Life of a Warren Wilson Student

Salsa at Warren Wilson

2011-04-26T14:21:00.002-04:00

In the mountains surrounding Warren Wilson, the sounds of bluegrass and banjos are the most common. As a new student this was very frustrating to me, as I’m an avid fan of all music apart from country and bluegrass. For a few weeks I indulged in contra dancing which is a very entertaining, very southern dance. However, even with me contra dancing every Thursday, I longed for a dance with a little more flavor.

A month or so into my first semester I was ecstatic to see a poster about salsa lessons starting at Warren Wilson. In my home in Orlando, Fla., I was a keen student of salsa and other Latin dances. Ever since I first saw that posted, Monday nights have been dedicated to salsa. Two Warren Wilson graduates run the salsa lessons and everyone has a great time.

Recently the salsa enthusiasts like myself were invited to perform at the Multicultural Dinner, the international students were hosting. For a week our little salsa community put together a routine complete with spins, dips and turns. Every day we worked on our routine to perfect our moves. We were all extremely happy when our last day of practice came. We were ready to show the entire Warren Wilson community our love of salsa. Unfortunately, our salsa performance at the multicultural dinner was canceled at the last minute because of a change of location, but our love of salsa has not diminished.

Warren Wilson is a unique community with many unique clubs such as step team, fire twirlers, belly dancing and more. Salsa is a nice addition to our unique community and our diverse tastes. Don’t be fooled by the bluegrass and country music; I promise you there is diverse and exciting culture here at Warren Wilson full of all different kinds of music and dance.

Grace Hatton ’14

A Night of Lounges

2011-04-25T14:30:00.001-04:00

Currently I am working on two research papers simultaneously. My paper for Grassroots Politics of the 20th Century is based on the primary source of an interview with Harvey Gantt. Gantt was the first African American mayor of Charlotte, NC and I am focusing on his activism within the greater Civil Rights Movement. My second paper is more or less comparing the penal systems in the U.S. and Sweden. My thesis reflects how well each system prepares prisoners to reenter society and rehabilitates them once they have served their time. I have been spending every night working on both these papers in between my regular homework.

When I am not working on homework I am at the theatre working on props for the upcoming production of The Cherry Orchard. I am in charge of finding, making, buying, etc all the props for the productions. Tech week starts Saturday and opening night is April 21st. So I am putting in extra hours at the theater to make sure all of my props are ready to go.

However, last night I took a night off from long hours in the library and theatre to celebrate a friend’s birthday. A group of seven of us put on our ‘night on the town’ clothes and headed to Asheville. Our first stop was the Champagne Lounge. This is a bookstore and champagne bar. There are bookcases upon bookcases in this two story lounge all for perusing, and purchasing if you found you need to finish the book at home. It has the perfect lighting and the warm colors of dark wood tables and bookcases, and comfy couches and chairs that you melt into. We found a cluster of couches and chairs in one cozy nook. Considering it was Lindsay’s birthday they gave us a complimentary bottle of pink sparkling wine. Being under 21 myself, I enjoyed an amazing glass of raspberry Italian Soda. I would go back just to have another glass of that delightful drink. After an hour or so of laughing and snacking on chocolates we left for our next stop.

We then walked over to the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. Here we all ordered warm sipping chocolates, liquid truffles, mint brownies, and cheesecakes.

Break Trip!

2011-04-10T15:33:00.007-04:00

I’ve been lucky enough to participate in a Break Trip every year I’ve attended Warren Wilson—first to Pine Ridge Reservation to look at hunger issues and cultural preservation my first year, then a local trip in Asheville working with arts organizations when I was a sophomore.

This year, I applied to travel to Detroit to work with organizations that grow food in the city’s urban and economic context. It seems that a lot of non-Detroiters see the city as a sort of lost cause—that Detroit is somehow so abandoned or crime-ridden or jobless that it’s a throwaway place. Our group’s experience, though, was one of vibrant, thriving community—not a blank slate city, not a forsaken urban skeleton.

Working with several organizations through the course of the week began to illuminate the network of individuals and organizations partnering to strengthen the proud and growing city. Greening Detroit is reforesting a city that used to be famous for its trees. Emily at Hostel Detroit, where we stayed, is working to open a space for visitors and volunteers. The Jeanne Wiley House continues to establish intentional community in a neighborhood with a historic Catholic Worker presence. Earthworks distributes seedlings and seeds to community and family gardeners. Catherine Ferguson Academy, a public high school for pregnant and parenting teenagers, teaches science through experiential learning on a farm connected to the school that sells its own produce.

Throughout the week, we had a lot of discussions about what it means for us to work in a community that is not our own. What does our vision of community development count for in spaces where it isn’t our place to lead, but to listen? How do questions of class and race and education play out? Is gentrification ever altered by good intention, or does it always yield the same negative result? None of the questions have simple answers—addressing power and privilege requires constant vigilance—but we did come up with some steps when thinking about equity. Listening and humility were two qualities essential to being in community in an appropriate way. Conscious and responsible tourism was another answer for us as visitors to another city.

At the end of the week, we visited the Detroit Institute of Art. It’s a lovely, large museum, and its prime claim to fame is a room of fresco murals painted by Diego Rivera in 1932 and 1933. The museum was a grounding way to end the week, to be surrounded by larger-than-life depictions of the automobile industry. The museum pulled it together for me. The marbled, echoing, colorful room that holds the murals is a space that invites reflection.

I realized there that the biggest significance the trip held for me was the way it made me reconsider my own place in community development. I was born and lived in Milwaukee, Wisconsin until coming to Warren Wilson three years ago. The fact that Detroit had that uniquely urban Midwestern quality of a presence both unassuming and grand reminded me of own my home city, a place with which my relationship is ambivalent but loyal. The Break Trip was an opportunity for many of us to reach that reflection, a chance to go to another locale to consider our own.

I'm a Little Surprised

2011-04-05T15:45:00.004-04:00

I didn’t intend to want to be a fundraiser. I transferred to Warren Wilson to become a writer. I knew I would almost definitely need a day job to support that passion (let’s just say the novel hasn’t been sold, by dint of it not yet existing), but fundraising was one of the furthest things from my mind.

So, in retrospect, I’m a little surprised to say that not only did I attend the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Western North Carolina chapter’s monthly luncheon for March, but that I was excited to do so and am excited at the possibility of getting to go again next month.

See, my parents own and operate a consulting firm for nonprofits organizations back home in Rhode Island. Basically, they get paid to offer various nonprofits constructive criticism about how they might improve. There’s more to it than that, obviously, but that’s what it boils down to.

For a long time, I avoided learning as much as I possibly could about the “family business.” My parents work long hours from their home office, and the topic of work frequently invaded our dinner table conversations, alienating us children. The last thing I imagined doing with my life was what my parents do. I suspect most children experience this desire, at some point in their lives. I imagine some of them even manage to avoid following in their parents’ footsteps.

Then I came to Warren Wilson College and started working in the Advancement Office, which handles fundraising and relations for the college. Advancement is the college version of my parents’ area of expertise. My crew supervisor assures me he had no idea that was the case when I was selected for the crew. He’s an honest man, so I believe him (mostly).

Of course, once in Advancement, all that jargon like “development,” “donor appeals,” “grant writing,” and “strategic planning” that had bandied around our home came rushing back. And I realized that not only did I remember hearing the words, but that I remembered what they meant and how to put them to use. And, to my initial quiet horror, that I liked it. I’ve since come to accept that which I cannot change about myself. I guess I was just raised this way. It might even be in my blood.

In fact, when Miranda Hipple, our Annual Fund Director, suggested that I attend the AFP luncheon a while back, I started thinking about how to make the time. And the past Wednesday during spring break, while working full-time for Advancement, I pulled on a pair of khakis, some nice shoes, and a dress shirt my parents gave me for Christmas, and rubbed elbows with Western North Carolina’s fundraising community. I was nervous and shy, although I realize now that I shouldn’t have been. These are fundraisers, after all, they don’t bite; it wouldn’t get them anywhere. There was a guest speaker: an events consultant who certainly gave me a crash course in planning a successful event, and had some tips and tricks for managing even little things to maximize success (such as what day to mail invitations so guests would receive them on a day when they had time to process the request).

I’m about to graduate, and if my life takes me where I’m hoping it will, I’ll become an AFP member and attend a lot more of these luncheons, especially those in Western North Carolina. I’m always delighted to find that Warren Wilson doesn’t just teach me new things, but teaches me to revisit my past and use it to make what I want of my future.

Alex

Yesterday

2011-02-08T20:24:00.002-05:00

7:00am- Woke up and got ready for my day.
7:45am- Headed to Gladfelter and get a bowl of cereal and grapefruit to go.
8:00am- Bring my breakfast to the Admission Office and snack on it while I read and respond to all the Admission Office emails. Yep that is me you are talking to.
9:30am- Walked up to Kittredge Theatre with my fellow crew members to give a tour to 30 high schoolers from a nearby school. We break the students up into smaller groups and head out around campus.
11:00am- I walked up to Jensen to my 11:00 a.m. class- Constitutional Law. We digested the Supreme Court case Barren vs. Baltimore. Apparently, citizens are not protected by the Bill of Rights against States. Who knew?
12:20am- Went to CowPie Café for lunch. Ate a yummy green salad, focaccia bread, and bean salad. I was in need of an afternoon pick-me-up and got a cup of coffee to go. Sadly when I was pouring in my half-n-half it came out too fast on accident so I ended up having coffee with my cream.
1:00pm- I went to Statistics class to realize that if “you do not use, it you lose it.” Wow is my math rusty. But I made it though class in one piece.
2:30pm- Walked over to the Theatre again, but this time as the Property Mistress for the production of Women Beware Women. I spent the next two hours washing the goblets I bought, designing an alter tapestry, among other things I need to finish.
4:30pm- I went to the Theatre Crew meeting. I am not on the crew and this was my first time going to one of these meetings. It was fun. I spend so much time at the theatre that I guess it was not that out of line that I went.
5:30pm- I went back to CowPie for dinner. Indian night.
6:30-10:30pm- Lived in the Library doing homework.
10:30pm- Got ready for bed while trying to finish up the original Pink Panther movie. I was so tired that I did not last long. This movie is turning into a 4 part movie considering I keep starting an stopping it.
11ish- Switched over to reading Rich Dad, Poor Dad a personal finance book about what makes the rich rich and the poor poor. My chapter was about the difference between assets and liabilities.
11:30ish- Turned out the light.

PS- The picture I chose has nothing to do with my day but it makes me so happy that I thought it needs to be shown. This is me (left) and my sister at the stage door of Memphis: A New Musical in NYC. We are standing with the female lead Montego Glover! I made a point to go into the city over winter break just to see what is now my favorite musical!

Hockadoo!

Andrea

Reflections

2011-01-14T08:58:00.004-05:00

I remember the day my parents dropped me off at Warren Wilson back in August. I remember thinking, how I am I going to do this? Yet as I come to the end of my first semester here at WWC I have come to realize now only can I do the triad system of education, I can excel at it. Granted, it’s not an easy task. However I’ve discovered the key to excelling at Warren Wilson: balance. That word will save your skin at the school.

Unlike other schools, we have to learn, work and serve in order to graduate. That triad of education alone puts more stress on your time than most regular college students. After the triad there are extra activates to factor in. For example, I am on Step Team and we practice twice a week and then perform at the basketball games. I also work Phonathon on certain nights. I have to factor in that time. On top of all extra activities there is of course social life. So as you can see, time gets taken up very quickly at WWC. Therefore, balance is key to my wellness.

I suppose that’s the biggest thing the triad has taught me so far – how to maintain balance and wellness. Thanks to the triad I know I can balance work, service and academics without too much trouble. If I can handle the triad I know I can handle the real world just as well. As I continue to grow here at Wilson my view of the triad will surely change, but for now it has been a truly unique experience. Although it’s finals week now and I am a tad stressed, I can say without a shadow of a doubt that this first semester at Wilson has been amazing and I am looking forward to doing it all again in January.

Grace

Cloud Nine

2010-11-17T12:18:00.003-05:00

On My Own Cloud Nine

This year I decided to try something new. I saw the audition signs for the upcoming theatre production of Cloud Nine around campus. I love watching theatrical productions, especially musicals. I knew that I did not want to be an actor but thought it would be fun to be somehow involved in one my greatest interests. I spent a week contemplating whether I should go and ask if they needed any help back stage. On Monday morning, I woke up with my mind set- I would walk straight to the theatre and ask. But then when afternoon hit I got cold feet. I would not know anyone; I would be the outsider trying to weasel my way into what appeared to be a close-knit group.

Monday came and went, then Tuesday was gone. I played tug-of-war with myself on whether I should go with my gut instinct. All my friends were telling me just to do it, but I was nervous. Finally, on Wednesday I marched to the theatre and signed up for back stage help, not knowing exactly what that meant.

Two weeks had gone by with no word from the Theatre, I just assumed that they had found someone else. Then I received an email from the two stage managers asking if I would be interested in being the Property Mistress. I was extremely excited but nervous at my new title.

I was more or less handed a script and list of all the props needed in order to successfully run the show. I started out by just going to the prop shop and doing what I could and then leaving. I was not really socializing with anyone. However, over time I started to spend more time with Bev and Tori in the Costume Shop asking questions. Eventually I just started doing all my projects in there with them, with my new friends.

I have made so many new friends by leaving my comfort zone of familiar friends and people. Spending so much time at the Theatre and with all the amazing people there has been the time of my life. The experience I have had by trying something new on campus has shown me that I wish I had started with the theatre sooner! Everyone has been so welcoming at the Theatre considering this is my first time. I also cannot forget to thank my amazing Office of Admission for being so understanding with sharing my time between work and props.

I write this the morning after our last performance night. I have on a production t-shirt that all of the cast and crew are wearing today. Last night went amazing. Being backstage and being a part of the theatre I have never seen before brings a smile to my face. All the organized chaos backstage during performances was so much fun to be apart of.

It is now over and I am slowly coming down off ‘my’ cloud nine. But not for long- signups for the next performance are this week!

Inger

Will I Get In?

2010-11-04T08:11:00.004-04:00

I'm often (well, at least a couple times a year) asked, "Will I get into Warren Wilson College?" And I usually reply, "Why do you want in?" I'm not trying to be glib, but the reality is that your motive for wanting to attend Warren Wilson is important to those of us in the Admission Office who make decisions about who we admit. Of course we look at grades, test scores, and high school course selection, and we read each and every essay and letter of recommendation. But your motive is what sometimes makes the difference. You need to know -- Why Warren Wilson.
The fact that you are reading this probably bodes well for you. The fact that you have explored the web site this deeply illustrates how hungry you probably are for information.

As we state in our viewbook, "Warren Wilson is not for everyone." Some other small colleges seem to preach to college-bound students as if you are all alike. Well, I've meet very few "alike" students at Warren Wilson. This college is so unique that we scare some students away the minute they read a piece of our literature, and that's okay. The idea of working hard in a campus job, performing service for the community, and balancing a full load of challenging academics along with work and service might not seem like the sort of college experience many of your classmates are looking for. But that's the point - - we're not for everyone. The selection process starts with your interest in finding the right match, and if you have read our material, you are well on your way to being able to tell us if you are a match -- and why you want in.

