with the Easter theme, Matt organized an Easter egg dying session on Monday for the activities period. Following our Easter egg hunt, most of us left bright and early to tour the campus of Colorado College. There were mixed opinions about the block scheduling system they have at Colorado College, but we all agreed that it was a very fun and informative visit. Other activities this week included experiments in the kitchen, swimming, and tutoring.

One eventful component of the past week was that five students were selected to be student expedition leaders (SELs) for the final expedition. On this expedition these five students will take on many of the roles typically allotted to the instructor team. This means that they help plan the route of their individual trips, write out the trip itinerary, decide what group gear needs to be issued, and run issue and de-issue day. On campus the students began by choosing their expedition groups and forming them into tarp groups. After this was done each expedition group met and went over the route and group gear. The SELs took the information they had gone over with their expedition groups and met with their instructor team to go over the route all together. While on the expedition, the SELs will lead the group, delegate daily leadership roles to others, and keep a daily log of travel and other expedition-related information. The SELs have also begun to organize such ideas as night hikes, themed days, and "astrobivys." Finally, a unique aspect of the final expedition is that students will have an opportunity to travel independently of the instructor team during "Independent Student Travel," which will really allow us to solidify our skills and work together as a group.

By: Todd Holtan, David Butz, Libby Fones, & Chester Lindley