February 27, 2010

Last Saturday we had our first day to explore town and we got our ski passes to Ski Cooper, our local mountain here in Leadville. There were lots of great finds at the thrift stores and we got to do any laundry and grocery shopping that was needed to get us through the next week. Then, on Saturday night we went ice-skating at the park. It was so much fun! We all wore clothes we bought at the thrift store and other crazy things that we brought from home. There was a lot of falling, slipping, and sliding, but all-in-all it was awesome.

On Sunday, we put our brand new ski passes to use and spent some time learning how to telemark ski at Ski Cooper.  For most of us, this was our first time with a free heel (that's the major difference between telemark skiing and alpine skiing).  For some of us, it was our first time on skis.  We were split up into seven groups: two advanced, three intermediate, and two beginner/"never-evers." We all loved it. Whether we were dropping our knees or just learning how to snow plow, all of us loved to telemark ski.  This weekend, there is an optional Saturday activity to go skiing again, and almost the entire semester signed up to go.

But don't be fooled. Even though we spent last weekend skiing, we were back to the books Sunday evening to prepare for a week of classes. Classes at HMI run from Monday to Saturday. The usual class day is from 9 am to 5:30 pm except for Saturday, which only runs from 9 am to 12pm. Each class is an hour and a half, which allows for a lot of material to be covered. Luckily the teachers are engaging and fun, which helps make the time go fast.

Since our second week of classes has just come to an end, we now have a pretty good idea of what things are going be like for the rest of the semester. In the math classes, Karl and Sam are reviewing some things trying to gauge what levels everyone is at. Matt is working hard in AP US History (APUSH) and in U.S. History to teach us about the frontier and the rise of cities.

In science we are learning about animal adaptations to the cold, and we have also been tracking animals on our new tele skis, a little wobbly, but fun all the same. Over all, classes have been great. We are finally all settled in and pretty comfortable with everyone here. 

Although classes have been fun, activities are definitely a great part of the week. This Monday, some people played indoor soccer while others enjoyed sledding at a local hill. Others did lots of cool arts and crafts, and some tested their limits climbing on the climbing wall. If any of those things didn't sound appealing, some people chose to plant window gardens that are now proudly displayed in Who's Hall. On Wednesday, some people tutored the local elementary school students while the rest of us stayed at HMI with Chewie to play board games. Today, people got dressed up for speed dating! It was awesome!

In chore-related news this week, campus is looking spick and span. From cleaning bathrooms to shoveling snow, everyone has been working hard to keep campus looking great. One particularly eventful day during chores, Van pulled a most excellent prank on fellow RMS 24er Andrew. Van, the beholder of an extra snickers, decided to slyly heat up said snickers while Andrew was blissfully unaware enjoying a breakfast prepared by our amazing morning cook crew. While everybody ate, Van snuck the snickers into the bathroom, Andrew's assigned chore area, and strategically decorated the toilet seat, and placed a helpful DO NOT USE sign on the bathroom door. A few minutes later, when Andrew went to perform his chore (as we all watched, waiting to see his reaction), there was a lovely surprise there waiting for him.  As he looked upon the scene in horror, he suddenly became aware of "the situation."  That just goes to show we can even make chores fun. 

Cook crew this week has had some pretty amazing meals, including tacos, chicken parmesan, clam chowder, and even more amazing meals! Cook crews are also in charge of picking table orders, and they have come up with some pretty creative ways to choose them, including musical chairs, vegetable-offs, freestyle rapping, and more. All in all, meals have been pretty great.

By: Gillian Dobbin, Tom Erdmann, Becca Marks, & Ellie Turner