So, in answer to your question, will I… "get in?" If you are a solid academic student and been engaged in your academic endeavors, if you are someone who cares about making a difference in the world (not just through words but through actions), if you are environmentally aware, and if to you, service means what you can offer others (and in return learn from those you serve) and not how fast you can get fries to go with a customer's coke. And if you can work really hard and work really well with others. Yes, you'll have a really really good chance of "getting in."

Richard for the Admission Staff
(Guest Blogger)

Expo

2010-10-29T13:54:00.002-04:00

Warren Wilson is a unique school and when I started my search for the perfect college that was one of the reasons I was drawn to WWC. I was drawn to the triad, the campus and the one of a kind student body. As an immigrant from the United Kingdom, a published author and entrepreneur, I suppose I qualify as unique.
This school is full to the brim of unique students and that’s why I am in love with this place. Alas my commitments to my work took me away from the beautiful Warren Wilson campus last week. I flew from the tiny airport that is Asheville Regional Airport to the one of the largest airports in the country, Orlando. From Orlando I drove down to Miami to attend the Performance Marketing Expo.

I had been booked as a speaker for this event since February. I was speaking on social media (facebook, twitter etc) and how companies can use social media to grow their business. At the conference there were representatives from such companies as Google, 123 print, Finish Line and more. The conference was held at a beautiful Hotel called the Eden Roc right on South Beach.

I have spoken at various conferences before since I have been speaking professionally for almost a year now. Apart from speaking at Girl Scout events every time I have spoken the audience is older and more experienced than me. The Performance Marketing Expo was no different. The closest attendee to me in age was 23. However I have learned that everything in business is about attitude. Regardless of how young or inexperienced you are if you carry yourself like you know what you’re talking about, people assume you do.

On the day of my presentation I donned my business suit, did a walkthrough with the AV tech for the room I was presenting in and listened to other speakers as I waited for my presentation in the afternoon. During the day as I networked many people asked me about my business and why I was at the conference. When I told them I was one of the speakers the shocked looks were plentiful.

Finally my time to speak arrived and as always the butterfly’s were playing havoc in my stomach. I listened as I was introduced to the audience. They clapped out of habit and I took the stage. The first moment before I start talking is always the most daunting. I look out into the crowd and see the audience with their arms crossed waiting to be impressed. In that moment the audience is judging me and in a way I am judging the audience. It’s at that moment when I can allow my nerves to take over or remind myself that out of thousands of potential speakers, they picked me. I was chosen to be there and thus I had a responsibility to do my very best.
As I have done with every professional speaking engagement I take a deep breath, glance at my notes and begin my presentation. I suppose speaking is like riding a bike the first time is always the hardest and the first moments are always the shakiest. Once I get past those first few moments I begin to speak my material with confidence because I know its content inside out. After the first moments I run through my presentation without a hitch. A couple of times I forget my place but the audience never picks up on my momentary confusion. At the end of the presentation I thank the audience and as they applause, they thank me.

I am now back on the WWC campus and I have to admit it feels like two different worlds. The world of my business and the world of college are as different as can be. However both are a part of me and what makes me unique. I am only one of the students here at Warren Wilson and as this series continues you will see just how truly special our student body is.

Grace

Uppsala Redux

2010-09-24T08:40:00.003-04:00

How to put into words...

It has now been a few weeks since I landed back in the States- after a summer in Sweden. I was enrolled in the Uppsala International Summer Session, which is a language course designed for international students of all ages and levels. This year, there were over 200 students from 17-75 year’s old, representing 32 different nations. In the morning, we all went to our respective level of Swedish Language. I already have a good understanding of the conversational aspect of the language, but my grammar was lacking. Now after a summer of intense classes, my vocabulary and grammar have become much better.

Every morning we took a traditional coffee break called fika. This involved taking a break from class to drink coffee with cookies and an open-faced sandwich. Mmm. In the afternoon, we all reconvened for various afternoon classes- I took Conversation and Grammar. After classes ended for the day at 3:15, I had the rest of the afternoon to do as I pleased.

My friends and I would go out for coffee (again) to one of the many cafés or go exploring around the city. Everything was in walking distance and there was never a reason not to go on an adventure. Some evenings my friends and I would go to the University Botanical Gardens or to a student nation for dinner. Student Nations are these pubs sprinkled around the city for university students with ID to go eat and hang out for much cheaper than a regular restaurant.

Every Friday we had a "field trip" of sorts to some city or site. My favorite place we went was an old copper mine, which was once the third largest exporter of copper in the world. They had guided tours of down inside the mine which was by far one of my favorite Friday trips. It was cold, wet, and eerie. In one very large part of the mine, they blew out all the lights and we all stood in complete and utter darkness.

On the weekends, we were free so I typically took the 45 min train ride south into Stockholm. My grandparents and rest of my family live in Stockholm, so I would spend the weekends with them. The first week I was in Sweden, I spent it in southern Sweden with my aunt and two cousins in Malmö. Then I spent a week in Stockholm before I moved to on my own in Uppsala. I flew straight from Stockholm to Asheville two days before classes started. Once back I was having a hard time with being away from my grandparents and family, it is always hard to say goodbye.

I had a hard time leaving my family and my summer life in Sweden. Luckily, I have great friends to come back to- they have made all the difference. Let the countdown begin to my next trip to Sweden.

Inger

Ronan’s Blended Family

2010-09-13T14:57:00.004-04:00

As many first year college students will explain, leaving a pet behind to pursue educational endeavors can be as challenging as parting with a human family. As I enter my senior year at Warren Wilson, I can reflect on my many tearful comings and goings. Several times per year I travel from my home in New York to this beautiful valley. While Warren Wilson has truly become my home away from home, Wilson is also home to my beloved dog, Ronan.

On one fateful spring evening last April my friend called me to explain how he happened upon a stray dog. However, the docile black lab was not a stray, but a loved companion also residing on Warren Wilson Road. The following morning the sweet dog, named Ducky, was joyfully reunited with his mom and dad. Upon returning him, Ducky’s parents gave me the gift of a lifetime- an eight week old puppy. Ducky’s parents had recently rescued a pregnant pooch during the great snow storm of 2010. Ducky’s dad explained that my little black puppy was so special that they called him “Duckling.” I renamed the baby, Ronan, meaning “little seal” in Gaelic.

When the school year commenced, I brought my puppy home to his temporary residence in New York. He has grown from a tiny puppy to a sixty pound dog almost over night. Ronan loves his new family on Long Island including our miniature dachshund, Delilah. However, I long for the moment when Ronan and I return to our home together. Hopefully, he will be joining me for family weekend in the meantime!

Cait

Great Expectations

2010-08-27T15:49:00.004-04:00

My expectations of college before I actually got here was that it is cold and institutionalized. I also had the eerie expectation that during the transition to college I would feel alone and like a stranger among new faces and new buildings. The expectation that I had of the work program was a negative one due to a previously bad experience as a computer technician that I had for a year and a half during high school. Included in that negative expectation were some concerns about having to create a relationship with the work crew. Living in my home town and seeing people say one thing and do another left me questioning “Can a college actually practice what it preaches?” or is it just a bunch of talk to justify not following what they preach?

In reality Warren Wilson is much more than I could have ever expected.

The atmosphere is friendly and full of people who are willing to help with anything that is needed. All you have to do is ask. I never expected that any “American” college would be so open and excepting of so many people of different races, creeds, beliefs, cultures, and backgrounds. It is such a great feeling to be accepted as who you are and for your skills rather than the pre-constructed norm that society imposes on us from the time we are born. Also “Camp Wilson” is a lot more like a “summer camp” that I would have ever expected, but I know that the pace is about to be quickened and that summer camp feeling is about to disappear.

The transition from high school to college has been much easier than I ever expected due to the ability to share ideas freely and openly without the worry of being judged. The transition was also helped along by the fact that things shared in a peer group are done with a certain level of confidence that increases as the bonds forged get stronger.

Work. The work crew assignments although may not be what you were hoping for will probably be a good fit after we are able to adjust to the somewhat random order of the assignments. I like working. I’m just not fond of workplace politics.

It was refreshing to have my expectations shattered when it came to seeing how Warren Wilson practices what it preaches. I’m glad to see for the most part the staff and students pitching in to help “walk the walk” instead of just talking. One good example is service day 2010, in which the freshmen peer groups went out to local community gardens to help give notice to the issue of food insecurity. This is also a way of giving back to the community that helped to start the college. Another area that Warren Wilson practices what it preaches is in using bio-fuels to power almost all of the vehicles used on campus. Giving back to a community can be a very rewarding experience, because it allows a younger generation to see that there is more to life than computers and technology.

All in all college is what you make of it, that means not being hold-up in your room on your computer but experiencing all of what Warren Wilson has to offer.

So Long Ago... So Far Away...

2010-08-05T16:44:00.003-04:00

I started the applications for Teach for America and graduate school just this week. I am beginning my senior year at Warren Wilson in two weeks. As I look forward into this year, I cannot help but look back at how this whole amazing journey started with a letter four and a half years ago.

I can still remember the day I got my first information packet from Warren Wilson. I had been searching fruitlessly for the right college for months. No matter what college search site I used, all my searches came up empty. When I got the envelope from Wilson, I did what I did with all college mailings; I tore it open and glanced at the first page, prepared to throw it into the recycling. Instead, I burst into tears; I had finally found my school. All I had to read was “work program. . .service requirement. . .working farm” to know it was perfect. I visited on my 17th birthday, applied early decision, was accepted, and arrived in August of 2007. From the beginning, I loved Warren Wilson despite the fact that I lived in Sunderland next to one of the loudest residents in the dorm, and I worked on dining, two things many incoming students may dread. By the end of the year, I had managed to accumulate 97 service hours, learned to drum, attended every contra dance except one, avoided getting the flu when it ran through Sunderland, started singing (a lifelong dream), went to yoga twice a week every week, completed training to become an advocate for Our VOICE, the Asheville rape crisis center, and declared a History major with a Gender and Women's Studies minor. It was, without a doubt, one of the best years of my life.

When we let out for summer, I counted the days until I would be back at Wilson with my friends, in a new dorm, Ballfield B, and on my new crew, RISE Project (www.warren-wilson.edu/~rise). I re-declared my major as Gender and Women's studies with a History minor and then added a second minor in Music. By the time summer arrived, I was already counting down the days until I would be back at Wilson for my junior year. When I got back home to New Mexico, I realized something had changed. In the past, the trip to New Mexico was a trip home. That summer, the trip to New Mexico was a visit home. Warren Wilson had become my real home, a place where I had built a family of amazing, strong, and wonderful friends, had a job, and had established myself as part of the community.

Back at Wilson that fall, I face the most stressful year to date. I was returning to school after a lot of drama at home during the summer. I needed time to process and recover but school was in full swing before I really got the chance. My high stress made it hard at times to function and when I came down with mono, the situation did not improve. I made it through the fall semester still in good academic standing but completely exhausted. Spring semester, I decided to take both the capstone (thesis) classes – Feminist Thought and Gender and Social Change – for my Gender Studies major. After turning in my two 21 page papers which completed those classes, there was nothing I wanted more than for the year to end. Academia seemed to be getting the best of me. I began to worry that the dreaded senioritis had arrived a year early and I might have burnt myself out for my senior year which I had been looking forward to.

My dread evaporated about half way through the summer, turning into overwhelming excitement to see my friends again, move back to my old room, sing with the college chorale, work on my old crew (RISE), and try to squeeze in as many service hours as I can manage even though I don't technically need them. It is strange getting to the place in school where I am finishing things. It's both happy and sad to realize that fall semester I will be taking my final gender studies course, my final general education course, and my final elective for my music minor. Come spring, I will be preparing for my senior solo voice recital and sorting through my various belongings to decide which ones are going with me wherever I go next. Finally, I will be walking across the stage to receive my diploma. It is surreal, wonderful, and sad. I cannot believe my time here has passed so fast. Of course it hasn't always been an easy or fun process but on this side of things, it is much easier to see the good in everything I have learned while at Wilson. Attending Wilson has been and I know will continue to be a gift which informs every action in my life. In the end, what can I say but, thank you to everyone who has made this experience what it is.

Victoria

Been there, done that - But not really...

2010-06-18T13:28:00.004-04:00

When I first came to WWC, I was not planning to study abroad. I had traveled all over the world working with my mother and thought I would not like a trip where I was learning rather than working. However, when I saw my name on the list of eligible study abroad students for the 2009/2010 year, I decided to check out the trips just in case I wanted to do one of them. I wasn’t interested in going to London, Costa Rica, Italy, or Mexico. However, when I saw there was a trip going to Ghana, I knew I had to go. It was a short-term study abroad course called Globalization, Culture, and Development in Ghana. Short-term study abroad courses meet for a semester and then go to the place of study for a couple of weeks during winter or summer break. I applied for the trip and was accepted. Every Monday at 4:00 during spring semester, I met with a group of seven other students and my professor. We learned about the many cultures in Ghana. We learned to critically look at the term “development” and understand the real implications behind “globalization.” We started learning a little bit of Twi (pronounced “tree”), one of the main languages spoken in Ghana. We had a lot to learn but we also took time to get to know each other. It was a very diverse group of students and we weren’t sure we could all get along for two weeks.

Finally, it was May 19, the day of our departure. I got up at 5:30 in the morning, cooked myself breakfast, checked my email one last time, and walked across campus to meet the bus to the airport. Three plane flights later, we were in Accra, the political capital of Ghana. As soon as the plane touched down, all the Ghanaians on the plane erupted into applause (something or professor told us they would do) and for the first time it hit me that I was finally in Ghana. Over the next two weeks, we did a lot of things. We were based in home stays in Accra but also spent time traveling outside of Accra to see various sites around Ghana. It was an eventful trip about which it would take pages to write. However, there were a few days which stood out.

The day after we got to Ghana, we went to a restaurant called Chez Afrique where every Friday a live band plays Highlife music. Highlife is Ghanaian music which mixes Ghanaian drum beats with western instruments. We danced from 8:00 PM to 12:30 AM. While it would have been nice to sleep in the next day, our bus picked us up at our home stays at 7:00 to go sight seeing in Accra. For the next couple days, we traveled around Accra, visited a primary school in Pima (a very poor, coastal section of Accra), and had a generally fantastic time. Six days after we got to Ghana, we headed out to Cape Coast to visit Ghana’s most popular tourist attraction, Elmina Slave Castle. Elmina is a beautiful fishing town on the coast of Ghana. Elmina Castle was built by the Portuguese to assist with gold exportation and later was used in the exportation of slaves. The castle consists of a chapel, dungeons used to hold the people before they were loaded onto ships, and officer’s headquarters. While I have seen first hand the legacy slavery has left in the US, it is different seeing the legacy slave exportation left in Ghana. We were shown around the castle and given vivid descriptions of what the people taken into slavery would have experienced before being loaded onto ships. We were given the opportunity to look out the “door of no return” which leads out of a room whose walls are now lined with wreaths in memory of people’s friends and family. While looking out the door of no return, I started crying and could not stop until well after we were back on the bus. It was a hard morning but I am very glad I got to have that experience.

