December 4

12/4/07 

After everyone’s safe arrival back from Thanksgiving break, we started off with a typical Monday of classes. In Science we began the final unit on sustainability and chose topics in this area to do our independent presentations on. For activities some participated in “Music Snobbing” (i.e. sharing our favorite music with each other) with Ben, while others got down in Sam’s break-dancing seminar. Tuesday, we read the short story “The Only Traffic Signal on the Reservation Doesn’t Flash Red Anymore” as the beginning of our study of the power of writing to critique and effect change in ourselves, our communities, our government, and our culture. Wednesday’s Science lab included tramping around in the snow in minimal clothing to experience and study the effects of cold and the changing skin temperatures after extended time outside. We learned that, at first, when entering a cold environment ones skin temperature increases, but after a period of a few minutes, it decreases again because the brain realizes that the body cannot generate enough energy to maintain that temperature. The cold Leadville climate was a perfect environment for us to study the phenomena.

Thursday morning was cold. Really cold. We rolled into Who’s Hall in sweatpants and puffy jackets so large you could barely make out a person underneath all the layers. While field games sounded entertaining, we opted for games like “sock wars” and “bear hug” in the warmth of the yurt. We played for twenty minutes, tears running down our faces with laughter. In AP US History, we studied how the post-Civil War Reconstruction had three different aspects: the presidential, the congressional, and the Southern redemption. After lunch several students volunteered at Lake County Elementary School. With bright yellow visitor passes and smiling faces, we stepped into the second grade rooms only to find 16 little rascals clinging onto our every limb. Holding them up, we laughed and persuaded them to go back to their seats so we could start math or spelling. Engulfed in their work, the kids were determined to always have a question we could help them with; a simple smile seemed to make their day.

We could barely crawl out of our warm sheets at 6:30 on Friday, but the thought of a six-mile run got our muscles pumping, our hearts beating. Some chose the pavement of the road loop; others splurged for the adventure on the snowy trail along Turquoise Lake. It was beautiful, either way, with pink clouds floating right in front of us and an orange tint to the sky. It started snowing again in the morning, making everyone jump with excitement. We did our best to focus on writing our in-class essay in English, but the snowflakes pasting against our windows kept distracting us. Friday Night Study Hall was productive as usual, but, as the minute hand hit 9:15, we broke out of our seats for an impromptu game of baseball, replete with paper bases and a wiffleball bat in Who’s Hall.

Much to the chagrin of our deck chores staff (John, Matt, Tucker, Adam, and then everyone else when they had a chance), it snowed continuously throughout Saturday and was still snowing when we went into Leadville for our weekly laundry/Safeway run. Despite adverse conditions, RMS students braved the streets, conducting a bake sale to raise money for the Leadville Park and Recreation Center. Spearheaded by Rachel Scott, the bake sale raised an impressive $300 for an all-purpose turf field in Leadville. That night, we attended a Coffee House-style talent show held in Who’s Hall and MC’d by our very own Joey Patterson. RMS students showcased their various talents: singing, karate, rapping, dancing, violin, piano and guitar playing, to name a few.

By Sunday morning, the snow had finally stopped, leaving us with over a foot of powder. Mid-morning, the entirety of the RMS piled into vans and drove to Buena Vista where we toured a sustainable, off-the-grid house. It was an eye-opening experience for all and a valuable one as we project ahead to next Wednesday’s sustainability presentations in Science and beyond to our own future, our environmental footprint, and the way we want to live our lives.

By: Coby Unger, Zanny Regas-Riewerts, and Libby Chamberlin