May 19
This week began our discussion of Into the Wild in English, analyzing the early exploits of Alex Supertramp. In history we watch the movie The Outlaw Josey Wales and considered its 
portrayal of the old West. Monday night was Formal Dinner. We all got very dress up to eat the elegantly rolled sushi and pretended like we all had manners. Even Kate Barletts parents visited on Monday for the sushi dinner. The ever-changing Colorado weather decided to drop over a foot of snow on Monday and Tuesday morning; we didn't go running. Instead we had a "Choose Your Own Adventure" AMX: Some played Ga-Ga-Ga, others did yoga, and a few did a core workout. Wednesday, for science lab, we discussed how forest fires are a part of the Colorado ecology and visited a controlled burn site south of Leadville.
Thursday morning was a typical AMX, with a run. Students had a choice of running a four-mile course,or the six-mile loop. Many opted for the six miler in preparation for the upcoming 10 mile Fun Run on Sunday. Thursday was Gender Bender themed. Boys were walking around in dresses and tight pants, while girls borrowed guys clothing, until there were a couple extra Joes and Bens walking around. Many couples dressed as each other. Some notable costumes were Henry, Wiley, and math teacher Karl Remsen. Other than the crazy costumes, it was a typical day of classes, except for in science class, where students presented their final power-point projects on sustainable inquiry. There were presentations on different ways to power a car, including hybrid, bio-diesel, and electric. There were also some on alternative energy harnessed from the sun, wind, or hydroelectric sources. Some of the more unique presentations described sustainable architecture, using recycled materials, organic farming, and bio-mimicry. For community meeting, we discussed how to transfer the values and experience weve gotten from the RMS back into our real lives. Ideas included creating friendships with teachers and other prevalent adults back home, setting goals for yourself, creating tight knit communities, and being comfortable with yourself. We also touched upon taking up extra responsibility so as to gain independence and freedom.
Friday was Project Day, a day when we get to give back something to the RMS and work on various building and maintenance projects around the HMI campus. It was a beautifully sunny day, and at a scorching fifty degrees, many were wearing shorts and a T-shirt. We built picnic tables, sewed curtains, stained the buildings, and marked trees for cutting into firewood. Afternoon projects were very similar we built some Adirondack chairs and cleaning out the infamous grease trap under the kitchen. Overall, it was a nice break from classes that educated students on how to do certain jobs with their hands. Some learned the process that goes into our firewood, others learned how to turn lumber into a chair or bench, and others tried their hand at the sewing machine.
RMS XX had an amazing last weekend. We started Saturday by finishing our sustainable energy presentations and having our last P&P discussion. Everyone was excited to visit Leadville for the last time and had a great time in town and at the laundry mat. Back on campus, we chopped
wood and had some down time, trying to rest up before the big dance. We had a big pasta dinner to get all our carbs in before the Fun Run on Sunday. Then everyone went and put on their costumes for our Wild, Wild West dance party. Some dressed as cowboys; some as Indians; all with style. DJ Diction (Sam Critchlow, our math teacher) spun some music for us which was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time. Everyone ran back to the cabins and passed out to make sure they got a full night's sleep for Sundays big run. We had a big breakfast and headed to the starting line. Everyone was really excited, and at 10 the whistle blew. It could not have been a more beautiful day, sunny and in the 60s. It did get quite gusty towards the end but everyone made it. After everyone finished we went to the pool to soak our worn muscles in the hot tub and then came back to campus and napped or worked. It was a wonderful weekend, and as we venture into our last week here in Colorado, were going to strive to make every second count!
By: Henry McKenna, Matt Hogan, and Jane Strader
Upper Photo: Liz, Beckett, Sarah, David, and Haley put on their best manners for formal dinner.
Lower Photo: Everyone celebrates success as Cayla and Katie cross the finish line.