That afternoon, to help us unwind from a very intense morning, we drove to Kakum National Forest. There, we took a walk on a swinging canopy bridge and got to see the incredibly beautiful Ghanaian rainforest from the tops of the trees. That evening, we drove to Kumasi, the cultural capital of Ghana. There, we toured the Asanti kings’ old palace which is now a museum, and visited a couple of villages which make beads, Adinkra cloth, and Kente cloth. Then we drove back to Accra. After two nights back with our families, we were on the road again, this time heading for the Volta region of Ghana. The drive was spectacular. We drove much of the way next to the Volta River which looks something like what you would expect to see in a fairytale. The water is almost silver; small, multicolored fishing boats can easily be seen floating along catching fish; the banks of the river slope up into mountains which are silhouetted by a beautiful blue sky. On our way to Ho, the capital of Volta, we stopped at a community-run monkey sanctuary where we fed bananas to a troupe of Mona monkeys.

We spent the night in Ho and in the morning headed to a secondary school for the service section of our trip. There, we were working with a group of students age 15-22 teaching them internet skills. Because there were not enough computers at the school for each of the people in my class to teach on one, I opted to stay outside with my professor and the students waiting to go into the computer lab. Outside, we danced, played circle games, and sang with the students. By the end of the morning I had exchanged email addresses with around 20 of the students and was thoroughly sunburned and exhausted. I was glad to get back on the bus and head back to Accra. The next day was our last day in Ghana so we went souvenir shopping at an incredibly overwhelming art market. At 5:00 the next morning, we were headed to the airport to catch our plane home. For me, coming home was the hardest part of the trip. The entire group had gotten really close during our travels (we all got along the entire trip) and I knew I was going to miss them a lot. I had also fallen in love with Ghana. My last taste of Ghana came when we touched down in New York and yet again all the Ghanaians burst into applause. This time, we joined them as well.

Victoria

8 hours x's 5 days = 40 hours

2010-05-24T19:17:00.002-04:00

I’ve got a week of working eight to five (minus the 12 o’clock hour for lunch) under my belt. One down, eleven more to go. This summer, I opted to remain at school and work a forty-hour contract twelve out of the fourteen weeks of summer vacation. I work in the Advancement Office (which handles Alumni, Community, and Church relations for the College, as well as Fundraising), and while there are certainly some students who might disparage office work in favor of something less white-collar, I find myself aptly suited for the task. Maybe it’s because my parents are fundraisers. Maybe it’s because the majority of my previous work experience is office work. Maybe some mixture thereof. Who knows?

This will actually be the first time in my life where I’ll have been employed full time for such a long stretch. I did work fall break and the last couple of weeks of winter vacation as well, but now I’ll be working for three months. So far I’ve found that while doing the same task for eight hours a day may grind a little, the trade-off is that, unlike classes, the work doesn’t follow you home. I’ve also been asked to join in on the weekly Monday morning staff meetings, which has added some more context to the work I do in the office. The harder I apply myself in my work, the more responsibility and independence I’m being given, which is a liberating experience.

I’m also excited to be around campus this summer. In Advancement, we’re all gearing up for Weekend at Wilson in June, where people can register to participate in a series of workshops. Besides that, I’m especially looking forward to the return of the MFA Program to campus. I got to attend the evening readings over the winter break, and found it, as a Creative Writing major, both intimidating and inspirational.

A part of me is also impatient for summer to end. Working for Advancement this summer is sort of bittersweet, for while I do enjoy my work, it will be the end of my time on the crew. When the academic year begins in August, I take my position as Student Caucus Co-Convener and begin applying myself to facilitating the student end of Shared Governance at Wilson. With a Governance Task Force convened to review Shared Governance as well as a new Dean of Students, it’s a bit of a crucial moment to be one of the people at the helm of student governance.
Still, I’d like to make it last. My transfer credits give me only two years here at Warren Wilson, and I feel like I need to make the most of them. So, even though I’ve already finished one week of work, I still have eleven more to enjoy.

Alex

What's An Uppsala?

2010-04-19T17:13:00.005-04:00

62 days and counting until my summer officially begins. On June 21st I head to the airport to start my journey to Stockholm, Sweden. I have been many times before, however this time is different. I plan to spend 9 weeks studying at the Uppsala International Summer Session (UISS) which is 1.5 hours north of the capital. UISS is a unique program designed for international students, ages 18-65, from all over the world to come together and study Swedish language and culture. I am excited to find out who I will meet and from where. I applied last October and almost cried of happiness when I received word of my acceptance.

I will be taking an intensive language course to perfect my Swedish as well as Modern Swedish History. In addition to all my class time and studying, I will be given opportunities to explore a different city other than Stockholm.

The reason I chose Sweden and this program is not just because of my academics but for a much more personal agenda. I am very proud that I have dual citizenship with Sweden and love everything about Sweden. I am very close with my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in Sweden and see them as often as we can all make the trip across the Atlantic. So I am going to Uppsala because I want to know everything there is to know about the history and language. I have only gone to Sweden with my family to see my family. I think I will greatly benefit from seeing Sweden from a different perspective- on my own. I will be positively forced to practice my Swedish and test my comfort zones.

The independence I will be given this summer both terrifies and thrills me. I am beside myself with happiness at the prospect.

I will come back after 9 weeks of complete fun just two days before classes start for the fall. I know I will be tired and jetlagged but I also know that my best friends from Wilson will be waiting for me when I walk off the plane to my second home.

Andrea

Reaffirming Work

2010-04-15T10:08:00.002-04:00

Firefighting in Buncombe County

At the beginning of the semester I took a Wildland Firefighting course sponsored by Forestry. In the Swannanoa Fire Department I learned how to fight wildfires, which on paper is a great way to boost a resume. The theory behind the class was that when the siren on top of Gladfelter went off three times, there was a wildfire in Buncombe County, and any Wilsonites with a certificate and a pair of good boots could come running to fight a fire. Having committed already to a play and 18 credits of classes, I honestly thought I would never answer the call.

On work day, the fire siren went off. I had a choice – answer the call and miss the communal joys of Work Day, or head off into the scorched earth.

I was part of a three-man crew that fought fires for thirteen hours straight on Work Day. While it may seem like grueling work that tears you down (and indeed it does) it is also the most relaxing and rewarding work I have ever done. Climbing down a mountain to put out spot fires isn’t particularly glamorous, and it is exhausting, but it is simple. You can lose yourself in your work, and spend hours upon hours thinking of only one thing, and everything else – your exams, homework, term papers, arguments, frustrations – simply does not exist.

While patting mud balls onto smoking bits of wood, I found myself wondering where else could I have opportunities like this? Warren Wilson values work – real work that has more meaning than just a dollar value. Firefighting is an experience I never planned to explore before I cam to the Swannanoa, and I am eternally grateful. The thrill of answering the air-raid siren in the middle of a class is like nothing else I have ever known. There is a camaraderie among firefighters that isn’t limited to counties or states. All firefighters have done the same backbreaking work of digging a fire line and smiled through a layer of soot into a smoke-filled sky.

Warren Wilson values work, and this value means more in the adult world than many people realize. Warren Wilson’s work program prepares students to fully commit to their work and earn a place for themselves in whatever career they may choose.

Diana

Ties That Bind

2010-03-01T21:12:00.003-05:00

Junior Rachel Rasmussen is spending a semester with Warren Wilson’s newest exchange partner, the Universidad de Oriente in Valladolid, Mexico, where is she taking courses in linguistics, Mayan culture and culinary arts. Rachel and her host family recently visited the Mayan ruins of Ek Balam. Valladolid is an important center for contemporary Mayan culture, and the Universidad de Oriente offers Mayan studies as one of its major focuses, as well as linguistics, education, sustainable tourism and gastronomy. By equipping its graduates with practical as well as academic knowledge, UNO hopes to generate more local employment and opportunities for young adults in the Yucatan region. Rachel writes:

"After two months of studying in the Yucatan, I finally feel less like the funny-looking new kid and more like I actually live here. I´ve noticed a difference in other people, too: less awkward stares, less taxi drivers mistaking me for a tourist, and less people not understanding my Spanish. Now, I can confidently make my way around town, have substantial conversations with my host family and teachers, and even get some of the jokes my classmates make (though often when I try to make jokes of my own, I wind up having to re-explain myself and the joke tends to get lost in translation). Being the only non-Mexican student at a small university of 600 seemed like it would be a daunting task, but I have a great support group of teachers, students, and host family. I'm actually glad I´m not here with a large group of Americans, because total immersion is helping me dig deeper into this unique culture.

And it really is a neat cultural blend of Mayan tradition, modern Mexico, and the odd pop-culture references from the US (think Lady Gaga and Britney Spears). In my Mayan culture classes, we take on these topics of `living in two worlds´ and what it means to be a young person with Mayan heritage living in `the modern world´. We wonder about the complexities of Mayan philosophy, analyze how Spanish colonialism has influenced traditional Mayan beliefs, listen to stories of Mayan mythology, and even contemplate about the astronomical meanings of 2012...no worries, it doesn´t predict the world will end.

So yes, a lot of things are definitely different here-they speak Spanish everywhere, nobody lives in a dorm, I drink bottled water, I spend much more of my time in class and much less doing homework. And there´s certainly familiarities and people that I miss at Warren Wilson. But in the end, one of the biggest similarities I find between my life in the Yucatan and my life in Carolina is in the quality of the people and the opportunities to connect with their stories."

Hey, warm those hands lady!

2010-02-25T12:43:00.003-05:00

Saturday I decided to try something new… milk a cow. I have quite a few friends on the Farm Crew, so I thought it would be fun to tag along with Alice on her Saturday morning milking. Why not? It’s not like every college student has opportunities such as these. I had it all planned out. I borrowed muck boots from another friend on the farm and knew to meet up with Alice at promptly 7am. I woke up before the sun rose and dressed warmly for it snowing and cold.

It was beautiful walking down to the farm with snow flakes being illuminated by all the light posts. As we walked past all of the dorms I knew that everyone was still sleeping bundled up in their beds. We finally made it to the farm and took off a couple layers because being so close to Katie, our milking cow, would get warm.

First we had to clean Katie’s udder and underside completely before we began our milking. Once that was complete, we set up two stools on either side and started milking. It was so much harder then I would have ever imagined. I was “in charge” of one teat and struggled to get any milk to come out. It was not until after Alice had finished her 2 teats that I eventually got into a rhythm. Afterward we brought our pale into the farm shop and filtered it into 2 large mason jars. Ready for consumption.

I am just so happy that I got to have the experience of milking Katie. I continued my day with making muffins for breakfast with Katie’s milk, which were delicious. Then I was back to the grind stone with homework for the rest of the afternoon.

This past Sunday I also decided to try something new again…bake bread. I realize that many people bake bread all the time; however I have never done such a thing. I found a recipe online, bought some yeast and ingredients, and proceeded to go to the kitchen and figure it out. Luckily someone was in the kitchen at the same time who makes bread often and was willing to show me a few tricks when it came to kneading. However, other then that I did it. It was so gratifying after 2.5 hours to pull two large rounded loaves of bread out of the oven. It tasted so good to eat something that I made myself.

So this has been a couple weeks of new experiences that are just two more reasons why I love Warren Wilson.

Andrea

How Green Is My Valley

2010-02-15T19:15:00.004-05:00

As a Warren Wilson student, I was given the opportunity to apply for the Irish-American Scholars program, which exchanges students from universities in the US and Northern Ireland. Now fully into my sixth month at the University of Ulster in Coleraine, I can finally say that I am undeniably homesick.

Don't get me wrong--I love Northern Ireland. The people here are ridiculously nice, and I'm surrounded by incredibly beauty (that photo is from my bedroom window!). I've met some amazing people here that have challenged my conceptions about identity, culture, and lifestyle. I have plenty of leisure time, and I've travelled about the British Isles extensively and have plans to go further. I've still got some money in the bank from summer work and I can walk to the local pub whenever I want.

But, and this is the life-altering bit--it's not Wilson. My favorite flannel, stolen from my father in high school, still gets lumberjack jokes. I haven't found a piece of kale YET. For what is not the first time in my life, I am the hippie weirdo that thinks too hard about food, empathizes with cows, rabidly recycles, does not own a proper "party dress," and aches to work.

Writing an email to my WWC international studies advisor (who happens to be married to my academic advisor, making communication between all of us a breeze), I had a realization: my culture shocks did not come mostly from a change in currency, weather, lifestyle, food, or ideology. My time at Wilson has made those differences seem so superficial that the switch has been at times comical but never overwhelming. Truly, my culture shock comes from leaving Wilson and attending a big, "real" University. I get lost in the crowds and lost in the hallways. I pay for coffee at a coffee shop, and I cook by myself in my flat. Failing a year means a tuition-free do-over year, so there's really no incentive to pass. In my massive 40-person lectures (in a legitimate lecture hall!!) half the students are texting, a fair proportion are on Facebook, and the others look like they want to die. I am forced to make way too much awkward eye contact with the lecturer because I am the only person making an effort to express interest.

This is not to say that Wilson lectures don't ever include someone dozing off or not paying attention, or heaven forbid, not attending. Sure, that happens in any classroom. But overall, my classes at Wilson have been stimulating, precisely because the students care about the topics, and therefore the professor cares. I have sat outside Carson many a time and continued a discussion carried over from class that made me late for lunch. I bring up readings with my friends because they made me see the world in a slightly different way. There is a conscious effort in so many Wilson situations to make the material applicable to life, integrating experiences and seeing the interconnectedness of everything you do. Your social life melts into your work life, which informs your academics, which stimulates service, which creates your dreams. If you don't care about what you're learning...you leave. You go somewhere else, do something else, try something else.

So, here I am, in the midst of what is supposed to be the Time of My Life, pining away for a little piece of land across the ocean and feeling pretty silly about it all. I know that time passes oh-so-quickly, and as much as I try to live in the moment and learn from the here and now, I can't help but know that Wilson is where I belong, and I look forward to my homecoming.

Michelle

The Christmas Truce of 1914

2009-12-22T21:33:00.007-05:00

By Paul J. Magnarella

Although World War I ranks as one of the most horrific in history, causing about 40 million casualties and up to 20 million military and civilian deaths, it also included a famous and spontaneous peaceful interlude inscribed in chronicles as the unofficial Christmas Truce of 1914.

World War I The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, by a Bosnian Serb in Sarajevo on 28 June 1914, plunged much of Europe into war. The Entente Powers of France, Russia and Britain stood against the Central Powers of the Austro-Hungarian, German, and Ottoman Empires. In mid-September, the German, British and French commands ordered their armies to entrench along a 475 mile Western Front that extended from the North Sea to the Swiss frontier. Four years of brutal, stalemated trench warfare followed. Most trenches were about seven feet deep and six feet wide topped by a parapet of sandbags. From there barbed wire entanglements extended into No-Man’s land. In many places the No-Man’s Land separating German and British front-line trenches was only 30 to 70 yards wide.

The elements were sometimes more debilitating than the enemy. Standing in the mud and water for days often resulted in feet becoming gangrenous. Excessive exposure to wet and cold caused nephritis, which affected the kidneys. The accumulated rubbish, urine, and excreta in the trenches negatively impacted on health. Food scraps and decaying corpses attracted huge numbers of disease-carrying rats. The unwashed men attracted lice that covered their bodies with bite marks and caused “trench fever.” Artillery bursts caused some men to experience shell shock.

Periodically, the aristocratic generals (safely lodged in the rear) ordered the mostly lower class men in the trenches to make suicidal frontal assaults on enemy trenches. Machine guns and rapid fire rifles simply mowed down attacking men in No-Man’s Land, where their bodies often remained for weeks in a decaying state. The generals never devised a sensible plan to break the cruel stalemate that trench warfare became.

