October 30

10/30/07

Everyone arrived back on campus for dinner on Monday after a few days off since Parent’s Weekend. No one could contain themselves from the excitement of seeing the whole community back together after a whole two days of separation. Hugs were passed, stories exchanged, and haircuts examined. The faculty had made us a delicious dinner of baked ziti, and then we all settled back into our routine of study hall in preparation for classes the next day. Tuesday got us back on track with another round of crazy field games for AMX. In English we began our discussion of A River Runs Through It in how it portrays a nostalgic view of the romantic Old West. For activities, some went slack-lining (kind of like tight-rope-walking but close to the ground) and some played field games. In science we continued our discussion of orogeny, a geologic term for mountain building.

Whew! By mid-week we were back to our normal and really fast pace, but we also were looking forward to the third and final expedition! On Thursday we had our community meeting in the yurt, where we brainstormed ideas to help us be more successful in upholding our goals as a community, such as keeping the mudroom a little tidier and so forth. Advanced Spanish began “Subjunctive Boot-Camp” (possibly the hardest concept in the world for us English-speakers to comprehend) and discussed - all in Spanish, that is - the Chicano Movement in the 1970s and 80s. On Friday, we did a six mile run during AMX, and, halfway through, there was a surprise aid station of cookies, lemonade, and fruit so that we could begin our next three miles refreshed and happy. Also on Friday, two students pulled a prank on Molly, unhooking her phone and putting a golden antique (and broken) phone in its place. Molly giving kudos to the two students was a great way to start Friday’s lunch. Everyone was in an entertaining mood, and we were anticipating the weekend ahead of us!

This weekend was one of fun, excitement, and pranks. Saturday started off with normal classes, but by the time lunch arrived everyone was ready to go to town… so go we did! We had an interesting afternoon that included carving pumpkins with Jack and Porter, picking up snacks at Safeway, and buying out most of the thrift store in a desperate search for the “perfect” Halloween costume. Dinner’s theme was Music, and there were a lot of rappers and other musicians crowding Who’s Hall, not to mention a singing traffic light and stop-sign. In the evening, we all piled into the vans and went to a haunted house in town, which most of us agreed was one of the scariest we’d ever visited. On Sunday morning, students stumbled into some campers’ tarp site in Who’s Hall, replete with trees, sleeping bags, a thick layer of duff on the floor, and a perfectly “bombproofed” kitchen. The day improved from there, as most students piled into our big white vans (again!) and drove to Breckenridge, where we spent the afternoon ice-skating. For the few that remained behind, it was a nice opportunity to relax and de-stress. Sunday night concluded with study hall, and now we head into another week of school before heading to Utah for the final expedition. Time to get back to work!

By: Jim Menkol, Adrian Zemor, and Helen Rowe