On Christmas Eve the weather cleared. Rain gave way to a clear cold that froze the mud and water, making movement easier and boots and clothing drier. Having received gift packages from home, the men of both sides were in a festive mood. That evening, along the front-line, German troops sang Christmas carols. Many erected candle-lit Christmas trees on their parapets and called out season’s greetings to their enemies opposite them.

Many Entente troops responded with applause, holiday wishes, and songs of their own. Concerned, one British battalion command informed Brigade Headquarters: “Germans have illuminated their trenches, are singing songs, and are wishing us a Happy Xmas. Compliments are being exchanged, but [I] am nevertheless taking all military precautions...”

Then, an amazing series of events occurred. Along parts of the British, French and Belgian lines, men from both sides went out into No-Man’s Land unarmed to meet, shake hands and fraternize. The First Battalion Royal Irish Rifles reported Germans calling out: “If you Englishmen come out and talk to us, we won’t fire.”

Scotsmen in Flanders, the 2nd Queen’s Battalion near La Chapelle d’Armentieres, and the 2nd Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers also reported Germans singing Stille Nacht [Silent Night] and extending invitations to meet in No Man’s Land.

Christmas Day
On the morning of 25 December, the 2nd Battalion Devons reported seeing the Germans hoist a board with the words “You no fight, we no fight.” Opposite the 2nd Battalion Border Regiment, the process began with a German officer emerging from his trench waving a white flag. The 2nd Battalion Wiltshires reported men on both sides waving to each other, and then going out into No-Man’s Land to meet unarmed. After initial greetings both sides agreed to bury their dead comrades who had been laying in No-Man’s Land for weeks. Some Germans and British worked together in burial parties; a British soldier described a joint funeral service as “a sight one will never forget!” Members of the British Rifle Brigade gave the Germans wooden crosses to mark their graves.

The opposing sides exchanged food, drink, cigarettes, photographs, addresses and sincere wishes for peace. A British officer found the scene “absolutely astounding!” The troops found each other to be quite likeable. Many men felt compelled to write home about their experience. A London Rifles Brigade officer: “They [Germans] were really magnificent in the whole thing....I now have a very different opinion of the Germans.” A Scots Guard: “Some of them are very nice fellows and did not show any hatred, which makes me think they are forced to fight.”

Once No-Man’s Land had been cleared of corpses, some men found areas suitable for soccer games with improvised balls. In places, British and Germans ate Christmas dinner together, sharing whatever they had. They entertained each other with singing and instrumental music.

How It Ended
Many who participated in an informal truce hoped to continue it until New Year’s Day or beyond. But the High Commands sternly objected. A German army order dated threatened that fraternization with the enemy would be punished as high treason. A British order warned that “Officers and NCOs allowing [fraternization] would be brought before a court martial.”

In late December the High Commands ordered artillery bombardments along the front. They did the same in following years to ensure that the 1914 Christmas truce would not be repeated. Despite these measures, a few friendly encounters did occur, but on a much smaller scale than in 1914.

Soldiers Express Themselves
The Christmas truce touched the men deeply as evidenced in their letters and diaries. Various British soldiers wrote the following: “The most wonderful day on record!” “The most extraordinary celebration of Christmas any of us will ever experience!” “This experience has been the most practical demonstration I have seen of Peace on earth and goodwill towards men.” German troops wrote: “The way we spend Christmas in the trenches sounds almost like a fairy tale.” “It was a Christmas celebration in keeping with the command ‘Peace on earth’ and a memory which will stay with us always.” “Probably the most extraordinary event of the whole year—a soldier’s truce without any higher sanction by officers or generals.”

Speaking in the House of Commons in 1930, Sir H. Kingsley Wood, a former major who had served at the front in 1914 stated: “If we had been left to ourselves there would never have been another shot fired. …it was only the fact that we were being controlled by others that made it necessary for us to start trying to shoot one another again.”

Today, the Christmas Truce of 1914 is regarded as evidence of men’s natural desire for peace and friendship, even in the context of a brutal and senseless conflict. However, the 1914 Christmas Truce is not unique in history. During the early 19th century Peninsula War, British and French soldiers at times visited each other, shared rations and played cards. Periodically during the 1854-56 Crimean War French, British and Russian troops gathered around the same fire to smoke and drink together.

In the American Civil War (1861-65) Yankees and Rebels traded coffee and tobacco and peacefully fished from opposite sides of the same rivers. Throughout history, it has been rare for men fighting at close quarters not to extend friendly gestures and establish informal truces with their enemies.

Paul J. Magnarella is Director of Peace and Justice Studies, Warren Wilson College.

This commentary was distributed by PeaceVoice, a program of the Oregon Peace Institute.

Let It Snow...

2009-12-21T13:49:00.006-05:00

Thursday morning dawned clear but by lunch we were hearing the dire warnings of incoming snow. Thursday night it began to snow, and snow, and snow. Friday morning, students began to worry whether they would be able to get off campus. The snow had started accumulating and the roads were turning to ice. As I sat in the kitchen on my dorm on campus making tea, one of my friends ran in and tossed her key to me while quickly retreating out the door explaining that she needed to leave to beat the snow and I would just have to transfer her fish and her guinea pig, which I had agreed to take care of for break, myself. I had just enough time to wish her luck on her journey before she was gone. By noon, all the campus shuttles to the airport had been cancelled for safety reasons and all of Asheville’s taxis had stopped running. Pretty much everyone left on campus was stuck there at least for the night. At 7:00 Friday night, I was just finished baking vegan chocolate peanut butter balls when I peeked outside to discover that close to a foot of snow had fallen. Knowing that at least one of my friends had not made it off campus, I wrapped up a couple of the warm cookies, put on my boots, coat, gloves and hat, and headed out into the still falling snow.

Through the snow, I could just make out a six-foot tall snowperson gracing courtyard as I walked to the Wellness dorm. Once inside, I began to strip off layers before climbing the stairs to my friend’s room. When I know she invited me inside where I discovered not only her, but three other friends. After a brief discussion of some activities we could do that night, we went down into the common room to make some hot chocolate before heading back up to her room to cuddle together and watch It’s a Wonderful Life. Two hours, and a few tears later, my friends offered to walk me back to my room.

We all bundled up again and headed out into the snow. Almost immediately we all stopped, and after a few moments of joy declared that nothing is as beautiful as Warren Wilson in the snow (except maybe Warren Wilson in the spring). Unable to stand the idea of going back inside, we decided to take a walk. As we walked, we heard cheers coming from a nearby hill, one of the steepest on campus, and it did not take long to figure out that it was a group of people with improvised sleds. We climbed the hill, slipping on the snow and ice, dodging a couple of students as they came down, and finally made it to the top. There we found about fifteen people, a mix of foreign students and at least one person from each year, with a variety of boxes, tub lids, and other items which they we zooming down the hill on screaming the whole way. We laughed as we watched a couple of students set off down the hill, hitting a snow bank and doing a 360 before continuing down. After half and hour of fun, and a couple of trips down the hill, we realized it was getting close to 11:00 and we needed to go to bed. As we gingerly walked down the hill, we ran into one of the biology professors carrying his guitar and with him his wife. They had been singing and playing guitar on one of the pastures before realizing how late it was.

When I got home, I collapsed into bed and fell into a deep sleep. When I woke up in the morning, it was still snowing and it became apparent that no one would be leaving Saturday either. Cars littered the sides of Warren Wilson Road. The only vehicle that seemed to be able to get traction was a huge tractor, driven by a student, which was working to clear the roads of snow. It wasn’t until Sunday that the roads were clear enough for the shuttles to start running again and for students to drive home. Finally, on Monday morning, the campus was as quiet as it usually is during the first week of winter break. I headed down to recycling where I am working half the week for the next two weeks to start digging out our trash pick up trucks. Smiling, I picked up a snow shovel and started winter break for real.

Victoria

Aaah

2009-12-05T10:42:00.002-05:00

Another Semester Has Come and Gone

Aaah. The semester has unfolded as usual. December has come and another glorious semester is coming to a conclusion. Each semester is different and precious in its own way. Every semester, students are challenged with new and invigorating classes, off-the-wall service projects that help improve the life of someone else and work crews that may be a repeat from the semester before or a new one in order to explore a variety of jobs before graduation. Students work from sun up to sundown, writing lab reports, conducting research, serving food in the cafeteria, tutoring elementary school children, volunteering at food banks, tending to the cows and working with prospective students that we encourage to come to our school. When the semester unwinds to a slow and gradual stop, we can look back at the laughter, the tears, the enjoyments and the fond memories.

As for me, I rose every morning before eight. Shutting off my alarm clock and ridding myself of its siren-like blare, I would rub the sleep from my eyes and go about my day. After falling asleep twice in the bathroom, I would pull myself together and start my day. The mornings would open with a run to Gladfelter where I would receive a smiling welcome from the student serving food. I would then receive my gleaming bagel, rounder than any circle that any mathematician could ever draw. Then I would load up on cream cheese and gulp down a tall glass of skim milk.

The morning would then lead to classes where we had Socratic discussions and contemplated the eccentricities and complexities of this great world. Then it was off to Cowpie for lunch to see what food chocked full of life force vegetarian goodness the students had whipped together that day. The afternoon consisted of glorious hours in the Admission Office. There were of course the data entries, the appointment scheduling and the tours. But what I really loved was the mailing. Peeling the labels and placing them ever so delicately on the brochure. Stuffing envelopes with beautiful radiant green booklets, knowing that an excited prospective student would receive them. The sense of accomplishment that crosses the mind after having just finished taping 312 brochures. The wonderful feeling of diligence.

As the semester reaches the final stretch, I know I can speak for many when I say that another semester at Warren Wilson truly builds character. It would be a lie to say that it is not stressful. There’s homework, demanding jobs and service obligations. Time management is crucial. But when you stop and think about it, the days we spend balancing our life on this lovely campus with its majestic mountains, really are the best times of our lives.

Sarah

Rite of Passage

2009-09-23T21:27:00.006-04:00

At the end of last year, I remember hearing all the upperclassmen share how towards the end of summer you would grow antsy to get back to Wilson. I can now attest to this feeling with personal experience. I was so excited to go home to Upstate New York for the summer, to see family and friends, and to take a break from school work. But as soon as I bought my ticket back to the mountainous Swannanoa, I began to feel anxious to see my friends and just be on campus.

After getting up at three in the morning to catch my flight and spending all day in airports, it was so comforting to come around the corner and see the famous red barn in the field with the large WWC in white. I then carried my heavy suitcases into my new home of Ballfield B, to bump into one of my best friends. There was a sigh of relief. It felt so right to be back, and after one day I felt like I had never left.

All summer I answered the question of, “How was your first year at school?” I always felt I wasn’t doing Wilson justice with my response of “amazing.” However, I never could think of a way to show everyone how much I’ve grown and all the experiences I’ve had since moving away from home. I have truly grown as a person, from doing my own laundry when the bin is full to experiences which have given me a different outlook on the world.

I am now comfortably in a routine, which consists of classes, work, study, meals in Cowpie with friends, more studying, and tea time in the late evenings to wind down, before more studying. It was unbelievably nice to fall back into my typical duties on the Admission Crew, answering the phone, giving tours, and catching up. However I know friends who switched from working in the Work Program Office to Farm Crew and from Admission to Plumbing. To hear their new stories of learning something new has been great!

All in all it is “amazing” to be back! And I will always consider Wilson as a home away from home.

Andrea

Days of Our Lives

2009-09-23T14:45:00.004-04:00

7:00am
Wake up and get ready for the day

7:30
Walk to breakfast and take in the beautiful Valley

8:00
Lifestyles of Nonviolence class

9:30
Go down to the river to collect and identify arthropods during Field and Natural History class

11:00
East Asian Civilizations class

12:30
Lunch at Cowpie, the vegan café while listening to the old-time string band

1:00
Work at the Office of Admission- entering data, giving tours, and talking on the phone

5:00
Make dinner in the kitchen with the folks in my dorm

6:00
Attend a movie viewing for my US History from 1945 course

7:30
Take a short hike on campus

8:30
Homework and Studying

11:00pm
Fall asleep while watching the “Planet Earth” series

Cait

Oh Lord, Kumbayah

2009-07-09T07:38:00.006-04:00

It sounds like the lead up to a pretty good punch line: “What do you get when you send a Warren Wilson student to Maine to work at an all-girls Bible camp for the summer?” But this year, and for the past two years, I have left the Swannanoa valley to come up to New England Camp Cedarbrook. It may seem like a strange combination to you, but to me, it makes perfect sense. One of my favorite things about going to WWC is being exposed to so many new kinds of people and so many different ways of life (see also: reiki, firespinning, biodynamic agriculture, slam poetry, and raw-foodism), and learning how to be open to that. When I come to camp, I'm doing the same thing: being around people who seem very dissimilar, and learning how to look for what we have in common.

This summer, I am working joyfully alongside people who question evolution, who march in pro-life rallies, who have bumper stickers for the Marines on their cars and who proudly voted for McCain/Palin. And we all get along great. That's what being in community is about, right?

When I'm here at camp, I get to do things like teach Bible studies about compost (just like the worms decompose table scraps and turn them into rich soil, Jesus takes our icky bits and turns them into opportunities for growth) and explain how turning off the lights and buying local food is taking care of God's creation. And, what's more, I get to challenge myself, my campers, and the other staff to look beyond our stereotypes and knee-jerk reactions and learn how to live in vibrant community with one another.

See? Not so different from Wilson after all (well, except for the strict ban on skinnydipping up here. The lazy Swannanoa River will be waiting for me in August).

Can I get an “Amen”?

Lindsay

Why We Work - well, at least one reason...

2009-06-25T13:26:00.006-04:00

It’s the middle of June and I have been working on Admission Crew for roughly four weeks now. One of the great advantages of working at WWC in the summer is getting paid every two weeks. My plan is to save some extra money for the fall semester, so I can actually go out to eat every once and a while. I made the mistake of coming to school last semester with not more than five dollars in my bank account. Not that having money is a big concern here, it is just nice to be able to go out on occasion. At least WWC pays a good bit more than minimum wage for the summer work. With a forty hour a week contract, I should have some spending money as well. On top of it all, WWC makes it easy for students to take off however many weeks they want for vacation time. I could easily spend a month in Nova Scotia, and then come back and work the rest of the summer with this set up! I guess I am enjoying working on this crew too much to take that much time off.

Thankfully, today was payday, another five hundred dollars towards my savings. Right? Not exactly. A wrench was thrown into my plans to save up, when I got a call from a friend who was planning a trip by herself to New York City. Convincing me to join her did not take much. I thought about my little savings account, and decided, what am I saving for anyway; Greasy pizza from Chow Time, the local delivery place? No, I need to put my money towards new experiences, not more junk. So I dished out two hundred dollars for a round trip ticket to NYC. Luckily, the cost of the ticket was not even half of one of my paychecks. The real cost will come when I get there, gazing around at tons of museums and subways. The adventure will definitely be worth it. I have never been to NYC, and I have never been that far north. It’s going to be a one hundred and eighty degree turn around from the mountains of Appalachia but I think I need to experience the big city. Not to mention I’ll be there for the Forth of July celebration. City lights, and fireworks here I come!

Jenn

The Last Supper

2009-05-11T14:18:00.003-04:00

Ah, to be less than a week away from graduating. It is exciting, terrifying, and wonderful all at the same time. One of the many senior events of the final two weeks is the senior dinner, a delicious meal orchestrated by the President and his wife and shared with fellow seniors, professors, and staff alike. As if graduating weren’t nostalgic enough, do all of my professors have to dote on me so? Carol Howard, whom I mentioned in a previous blog as a brunette bombshell and professor of English here at WWC, saw us driving up to the dinner and waited outside of the door so that she could be sure to sit with “her students” at the dinner.

Unfortunately, Gary Hawkins, head of the creative writing department, and David Mycoff, head of the English department, did not plan so well, and we had quickly run out of space at our table, forcing them to find seats elsewhere. Carol and I discussed future plans as well as landmark college experiences over my beef filet and her portobello mushroom. Warren Gaughan, head of the music department, came over to chat, and I invited him to a post-graduation get-together at my house. He just said, “I’m invited? YES!” And I told him all about the two bands that will be performing at the party.

Following dinner, the Warren Wilson College Chorale serenaded us with everything from world music to a Bob Dylan cover. As I sipped my coffee, Mycoff took advantage of a seat vacated by my roommate, Tori, and sat down next to me. I slyly opened with “How’s your semester wrapping up?” as a casual lead in to ask if he had read my thesis yet and, if so, what he had thought of it. I dropped the question, and he told me that my forty pages about AIDS Drama was one of the best theses he has read. As he stood up to leave, he added: “And I don’t just mean out of this year’s work.” I have been on cloud 9 since that conversation and will continue floating until May 16th around 10:00 or so.

RH

No Rest for The Weary

2009-05-11T13:18:00.003-04:00

At this point in the school year, students are realizing that there are, in fact, only a couple days left in this academic year.

Right now Wilson students are in the midst of writing final papers, preparing for exams, and reviewing all the information they’ve absorbed over the semester. In addition to all the academic work at hand, Wilson students are still putting in fifteen hours a week on their work crews. That’s right, our students are not graced with a week free of classes, let alone work. Our cows still need to be rotated on our pastures and the bathrooms in Gladfelter still need to be cleaned.

But, you know what?

That’s what makes our school and students so distinct. Outside of a college setting, the world won’t hold still when stuff starts pilling up. The same holds true here at Wilson.

LM

One Down, Three To Go

2009-05-02T09:17:00.004-04:00

It’s funny to think how just ten months ago I was completely ignorant to the entire idea of college life. I remember thinking to myself, as I packed my final belongings into the van the night before our 14-hour journey from New York to North Carolina, that everything was going to be different from now on. All the websites say that once you leave for college your relationship between everyone at home changes, not necessarily for the worse. Then when we pulled out of the drive way the next morning I remember thinking that this is going to be my last trip down my driveway and then NY for a long time. I have always traveled and loved being away from home, but this time is different, I was going to a chapter in my life. It was a bittersweet goodbye.

I remember pulling off of Warren Wilson Road onto campus for orientation week. I remember being nervous, excited, scared, and ready all at the same time as my parents, sister, and I began to unload the van and carry my things up to the third floor of Sunderland. How we opened the door to see white walls, a bed, desk, and wardrobe, and my mother not being able to believe that she was going to leave me in such a hospital looking room. Everything is such a blur for the next week.

Life was awkward for the first month or so as we were all finding our friends and our place here on campus. It was especially awkward between my roommate and I, learning about each other and trying not to step on each other’s feet. Audrey and I have come a long way since our first meeting. Now we are best friends who stay up for hours in bed just talking. I have grown confident with my classes and the college all together.

I know I have changed since coming to college, but all for the better. I have a better idea of what I want in life. I have life long friends. I know myself better. The beginning was difficult, but it was so worth it to get to where I am now. So it is hard to believe that a year full of memories is exactly that…memories. Now I have to look to the future and a new year next fall.

AL

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh

2009-04-30T10:17:00.002-04:00

This semester has been a rough one both academically and physically. In addition to taking an intensive course load, including chemistry, I have been dealing with some health issues. Over the course of about a month, I have had two serious bouts of tonsillitis that landed me in the hospital. My plan was the same all along, to hold out until summer and have surgery at home after the semester was completed. When the second round of tonsillitis stopped responding to antibiotics, my doctor advised me to have my tonsils removed immediately to avoid a systemic infection. He also advised that I discontinue my school and class work as the medication I would be receiving after surgery would impede my ability to focus.

I was devastated. There was only five weeks left! The last thing that I wanted to do was withdraw from school and delay my graduation. So, with withdrawing out of the question, I called the dean of students, Cathy Kramer. Cathy calmed me down and we created a plan that allowed me to remain a Wilson student while I dealt with my medical concerns. I dropped chemistry as I would not be able to attend enough labs to satisfy the course. Each of my other professors met with me individually to discuss my coursework. They offered to meet with me in their own free time to fill me in on the material that I had missed. Everyone accommodated me to the fullest. When I was recovering, I received “get well” calls and emails from both my professors and supervisors.

Finally, I am left in aw of Wilson again. Never have I felt such a part of a community. It is situations like these that make me grateful that I call this tiny mountain school my home.
-CC

P.S. I have returned to work and I will be completing my classes in the next two weeks without my tonsils!

Work Day - Breakfast

2009-04-23T15:26:00.002-04:00

Usually, when students are interacting with Landscaping supervisor Tom LaMuraglia, he’s wearing a green flannel shirt, a Leatherman on his hip, and a cap on his head. He holds a walkie-talkie in one hand and a forever-ringing cell phone in the other. He has motor oil on his finger tips, grass clippings on his shins. If Tom had a motto, it would be, "eat, drink, landscape, and be merry."

Today, Tom is relatively clean, sporting a white t-shirt and a fresh pair of Carharts. But that doesn’t mean he’s not working hard. He moves around his kitchen with his chin to his chest, beating vats of raw eggs, sculpting mounds of sausage patties, looking up only momentarily to give a hearty welcome and a slap on the back to every student that enters his front door.

In the living room, past and present members of the Landscaping, Tree and Blacksmith Crews mingle about, happily drunk on the smell of what’s about to come out of the kitchen. It’s 8:30 in the morning, and Tom’s house is packed. He’s just the kind of guy that can pull 50 college students out of bed that early in the morning for a meal that most of them aren’t even accustomed to eating anymore. No one’s complaining about the early call time today though.

After breakfast we play bocce ball in the pasture behind Tom’s house, Scrabble around his sofa and Jenga on the dining room table. The Tree Crew pops in a CD of 80’s pop songs with techno remixes. A dance party ensues around the Scrabble players, who must shout to be heard: "Europe is a proper noun, but I’ll let it slide!"

This is the most fun I’ve had before noon in a long time. God bless Work Day.

Christopher Biddle '11

"Start small, go slow, but go.”

2009-04-17T13:50:00.002-04:00

My life as a Warren Wilson College student is about to end. On Saturday, May 16, 2009 (short 4 weeks from now), I will graduate from this fine educational institution with a degree in Outdoor Leadership Studies. Whoa.

I transferred to Wilson from Hood College, which is another small, liberal arts college in Frederick, Maryland. Hood was my fallback school, and when the college I had my heart set on fell through with financial aid, I realized that I needed to fall back. It was not a good fit. I won’t sit here and complain, but basically, students at Hood are not focused on the community as a whole and I had a difficult time making friends, despite my best efforts. I found solace in the art club (which was made up of mostly commuter students) and in the knowledge that I was not going to stay an entire four years.

During spring break of my first year, I looked at schools in California and in the fall of my sophomore year I looked at schools in Vermont. I decided that I was somewhat interested in majoring in Gender Studies at Burlington College in Vermont. On Christmas Eve, however, I was talking to a friend who had graduated from Wilson in ’05, and she said something about how she had never heard of another school where students could work on a farm or graduate with an Outdoor Leadership degree. I got excited; I decided right then that I wanted to go to Warren Wilson College to major in this Outdoor Leadership thing. So, having never visited the school, I applied two weeks before the spring semester started, was accepted a week later, and three days before orientation I drove on down south with my mom to find out what this place was all about.

It was, without a doubt, the best decision (and the riskiest!) I have ever made. I love going to school here. I have met people who have changed my life (including the daughter of Maura Bussiere, who I know is reading this blog), learned things about the world and myself, and experienced things I don’t think I would have had I attended a different school. I fell in love with the mountains of western North Carolina, which I not only see every day while on campus, but also lived in for 48 days during a North Carolina Outward Bound Course. I know the town of Asheville and its many splendors, my favorite of which are the Sisters McMullen Cupcake Corner and the French Broad Chocolate Lounge. I met Rue McClanahan, a star of my favorite TV show (The Golden Girls), at a local bookstore. I have also found a great tattoo artist, which is a mixed blessing because it means that now I’ll have to come back to Asheville every time I want a tattoo. And, most importantly, I know that I will do something worthwhile with my life because I came to Warren Wilson College.

I realize now that all of that gushy “Go forth young man/woman” graduation crap is not actually gushy crap. I’m starting to feel nervous and excited about starting my life as a college graduate, and all of the stuff I rolled my eyes at before I’m starting to relate to. This is when I’m supposed to start becoming a real person, and that’s a little scary. I’ll have to do things like pay for health insurance and my cell phone and try to make friends outside of a school setting and try to be a good person and contribute positive things to the world. It’s a lot to think about! Luckily, I don’t have to become an adult all at once, and I have my whole life to get things right. One of my favorite professors, Dr. Marty O’Keefe, says something that I like a lot: “Start small, go slow, but go.” And that’s what I intend to do, to go.

Laurel

2009-04-14T08:49:00.002-04:00

I woke up at 6:15 on Easter morning to bundle up, since it was below freezing at that time, and walk to the Formal Gardens here at Warren Wilson College for the Easter Sunrise Service. I walked over with fellow early-riser from my dorm and met some friends at the Garden. There were some chairs set up, and standing room in the back. People were bundled up with hats, scarves, and mittens holding bulletins awaiting the sunrise. My good friend had gotten up extra early that morning to bake bisuits to share with others at the service, and they sure hit the spot – warm and delicious. We stood outside as the sun painted the sky various shades of pink and orange and the birds woke up from their slumber and began chirping above us. We prayed together, sang together, and even danced together a little bit as we welcomed the sun and the warmth and celebrated.

For many, Easter is a very special time and Warren Wilson does an excellent job making it special for those who cannot be at home with their families. While many students were able to go home for the weekend, many of us were still at school and were happy to have a lovely service to go to that morning. Leah McCullough, the new Spiritual Life Director, lead the service and it was an excellent opportunity to meet her. She lead a wonderful service and we were all happy to be awake and celebrating together.

After the service we all walked back to our dorm rooms to warm up our frozen feet and hands before continuing our days.

Adrianne

So Long

2009-04-10T15:00:00.002-04:00

One of the graduation requirements is to write a Senior Letter, a reflection on the years spent learning, working, serving, and living at Warren Wilson. It can be pretty much anything that you want it to be, but it is supposed to incorporate each branch of the triad specifically and the ways that the triad influenced your college experience as a whole. As a graduating senior, I thought it might be helpful, to those of you considering WWC for your college experience, to post some excerpts from my letter in hopes that it will effectively convey what a wonderful education I have received here.

Senior Letter (Excerpts)
Major: English Literature with Honors
Minor: Vocal Music

To The Faculty and Staff of Warren Wilson College:

This is an interesting assignment for me, and I feel as though I have had a lot of practice explaining my college experience as a result of working on the Admission Crew for nearly two years. In fact, it may be difficult for me to identify the negative aspects of my Warren Wilson experience because I am so used to having to explain every piece of Wilson life in a positive light to sometimes skeptical parents. I guess my point is that in having to think of a positive spin for everything about WWC, I have grown to appreciate things that I might not otherwise. In the eyes, expressions, and questions of people seeing our community for the first time, my love for this place is constantly rejuvenated.

Another area of personal growth that is a direct result of my work on the crew is that I am an infinitely more confident person than when I first came to school four years ago. Assuming the role of tour guide has allowed me to overcome some self-consciousness and to show my best side. I get to be funny, knowledgeable, intelligent, and captivating all at the same time, and I get paid for it! I cannot express the importance of meaningful work in my life. I know that the friendships that I’ve forged with fellow crewmembers, admission staff, and my Scrabble buddy, Marge, will last as long as we all do. As for academics, I could not be happier that I chose to major in English. I think that it is one of the strongest departments on campus, filled with brilliant, engaging professors. I particularly enjoyed any Carol Howard class that I took. Anyone who can make Restoration Literature bearable has got to be a great teacher.

Aside from the classes within my major, there have been a few notable ones that I’ve really appreciated. Lynn Pohl’s history course was one of the most challenging classes I took. I avoided philosophy like the plague until I accidentally took a political philosophy class, disguised by the alluring title Law and Order in Film and Literature. I got to reread things that I had totally written off in high school and see films that I might have never seen otherwise. I got to sing with the jazz band and play Betty the prostitute in The Threepenny Opera for course credit. I went and ate Indonesian food at Siti’s house at the end of my very first semester with my peer group. I traveled to London with Mycoff and Sharon, saw lots-o-plays, and drank lots-o-Guinness. I then flew to Belfast, Northern Ireland to visit Jemma, a student who was studying abroad at Wilson, after my course formerly known as Worldwide was over.

After all of those great experiences, my life is currently consumed by two things: my thesis and photography. I cannot thank Ron B. and Carol enough for assisting me with what still seems to me a monumental undertaking (only 11 and ¾ pages to go!). I have really enjoyed reading all of these great plays as well as my discussions with Ron and Carol. I am especially thankful that their support allowed me to pursue a topic that I really wanted to do, AIDS Drama, despite the fact that I am working with plays that the majority of the English faculty have neither read nor heard of. As for photography, I just wish that I had started my first semester. I took Photo I because I was in two upper-level English courses, one of which was my senior honors course, and I really felt that I needed a different kind of work to stay sane through it all. I have found my artistic niche in photography, which is equally process-driven and creative. One thing that I have learned through photography is that if you act like you are supposed to be somewhere, people generally buy it. A Nikon SLR can provide access to people and places that you wouldn’t believe. It was through photography that I truly got to know downtown Asheville, fully explored this place. Eric Baden has also taught me to strive for my personal best and will usually accept nothing less.

Aside from Academics and Work, the Service-Learning aspect of the Triad has also been a valuable part of my college experience.

…second semester of my freshman year, I found the perfect service project for me. I have been attending games night at Presbyterian Homes for Children for over three years now, and I am still as terrible at sports as when I began. Fortunately, being good is not really the point; in fact, I think the kids like that I suck so much (it makes them look good). Sometimes the kids will talk about things or seek counsel from me, but more often they just want to have fun. I think that my continued presence there makes more of a difference than any individual conversation or bit of advice given ever could. Now, some of the kids who were wee freshman, when we were also, are getting ready to graduate high school.

As for my future plans, I know that I want to stay in Asheville. This place is my home. Other than that, I have no future plans, and my well-rounded liberal arts experience has given me the strength and confidence to know that not knowing exactly is okay.

RH

Tut Tut

2009-03-31T10:47:00.015-04:00

I had the pleasure to join a small group of Archaeology Crew students on a trip to Atlanta, GA, last month. We were on our way to see the King Tutankhamun and The Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibit at the Atlanta Civic Center. After four hours of sitting on a bus with fifteen other students and David Moore, archaeology professor and trusty crew supervisor, we arrived before the gate into the exhibit.

First, we watched a 3D video of all the Pharaohs leading up to King Tut himself. I do not know who can complain when beautiful gold jewelry and statues feel only to be an arm length away. Then I had the amazing opportunity to walk through the exhibit where fifty objects from King Tut’s tomb were displayed beautifully behind a thin sheet of glass. We gazed upon statues that were made hundreds of years BC. The part that left me in the most awe was the fact that everything looked like it was made yesterday. If I had not been at such a legitimate place, I would have never believed the plaques reading that the object were from 1355 BCE. One statue left me speechless, and it was not exactly for the stature either. For below the statue was a piece of rock with the sketch of the statue in what looked to be pencil. It was so well preserved! It is very difficult to explain the overwhelming feeling of awe that I felt as I walked though all the rooms adorned with priceless processions of Pharaohs.

After we all were dragged away from the beauties that were kept in the dimly lit rooms, we were off to the High Museum of Art. It was here that we were witness to one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th Century: China’s Terracotta Army. Numerous Soldiers in the exhibit once guarded Emperor Qin’s burial complex. Over 7,000 soldiers are still standing underground and only a select 1,000 have surfaced for the world to see. What I found very interesting was the fact that the tomb itself has yet to be excavated for archaeologists want to wait until improvements in conservation and preservation are made before they remove the objects with the utmost care.

So how does someone from Admissions get the opportunity to go on a trip with the Archaeology department? Connections. I just so conveniently had a friend on the Archaeology crew who knew I would be interested in such an adventure and invited me along. This was an unforgettable experience and I was extremely fortunate to be apart of it.

Andrea

Ski NC?

2009-02-26T10:24:00.004-05:00

Last month, I went skiing with a couple of friends at a hill that was just an hour away from Warren Wilson. Yes, you understood me correctly, I went skiing in North Carolina! We left after class, drove an hour, and there we were, at a latitude of 35°56'. Along the way, we feasted on home baked baguettes and almond butter, which stuck to our ribs, filling us up nicely. Upon our arrival at the foot of the hill, it was snowing and minus 17 °C to boot! I was totally duped; it felt like I was actually at a latitude of 46°67'. Beautiful skiing weather, I thought

Mark and I rented gear while Sean had his snowboard with him, which he keeps packed away in his room somewhere on the third floor of Ballfield C. We skied until our muscles were too cold and our fingertips and toes too cold to know that they still existed. Was it probable that the particles in my toes would theoretically turn into a wave when I wasn’t rubbing them furiously, trying to increase blood flow to my toe. Is the uncertainty principle active at the bases of NC ski hills?

After returning our gear, we found our way back to the car. Driving home, Mark dozed off in the backseat, recovering from a hardcore night where he trained his muscles to keep him upright while fixed to several layers of fiberglass while gliding on a snowy incline. Sean drove us home with his mildly frostbitten fingertips. We returned home, exhausted, looking forward to the next time we could hit the slopes in the beautiful state of North Carolina.

Lora

From Dining to Admissions, “What did I get myself into?”

2009-02-18T13:02:00.004-05:00

I could feel the butterflies multiplying in my stomach the morning of my first day at my brand new job. I had no idea what to expect and the mystery of it all just overwhelmed me. As I walked into the Admissions building on Triad Day of this semester I reconsidered just going back to Dining Services, to where I feel comfortable. I walked into the conference room where the rest of the crew was already sitting, already thinking that I should have come early. Everyone in the room had a wide smile across their face and were at ease, for they were already friends. Thankfully, work that day was cut short for Triad Day, giving me another day to compose myself before I delved deep into “God only knows what.”

Over the next few days I started to get the hang of what it meant to be on Admissions Crew. I even got a nickname within two hours of being with my new crew family. I was told that if I ever had a question that I should just ask anyone… and I do. Everyone was more than happy to answer all my questions about whether “I should recycle that” or “what exactly goes in the infamous GenPac?” By having to ask so many questions I feel more and more comfortable with office life.

I do have to admit to the fact that once I knew what my job entailed, I was terrified of the phone. Answering it, looking at it, listening to it ring, all these miniscule actions that had never worried me before, grew large. However after avoiding getting near one of the two phones for over a week in fear of having to answer it, I did one morning. I may have had verbal dyslexia the entire time and didn’t know the answer, but I felt so happy that I had picked up that inanimate object. After that I was just so ecstatic and now I will gladly sit next to one of the phones and answer it. The phone is no problem of mine any longer!

Having devoted my first semester at Wilson to Gladfelter, office jobs are much different. I no longer have to pick out cake batter from my hair or worry about wearing black and turning my shirt white with flour. My hands stay clean (I suppose except for what germs made it to the phone handle) and I actually know everyone by name. I feel I did my freshman duty by working on Dining, but now I am off to Admissions.

The point of my blurb about my first week on a new crew is that a little nerves are okay. However, time will cure anything and even widen your own comfort zone. The Warren Wilson Work Program is an amazing opportunity to learn new skills and overcome new fears. I am very grateful for the chance to be a part of the Admissions Crew. Now I need to stop writing for the phone just rang… and I am comfortably sitting closest to the ringing box connected to the wall.

Andrea

Oatmeal

2009-01-30T16:51:00.004-05:00

There are two things you should know about me: first, I can keep track of maybe two things in my life, and I lose everything else. Second, I love oatmeal, but loathe raisins. Keep these facts in mind; they will come up later.

This semester, the locks on all of the dormitory doors changed from a keypad (press 2, then 6, then try to press 5 and 7 at the same time while also balancing your biology book, that delicious package of cookies your dad sent, and the cellphone on which you’re talking to your boyfriend in New York who may or may not be breaking up with you) to a card swipe system. Everyone was issued shiny new school IDs with a little patch of magic in them. It took a couple of weeks for the faithful locksmith crew to change over all the doors, and when they finally did, it meant we had to have our IDs with us all the time in order to get into our dorms. There was much weeping and gnashing of teeth (and propping of doors) as people struggled to remember their IDs. The silver lining to all of this? The little note that the locksmith crew left on all of the doors, explaining how to wave our card in front of the card reader so that the light would flash green. It was signed, “With Love, The Locksmiths.” And you know what? I think they meant it. I think it WAS done with love. And that’s why I’m a fan of the work program. It means that the people who are changing the locks on our doors, and making our pancakes, and photocopying our final exams, and mopping our floors and pruning our trees and fixing the waterless urinals, are our friends, which makes more of a difference than you’d think.

This morning, after having lost my ID for a day and a half, I finally found it and got to go the dining hall like a whole person (if you don’t have your ID, you have to print out a temporary meal ticket, and the cafeteria manager scoffs at you). Before I could say anything to Emilene, who is the breakfast server at Cowpie (the vegetarian and vegan dining hall), she said, “I know, I know, it has raisins in it, I’m sorry.” She then proceeded to explain how she thinks of me every time she makes oatmeal, and—without me saying anything—went to amazingly painstaking lengths to scoop me a bowl of oatmeal that was one-hundred-percent raisin free.

That’s what I call love.

Lindsay

Locks of Love

2009-01-30T13:38:00.006-05:00

If you had taken a tour with me in the past two years, you may remember that I was the girl with the long, brown, curly hair. As of this past Friday, however, I am an entirely new woman. I cut fifteen inches of my hair and donated it to Locks of Love, an organization that makes wigs for children who have lost their hair while undergoing chemotherapy. Although now when I reach back to twist my hair into a ponytail and get a fist-full of nothing, I am slowly getting used to my new do.

You may be aware of the Service Learning requirement at Warren Wilson, 100 hours of community service to graduate. Unfortunately, inches of hair, pints of blood, and ounces of love cannot be converted into service hours. Thus, when a WWC student gives these immeasurable objects, it is simply for the benefit of others. Through the Service Learning Program at WWC, I have learned to give others what I can afford to give without reward or incentive. I have completed my requirement of 100 hours for a while now, and I continue to attend games night at Presbyterian Homes. Whether it be hair, time, or love, I have learned to love the simplest act of giving to others.

Rachel

I hate college essays.

2008-10-07T10:02:00.003-04:00

I hate college essays. I don’t like the idea of pinning myself down in five hundred words, and I don’t like prompts that make me force myself into pretending that I am what the perfect University of Wherever student is, thinks, and does. Around two years ago, when I was applying to schools (foolishly thinking that I belonged anywhere but Wilson), I found myself wondering why the colleges of the world are obsessed with leadership skills. While I value the leaders of the world, I did not consider myself one of them. Let’s admit it – sometimes group projects are as frustrating as teaching kittens how to jump rope. I’m not saying that I refuse help or don’t like the company of other people – it’s just that I’ve always been better at badminton than soccer, kayaking than crew, and term papers than biology labs. I’m fiercely independent and value taking on all the responsibility I can handle, and nothing stresses me out more than being forced to tell my peers what to do. And you know what? I think that’s one of my biggest strengths. I think that it’s beautiful to be a committed and faithful follower and to know when someone is better qualified to do the leading. I believe in the power of the individual striking out on her own and the empowerment of doing something by oneself. So, I sent in just about the sassiest essay you ever did read about why my lone wolf nature was an asset to the community. Unfortunately, all my honesty got me was the opportunity to put my name on the wait-list of a fine educational institution, which I joyously refused. I have since embraced the leadership abilities we all have hiding deep inside our introvert psyches, but I still have not learned how to quit sassing my superiors.

That being said, part one of our essay section tends to freak people out a little bit. It’s not that we’re asking you to do something particularly difficult. We’re just not really asking you to do something in particular at all. That’s a really scary concept after writing dozens of five-paragraph explanations of why you absolutely positively are the model of perfection. Really, our first essay can be happiest ray of sunshine in your college essay world. So let’s define the boundaries of the revolutionary boundary-free essay. Here’s what you do: Write something down. Tell us a story about playground politics. Make a youtube video. Compose a poem about your dog. Analyze what being in the marching band did for your personality. Make us laugh. Illustrate it. Write about how your mother taught you to cook. Explain how exactly you became a communist. Incorporate Ani Difranco quotes wherever possible. Translate it into every language you know. Whatever! We’re not asking you to outline your leadership skills or explain in excruciating detail why your trip to Costa Rica / Nepal / Guatemala / India made you want to save the world. The thing about our applicants is that every one of them would love to save the world/trees/environment. Tell us something that is outstanding about you, that makes us wonder how we’ve gotten through our lives without meeting someone quite as rad as you.

Go forth and tell us why you’re cool. Isn’t that refreshing?

Where Can’t You Knit a Cardigan?

2008-10-07T09:43:00.001-04:00

Right before the semester started, I spent an hour and half at the local yarn shop with an unbelievably patient and helpful yarn-store-girl. We thumbed through books of patterns together, touched probably every single ball of yarn in the whole store, and debated what color yarn would look best on my mother (not, of course, that this woman has any idea who my mother is). Regardless, I left a) feeling like I had made a new best friend, and b) with 1400 yards of a lovely lavender merino/alpaca blend. And then I had to start knitting a sweater.

Regardless of what you think college might be like, Warren Wilson students have a very limited amount of time for sitting around eating bon-bons and the like, so I’ve managed to perfect knitting-on-the-run. Here’s a selection of places in which I’ve worked on the cardigan for my mama:

-making an oven pancake at 7:30 AM in the EcoDorm kitchen
-walking across the footbridge to class, after consuming aforementioned pancake
-during Chemistry class, while we were discussing quantum mechanics (and again when we were learning about stoichiometry, and nuclear chemistry, and electrolytic solutions)
-sitting in rehearsal with the 50-voice College Chorale, WWC’s folk choir (yes, I can even knit while standing up and singing)
-while reading poetry and eating chocolate-pumpkin cake at my friend Merrin’s apartment in Black Mountain
-working the cash register for Cowpie, our vegetarian dining hall, while Sara (who was serving food) made bets with me on whether the blueberry or everything bagels would run out first (for the record, I won: it was the everything bagels)
-during 4 consecutive weeks of Sunday Night Study Snack (the weekly tradition in Eco of a couple of pairs of roommates preparing some delicious snack for everyone in the dorm)
-during a plant walk with my biology class to identify as many different phyla of plants as possible (I stopped knitting when we waded across the river to observe liverwort growing on the side of the broken-down dam)

With all of that, as of today, there’s only a few inches left to knit...

Lindsay

Family Weekend

2008-10-06T15:57:00.002-04:00

My family, to put it simply, is the bomb. I usually jump at chances to spend time with them, especially now, living 8 hours away. My brother, Merrill, who has just started his freshman year at Cogswell Polytechnical College in CA, is witty and wise beyond his 18 years. My dad, Piers, is a good listener and often quite and is definitely hilarious. My mom, Janet, is punny and beautiful and without a doubt one of the most wonderful women I know.

I was graced with my mother’s presence for Fall Family Weekend. She drove down from Maryland with a friend (the mother of an ’05 social work graduate) on Friday and showed up at the barbeque hungry and tired of being in her car. We spread out our blanket and dined on pulled pork and orzo while watching all of the parents and students mingle. At one point I went to get her water and on my way back to the blanket I pointed her out to my friend Sam, who howled with laughter and said, “You are going to be just like her!” Not only am I ok with the idea of becoming my mother; I am looking forward to it.

On Saturday we woke up early and ate breakfast with the president, complete with tiny muffins and strawberries and thought-provoking questions for Mr. Sandy Pfeiffer. Afterward I went to work in town while she visited a mock class and went to the festival on the field with her cousin and his family, who came to visit for the day from Charlotte.

On Sunday we made our way to Charlotte to visit our 94-year-old aunt and her cousins. We spent three hours visiting with family members that I haven’t seen in 10 years and it was one of the nicest afternoons I’ve had in a long time. I often forget how wonderful extended family can be and Sunday was a pleasant reminder.

Later that evening she brought all of her food from the weekend to my suite, and she and my suitemates and I dined on leftover spaghetti, meatballs, and salad. And while all of the students were sitting around reading, doing homework, and talking about politics, my mother happily crocheted and chatted the evening away, fitting in like any of our friends. I am very lucky to have such a wonderful mother, and a wonderful family, and I’m glad that Warren Wilson offers a time when students can invite their families to visit and experience all of the goings on here at campus.

Laurel

A Canadian in the Woods - Go Figure

2008-09-12T08:26:00.002-04:00

This past summer, instead of going back home to Ontario, I decided to further my connection in this area by working at a summer camp in Brevard, NC. Walking up to my cabin with bags in hand on a root-covered trail that I would soon learn to navigate in the dark of night, I could hear The Sound of Music's "I Have Confidence" running through my head. I could identify with Maria Von Trapp, feeling a bit apprehensive about entering a strange place and having 15 young teenagers under my care.

Being a camp counselor turned out to be more demanding than I had expected. This type of work requires you to be on call 24/7. It’s not the kind of job where you go home at five and come back at eight the next morning. In addition, not only did I supervise my campers, I also acted as a first-aid-fix-it-woman, a backcountry cook extraordinaire, and a teacher of life skills. Having to juggle a variety of tasks was not new for me. Working at our vegetarian Cow Pie Café taught me that. So, in fact, I realized that I did not go into this new experience empty handed. My experience with the work program at Wilson had provided me with a toolbox of skills that I was able to apply this summer.

I soon learnt that I was blessed with one of the most sought out counseling jobs at camp. Working with the oldest group of campers meant that I was able to have remarkably mature conversations with my campers. We covered religious topics, the environment, and even the upcoming election! In addition, unlike the younger campers, my 7th and 8th graders were able to reflect on their camp experience. During each three week session, my campers learnt to be themselves. Many of these kids were accustomed to a school culture where one’s image and social spheres are of prime importance. Being immersed in nature allowed my campers to let go, be themselves, and appreciate others for who they truly were.

Every moment of my summer was memorable, from reminding my campers to do their dishes, encouraging them up mountains, or joining them out on a field to gaze at the heavens. All in all, it was a wonderful summer indeed!

Lora

From the British Parliament…to the jungle...

2008-09-08T09:19:00.002-04:00

This summer I had the opportunity to represent Warren Wilson College as an ELC intern, in Tres Piedras, Costa Rica. The Environmental Leadership offers a variety of paid summer internships, available to Warren Wilson College students every year. As a researcher for the Tropical Forestry Initiative, I took part in a variety of projects ranging from tree planting, to studying the water infiltration rates of various tropical soils. As a Political Science/History and Global Studies double major, I came into the internship without any previous comprehensive knowledge of ecology. Though I initially found this factor to be inhibiting… I came to appreciate the connections I began to make between ecology, and the political realm of the world, I am familiar with. I also came to realize the connections between our actions and choices at home in the United States, and the impact it has on the people and the environment of the tropical rain forest. As someone who has always been interested in a career dealing with the “policy” aspect of politics and international relations; I feel as though I now may have a more legitimate voice having actually worked in the field. I am very grateful for have been given this opportunity, and encourage all students at WWC to take advantage of the ELC internship program!

Caitlin

I Don’t Like Owls!

2008-09-01T08:17:00.002-04:00

As an Outdoor Leadership major, I am required to complete an internship to round out my learning experience. The internship requires that I find a job in the outdoor education field, keep a journal of my experiences, and then hold a presentation about my summer in an outdoor leadership class. I chose to work at Nature Discovery Camp for Kids, a day camp in Shepherdstown, WV, which is close to my home of Myersville, MD. The camp is funded by the Potomac Valley Audubon Society (http://www.potomacaudubon.org/) and is held at the Yankauer Nature Preserve.

Having worked at this camp last summer I knew it would be a good place for me to complete my internship. So all summer long I led groups of children ages 6-10 on hikes on the 3 miles of trail at the preserve, made fun crafts related to plants and animals living in the area, and played so many games I didn’t know what to do with myself. The camp held six sessions with themes such as “Earth Artists,” “Camp Survivor,” and “Bird Brains.” The summer ended with a family camp-out on the preserve, which included a night owl prowl. We called to and listened for great horned owls, and when we heard an owl reply with “Who cooks for you?” a nervous child near the back of the line cried out, “I don’t like owls!” We ended the hike shortly after that.

I am so pleased that I’ve been given so many opportunities to work with people in the outdoors. It gives me great pride to know that I’m educating children about their natural environment at such a critical age. I have the chance to influence the next generation in a positive way and that the knowledge I pass to them might be the reason they care about the world.

Laurel

If I Could Save Time in a Bottle...

2008-08-29T10:39:00.002-04:00

My first week back at Wilson from summer break brings mixed emotions. First and foremost, I feel at home nestled among these grand mountains. As I turned down the winding Warren Wilson Road, the Swannanoa River Valley stole my breath yet again.

However, this heart-warming homecoming also brings a new set of concerns as I adjust from a summer work schedule back to Wilson mode. As any Wilson student will tell you, time management skills are crucial on this campus. That life lesson was reinforced again this week.

My organizational proficiency was tested when I attempted to construct a schedule that accommodated not only my work and class schedule, but also allowed for me to become a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. This particular organization brings at risk youth on campus for mentoring during the week.

After modifying my classes, shifting my work schedule, and collaborating with the Service Learning Office, I realized that participating in the program would be impossible due to an interfering term class. While I am disappointed about this news, I look forward to next week’s service fair. The fair, hosted by the service-learning department, brings a plethora of organizations to campus to present various service opportunities. I am sure that I will be able to find a project that is both rewarding and feasible with my schedule.

Service Day

2008-08-22T19:36:00.007-04:00

I guess someone in upper management read my blog about Work Day, because today I found myself in a very similar position in what I call Give A Religious Studies Major a Pitchfork (part 2).

Service Day is kind of like Work Day’s cousin that lives in the next town. While Work Day focuses on projects around campus (generally landscaping of our public spaces and trails), Service Day sends around four hundred new and returning students, faculty, staff, and miscellaneous helpers to sites in the greater Asheville community. It falls on the Friday of orientation week, and is the single most unifying event of that week. Nothing bonds you to your new friends, your new home, and even your professors quite like manual labor.

As a peer group leader this year, I am assigned to a group of fifteen freshmen, all in a first year seminar class focusing on the philosophy of Wilson’s triad. Basically I serve as their cheerleader, ringleader, campus compass, and friendly face while they try to figure out who and where they want to be for the next few years of their lives. It has been an incredibly rewarding role this past week, and so it was with great pleasure that I headed out with them, pitchfork in hand, to our site. We were working at Lake Tomahawk Park in Black Mountain, a few short miles from Wilson’s campus. We weeded endless flower beds, mulched everything that was even remotely mulchable, built picnic tables (it was surreal to see a pile of lumber in the morning transform into five fully assembled tables by the afternoon) and benches, hedged, and trimmed some bushes a nice lady on a bike asked us to trim.

Service Day this year included eight sites like ours (including several public parks, a dog park, and landscaping for a women’s correctional facility and an orphanage), tackled by a total of twenty-two freshman seminars and groups of transfer students. As with every large project that we take on as a community, I was reminded of exactly what a group of committed individuals can accomplish. With our large group and willingness to work we were able to take on tasks that would not have been possible with Black Mountain’s limited resources. My favorite part of Service Day are the smiles and gratitude of the citizens enjoying the park, proof of the positive relationship our college has with the community around us.

Michelle

Carolina Wildlife

2008-08-13T15:35:00.004-04:00

Sometimes the things you love and care about the most can be the most frustrating bits of your life.

For me, this issue came to a head on a July day earlier this summer – the heat index in my hometown of Irmo, South Carolina was 110 that day, and I was weighing a crow. Well, making an effort to weigh a crow. My coworker was steadying a bucket on a Weight Watchers scale while I chased Maggie (the crow hero of this story) around a wooden and chicken wire enclosure. I got Maggie as far as into the bucket and we both put our hands over her, but it took only seconds for the wing flapping to tip everything (and everyone) over. Frustrated and overwhelmed, we prepared for try number two. In the back of my mind I knew that there were doves that needed to be tube-fed an hour ago, opossum bedding to be changed (for everyone’s sake), a bird that needed a wing wrap and six others on antibiotics, chimney swifts that needed to be exercised for their release the next day, someone was at the door with a new patient, and the timer was going off to feed the nestlings.

Wildlife rehabilitation rides that fine line between meaningful, important work and some of the most desperately comedic situations that you can encounter. I found myself painstakingly feeding tiny baby opossums every four hours while good ol’ boys ran them over daily, nursing turtles back to health after being weed-whacked, chasing ducks around the break room, consoling crying strangers leaving orphaned babies at our door, and raising six crows from nestlings while hunters devoted weekends to killing hundreds of their cousins. Often it felt like swimming up a waterfall, and I was starting to get bogged down in the repetition of feeding the same nestlings every thirty minutes and dealing with the same angry questions from the uninformed public.

An older coworker with lots of experience in wildlife rehab realized my frustration and gave me some advice that has slowed me down on many occasions since: Focus on the release. The crutch of your life is not in filling out paperwork, sixteen feedings of the same birds in one shift, studying for AP tests, packing boxes at a food bank, or begging peers to sign a petition. The value of any work or service is the “release” – the feeding of a hungry belly, the realization of a concept, the overturning of an unjust law, a grateful smile, and, yes, watching a bird that had no chance of survival before you took responsibility for him fly into the sunshine. Even if we can’t take back every wrong that has been inflicted on our furred, feathered, and scaled friends by the human race, the point is that someone notices, someone cares, and someone is making efforts to change the world for the better. www.carolinawildlife.org

Michelle

P.S. I am super SUPER excited to meet of our new freshmen and transfers next week! I’m a peer group leader and I’ll be around all orientation week, so I’m looking forward to saying hello to each of you!

So What’s The Problem?

2008-07-08T15:41:00.004-04:00

So, I have a problem. I have been doing the same service project for over two years at The Presbyterian Homes for Children just down the road in Black Mountain. I have more than completed my community service requirement for graduation from Wilson. So what’s the problem? It’s a really popular service trip because we go on games night, which means I play sports with the kids. There are only five slots altogether, and between my friends and I, we have the trip completely filled. I was considering giving up my slot in favor of another service trip for a few reasons. One is that I’m going to be a senior this coming year, and I want another person to have the chance to get to know the kids before the other volunteers graduate and leave. Also, I have recently moved off-campus and was thinking of volunteering in my new community.

A few weeks ago, I went to the volunteer appreciation dinner hosted by PHFC. After watching the kids receive participation awards and seeing them be so happy to see all of the WWC volunteers, I knew that I would not be giving up the trip. Is that selfish? Possibly so. But the way I see it, we both need each other right now, and I think I can make peace with that by the time fall rolls around.

Rachel

ELC Internships

2008-06-05T09:55:00.006-04:00

Making travel decisions can be terrifying, but it can also be very exciting. For example, Caitlin is currently reconsidering her decision to visit the town of Viejo after hearing it described in less than flattering terms. Caitlin is my suitemate, and she also works on the Admission crew with me. As we speak, she is on the computer next to me researching a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica. Caitlin is one of the many fortunate WWC students to receive an environmental internship through the Environmental Leadership Center (ELC). Interestingly, Caitlin is actually doing the exact same internship that her roommate, Heather, did last summer. While Caitlin does not yet know what environmental project she will be undertaking, Heather studied various butterfly species in Costa Rica and which of them would return to a secondary-growth forest.

In another hemisphere, my roommate, Tori, also has an internship through the ELC. She will be working for the City of Asheville, designing marketing initiatives and incentives for city employees to reduce their energy consumption and waste production. Her boss is an Aries, just like her, and I think that they will work fantastically together. Tori is already bubbling with ideas about her internship. “Like, maybe I could write down a description every time I see a ‘green’ commercial on T.V.” Tori is a Creative Writing Major, and she sees this internship as her entry into the ‘green-collar’ workforce. Tori’s dream is to write for an environmental leader, and the City of Asheville is making amazing strides in becoming more sustainable.

Both of these women, I’m sure, will have amazing summers. And me? I’ll be giving your campus tours and answering your questions all summer. But I’ll also be interning with the Asheville Lyric Opera. Not bad, eh?

Rachel

Kerala Model of Development

2008-04-30T10:41:00.002-04:00

With only two weeks left in term four classes, my academic workload has nearly doubled. Just last week I completed two research papers. And yet, I still have three papers, a group project, and a portfolio to complete before the onset of summer break.

Of my recent projects, my favorite to work on was a paper for my comparative third world government class. In this essay I examined the Kerala Model of Development in India. To elaborate, Kerala is one of the twenty-eight states in India. In Kerala, leftist parties have been in power for a number of years and as a result, the earmarks of human development are comparable to that of the United States. In addition, Kerala has been called a model in sustainable development for third world nations. Here is an excerpt from my paper.

“Sustainable development has been defined as, “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability if future generations to meet their own need.” Govindan Parayil provides examples of just how Keralans participate in environmentally responsible practices.

Electricity in Kerala is produced exclusively from small to medium scale hydroelectric projects. Large-scale deforestation did not take place as a result of these projects. Energy for cooking comes, mostly, in the form of bioenergy, which is derived from household plots and renewable marginal forests and hills. Although the acreage of the rain forests has declined from pre-independence figures, popular campaigns to preserve the existing forests seem to be successful. It appears that the energy use and consumption pattern is stable and sustainable.”

Cait

P.S. Here is a picture of me and my best friend. Her family is from Gujarat, India.

“Second star to the right and straight on ‘till morning!”

2008-04-30T07:57:00.002-04:00

A cast of wonderfully talented individuals, including two staff members, from Warren Wilson College performed Peter Pan this past weekend. The run of the show was Thursday through Sunday – and the Saturday night show sold out! It was the best show Kittredge Theatre has seen in many years – at least according to some. Director Charlotte Lawrence, student at Warren Wilson College, chose to direct Peter Pan as her senior project. Some had doubts about the show, but as of this weekend, all of those doubts dissipated when they saw Never Land brought to life in Kittredge Theatre.

As a member of the cast, playing Tiger Lily and Liza, I can tell you it was not easy … but I can also tell you that it was worth every minute of late nights, long fight rehearsals, and lack of energy. It is a lot of work to be in a show, but it was so rewarding. The cast had wonderful energy and a great connection – we were all so excited about the show that it turned out to be a total success! Made up of Peter’s shadow (Asha Disu) cackling as she tried to keep away from Peter, Heely shoes to make the children and Peter fly, a mermaid who attacks Wendy on Marooner’s Rock, a very talented crocodile who crawled across the stage more than once each show, fog that covered the stage, and many other very talented people bringing Never Land to life for those who came to the theatre! One of my favorite parts was the kids that came to see the show. They were all so excited, and they got scared during the right parts and excited during the right parts. It was a blast. One little boy came running up to Peter after the show and gave him a huge hug saying, “I believe, Peter! I believe!”

Charlotte Lawrence, a student here at Warren Wilson, directed the show and a wonderful job she did indeed. We presented her with a bouquet of flowers after the curtain call of the last show and several of us were crying. It was such an overwhelming success!

Theatre here at Warren Wilson is open to anyone and everyone! Students auditioned, even if they are not part of the theatre department, as did faculty and staff. David Mycoff, who played Captain Hook, is a professor at Warren Wilson, and Ian Robertson, who was the narrator, is the Dean of Work. The rest of the cast was made up of students, and a wonderful group of people it was!

Congrats to the cast and crew! I’ll miss Never Land, but it lives on in our hearts forever.

Adrianne

Work Day

2008-04-29T08:22:00.004-04:00

There are certain things I didn’t expect to do at college. One thing that wasn’t necessarily at the top of the list, but definitely on it, was group mulching. And that happens to be something that Wilson has helped me cross off.

Work Day is an age-old tradition here at Wilson. It celebrates one prong of our Triad through a day dedicated to serving the college as a community. The day begins with reporting to your respective crew and partaking in whatever your crew supervisor has in store for you. Here in Admissions, that means we deep cleaned the office – windows, carpets, bathrooms. The entire office was buzzing with cheerful activity, and even our admissions counselors got down to the floor to help out.

At about 11:30 came what is arguably the best part of Work Day – the food. We had a real, honest-to-goodness picnic on the admissions patio, complete with eight pints of ice cream (please consider – eight pints). After eating a remarkable amount of food (we had to get our strength up for the day, you see) we set out to Gladfelter to get a group picture with all Work Day participants (including our two beautiful draft horses, all rigged up) and split into groups.
My group mostly consisted of my advanced Spanish class, which made for a bilingual mulching adventure. We had been given a huge pile of mulch, dozens of buckets, a few pitchforks, and nearly thirty people to repair the trail by the pond and meditation hut. Somehow I ended up with a pitchfork (which produced lots of jokes about religious studies majors and our trustworthiness) knee-deep in a pile of hot, damp mulch. As soon as a bucket was filled, it was thrown into an assembly line with shouts of "Cubo! Cubo!" Each bucket was tossed on the upswing, caught in the air, and effortless passed military-style until being dumped on the trail. Two layers of mulch and some invasive species removal* later, the trails were looking gorgeous.
After hours of hot, dirty work we celebrated our way to the pavilion, where we were greeted with food from our dining hall (our barbecue tofu is probably the top most reason I will never leave Wilson) and sweet bluegrass tunes, complete with dancing. Following work awards for our exceptional student workers, Work Day officially came to a close. But you can't end such a productive day with anything other than leaping off the rope swing into the pond with your friends as the sun sets over the farm. Oh, sweet work college. You give me so much.

Michelle

* A word on invasive species removal - against what I believed to be common sense, this is not, in fact, weeding. There were groups (not, mind you, effortlessly) yanking full-grown trees out of the ground to make way for native plants. Also on their list to remove were vines which I believed to be part of the actual tree before its removal. These plants are creepy.

April Showers Bring...

2008-04-04T10:09:00.003-04:00

April showers bring May flowers! And what do May flowers bring?
College decisions!!!

It is spring and the flowers are blooming, the baby cows are romping around in the pastures of the Warren Wilson College Farm, the weather is getting warmer, and high school students around the country are trying to decide which college they want to go to in the fall! I remember the spring of my senior year of high school trying to decide between two colleges. I had been accepted at what had become my top two schools and my father was trying desperately to get me to come to Warren Wilson College. I had every intention of going to another college, but when my it came right down to it, Warren Wilson had all the things I wanted. My admission counselor at Warren Wilson answered all of my questions in more detail than I ever could have hoped for and she painted a realistic picture of Wilson, pointing out both the pros and cons. She made the decision easy for me – Warren Wilson it is! It was hard though … the application process, waiting to hear back from the colleges, being denied from some and accepted to others, then visiting colleges and picking one to attend for the next four years of my life. It was a big decision, but it was the right one and I am very happy here at Warren Wilson.

My advice for picking colleges? Listen to your parents because they usually know you better than you think and they might just have a good point or two. But – follow your instincts and go with your gut feeling. If you visit a college, no matter how much you like it on paper, and it doesn’t feel good – forget it. The college itself makes all the difference in the world. Warren Wilson felt great when I came to visit and here I am!

Good luck with all your decision!

Adrianne

Spring Break ’08, Warren Wilson Style

2008-03-25T18:03:00.000-04:00

Spring break. The words sound like bells ringing to students as they plan an entire week of activities with one major goal: having fun! At Warren Wilson, some students achieved this by going home; others made pocket money by working on campus. Five service-learning trips also went out to various locations. Here are spring-break notes from a few Warren Wilson students….

Emma Frappier woke up at 6 a.m. each day to work on the college farm. She burned brush piles, collected eggs, milked and helped manage more than 60 beef cows and their calves.

Matt Williams of Vermont and John Wright of New Hampshire both boiled sap to make maple syrup. They’re having a tasting contest to settle once and for all which state produces the ultimate syrup.

Emily Shanblatt hiked solo for 3½ days on North Carolina’s Mountains-to-Sea Trail, starting at 6,643-foot-high Clingmans Dome.

Mandy Monroe and Chelsea Maier led a service trip to the Great Smoky Mountains. Their group of 12 swung Pulaskis and dug water bars to improve the Appalachian Trail.

Kevin Lane and Brian Hill ran a 50K race, in Charlottesville, Va. Lane placed second, right between WWC counselor Ann Lundblad in third and her husband Mark in first. Swannanoa swept the race!

Tessa Currie brought some friends to her aunt’s Welsh pony farm in Arkansas. They mucked out barns, trimmed a giant holly maze and survived a 25-year flood.

Rachel Hawkins worked on the Admission Crew and gave 10 tours to prospective students who all arrived on time.

Lizzy Doyle and Vanessa Emery were humiliated on television when a local reporter, from ABC News 13, asked them on the streets of Asheville why they weren’t inside watching the basketball game. “What game?” they replied.

Compiled by sophomore Vanessa Emery.

People at Wilson

2008-03-24T09:56:00.001-04:00

People at Wilson tend to have done amazing things (and, of course, we’re all sure to do a lot more). One of my closest friends here on campus spent a year after high school WWOOFing in Italy, practicing sustainable agriculture on a farm. Another spent nine months in Americorps, traveling around the United States doing service. So when Debra from the Service Learning Office asked me to give a tour to ten students and two faculty members from University of Louisville on a spring break service trip (some of them Bonner Scholars), I figured they would be cool people. Wilson only attracts the best in not only students and faculty, but also visitors (just go contra dancing some Thursday and talk to a stranger - you’ll understand). These students, however, exceeded my expectations.

After taking the group on my largest tour thus far (and probably one of my most entertaining – it involved tree climbing), one of the perks of my job here in Admissions kicked in. They liked me, I liked them, and I was invited out for hiking and tacos.

Now, it’s midterm week. My Spanish oral exam was the next morning, and I had had no prior intention of going anywhere that evening. But let’s be serious – who turns down hiking and tacos? So to Montreat I went.

Montreat is a town / college / conference center about twenty minutes from Asheville. It’s set in between a few mountains and features unusual rental houses, shops, and is right by the quirky town of Black Mountain. I usually go hiking with my friends along the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway, but I must admit that Montreat was stunning. We arrived at the top of the mountain right as the sun was falling in the sky, and streaks of blue, purple, and red painted the sky. As we sat on a craggy cliff looking out over the Appalachians, I never felt more proud of the place that I call home. Nothing is more fulfilling that sharing a place you love with friends.

There are times in my life when I meet people who belong in Appalachia, and specifically Swannanoa, and don’t know it yet. These people were certainly Wilson students mistakenly living in Kentucky. To clarify: There was a boy in plaid flannel. We discussed corn subsidies, factory farming, the meat industry, and other reasons to eat local. Everyone helped with dinner. There was singing and a guitar, and we made it all the way through Old Crow Medicine Show’s Wagon Wheel (at full volume, no less), the song that always seems to come up at Wilson events.

I have the smells of garlic and sweet earth in my mind, a song in my heart, and gratitude for the opportunities Wilson tosses into my path (she’s not a subtle one). She may not give you what you expect every time, but she always sends you where you need to go.

Michelle

http://www.wwoof.org/
http://www.americorps.org/
http://www.bonner.org/campus/bsp/home.htm

Power Vacuums!

2008-03-12T13:53:00.006-04:00

With just under a week until spring break, things at Warren Wilson are getting a bit hectic and the student body is beginning to show the telltale signs of ware. My nights are becoming later and later and my room smells like a coffee shop. Midterms are this week; I have four essays, a portfolio, and a project to complete before next Friday.

Even with midterm insanity setting in, over one hundred students attended a student caucus hosted question and answer session with our president. The meeting took place in the Sage Café and last about an hour and a half. Our president, Sandy Pfeiffer, is a new addition to the campus and some students question his plans for the future of Wilson. Rumors had it the Sandy planned to double or triple the student population. Fears that this supposed expansion would turn Warren Wilson College into a run of the mill, mainstream, learning institution had many people upset.

Students began to trickle into the Café at about 6:45 and by 7pm there was only standing room available. The meeting commenced when Sandy entered the Café and took a seat among the Caucus members. Tension filled the room. A heated debate was expected.

As students began to ask questions, Sandy eased our fears. No such plans for expansion existed. He was adamant about keeping our little college just that - little. Through the course of the meeting, Sandy agreed to eat lunch at least once a week with the students in the cafeteria, provide more vacuum cleaners for dorms, and continue attending student caucus meetings every three weeks.

Cait

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

2008-02-28T14:24:00.002-05:00

When I got dressed on Monday, I put on my favorite blue sundress and my Chacos. It was in the 60s and sunny, and I walked barefoot between classes and work. The crocuses have been up for a few weeks, and the daffodils were starting to shoot up. Needless to say, I love spring.

So you can imagine my dismay when I woke up on Wednesday, turned my face to the window, and saw….snow. Snow?! Sure, it was only a light dusting, but it was cold, and it meant I had to dig out wool socks and wool sweaters and mittens and shoes that weren’t sandals. I grumbled. But it turns out that I can’t stay in a sour mood for too long, and the past few days have been lovely. A few highlights:
-Last night, I tromped through Dogwood Pasture and across Suicide Ridge on a blustery night-hike with a few girls from my dorm. We left our flashlights and home and let our eyes adjust to the darkness. It was lovely!
-This morning, it snowed again, and as I headed to work at 8, I noticed lots of students on the landscaping crew sweeping know off the walkways and sprinkling salt around to keep us from slipping. While I was enjoying the warmth of my bed, they had been up early taking care of us.
-When I went to get the mail, I noticed and Outdoor Leadership class cooking pancakes on a camping stove in the sunroom of Cowpie Café—we never do that sort of thing in Social Work classes!
-Finally, perhaps the best part of the day was the homemade cornbread they served with lunch. My friend Brian works in Cowpie, and has made it his mission to bake as much fresh bread as possible. His bread alone is worth the tuition I pay to go here, and I never pass up an opportunity to give him a hug. Something about warm baked goods on a cold day makes every worry you have go away.

With that, it’s time for me to don my mittens and head to my 2:30 class, and here’s hoping that the midday sun has warmed things up a bunch. Think warm thoughts!

Lindsay, (who shouldn’t be complaining because she’s from Boston)

Chipmunk Amok

2008-02-27T08:47:00.003-05:00

People often ask me on tours, “What’s your favorite thing about Warren Wilson?” I know I asked that very same question when I came to visit the college. We all know how unreasonable that question is. You want me to narrow down my immeasurable list to one attribute of the college? I know, I know…it’s exciting to hear what people can come up with on the spot!

Yesterday, I had some free time, so I decided to do one my many favorite activities on campus. Walking our trails! I set out on our River Trail, which winds its way along the Swannanoa River. It’s hard to stop once you get going, and as a result, I found myself far off on the Berea trails. It was an unusually warm day, and the animals were out and about. I saw my first North Carolinian Chipmunk! I gave him quite a fright, sneaking up behind him to get a closer look. It’s nice to go out for a walk, take a nice breather from our busy schedules.

The great thing about the location of our campus is that we are tucked away in the breathtakingly beautiful Swannanoa Valley. We have access to over 600 acres of forest, and 25 miles of trails on campus. You don’t need to fret if you need some time in town. Asheville is a free, short bus ride away, where there is always something going on!

So this week, if I were to give you a tour, I would answer that hefty question with a definitive reply: the Trails!

Lora

From our friends at Wikipedia

Running *amok, sometimes referred to as simply amok (also spelled amuck or amuk), is derived from the Malay word amuk, meaning "mad with rage" (uncontrollable rage).

Dorm Love

2008-02-26T09:38:00.003-05:00

My roommate and I sped up I-26 on a beautiful Sunday afternoon, hustling back to school after a weekend out of town. We were late for Dorland’s dorm potluck, and the vegan brownies in the seat between us were getting cold.

I love my dorm. I know it’s weird. I know that sometimes it smells funny, and when the window’s open it’s cold and when they’re shut it’s hot. I know that our toilet doesn’t always flush and sometimes you really don’t care to know what the people upstairs are doing (I swear they’re moving furniture), but none of this matters in the long run. I love my dorm because when we walked into the kitchen, all of our friends were sitting around the dinner table, and they were happy to see us. The food was on the stove (tacos!) and Sufjan Stevens was on the speakers. It was a low-key, relaxed night at home, and I couldn’t help but think of Thanksgiving dinners.

I love Dorland because of those nights where we build a fire in the fireplace and pull the couches into a circle. Max shows up with his guitar, then Marcus with a banjo, and Hannah brings her nyckelharpa (it’s Sweden’s national instrument, in case you didn’t already know). Dance parties are spontaneous, and last semester we learned that our RD makes a bangin’ pumpkin pie. From the swing on the porch you can watch the activity in Sage Circle and enjoy the breeze, and you’re sure to be joined by anyone looking for a little sunshine. When you play the Beatles in your room, people show up just to sing along.

So, I know it’s strange to love an old building with a questionable layout. I know you’re supposed to be chomping at the bit to move off-campus and get a “real place.” But the truth is, I love Dorland and the people who live there, and wouldn’t choose to be anywhere else.

Michelle

Color Me Java

2008-02-25T12:52:00.004-05:00

I put my book in my bag, along with my coffee mug, and got on thebus from Warren Wilson College to go to downtown Asheville. I wandered around for a bit and then found my way to the Dripolator Coffeehouse – one of my favorite downtown hangout spots. Saturday afternoon is a very busy time for the Dripolator – lots of Warren Wilson students and various other groups gather there to study or to catch up on life. It was hard to find a spot to sit, but my friend and I finally found a little table nestled into a corner. It happened to be a wonderful place to sit – people to watch, and not too much noise. I got sucked into my book and read for as long as I could. I sipped from my vanilla latte until it disappeared and decided that it was probably time to head out and catch the bus back to campus.

One day earlier this year I rode the bus into Asheville and ended up spending almost all day there. I had most of a book to read and a paper to write. I was so excited about getting a cup of coffee – 50 cent refills – and sitting down at one of the black tables in the window to write and read. The Dripolator has several different seating options – there are tables with chairs like in any coffee shop, short tables on the window sill, couches and big comfy chairs, and a bar-type seating area looking out the window. I did end up spending all day there and had way too much coffee, but I got my reading and my paper finished!

I have found the Dripolator, both in Asheville and Black Mountain, to be a wonderful place to hang out and study – alone or with friends. The drinks are very tasty as are the various baked goods. They have desserts, muffins, bagels, scones, biscotti, fresh fruit, and so much more! Despite the noise that bothers some people, I find it relatively easy to focus at the Drip. There’s a nice buzz of the music along with various conversations going on. I’ve seen loads of people plugged into their iPods, computers, or other MP3s or CD players. It makes for a chill place to hang out and catch up – or curl up and read a good book.

Adrianne

V is for...

2008-02-21T09:37:00.007-05:00

So, folks, it’s that time of year again: crocuses are blooming, the spring calves are being born down at the farm, and the word vagina is in the air. Wait…vagina? Huh?

Yep, vagina. The Vagina Monologues is being performed this Friday and Saturday in our lovely Bryson Gym, and I’m co-directing it with my friend Erin, who was in the show with me last year. We’ve been spending the week scrambling to get things done: getting lost in the warehouse where we bought t-shirts to sell, learning Photoshop to design our poster, working with the folks at the WWC Print Shop to get the program printed. It’s been a lot of work, but the play is finally coming together, and people have been nothing but helpful.

Never seen The Vagina Monologues, and not sure what it’s all about? Well, it’s about vaginas (duh). But it’s also about women sharing their stories and being able to connect. It’s funny, and heartbreaking, and enraging, and comforting. It’s about saying the word vagina so many times that people stop being afraid to say it or talk about it. And me, I’ve probably said the word vagina thousands of times in the past three months, and that’s fine with me.

Lindsay

A Kentucky Southerner in King Arthur’s Court

2008-02-18T10:10:00.010-05:00

Looking back on my fall semester in London, England, I find myself longing to be back in the heart of Westminster once again. Waking up in my flat at 6 Knaresborough Place, dressing in a suit, grabbing the London Paper, and forcing myself onto an all-too-packed underground car at Earl’s Court, was all apart of my daily routine to the Houses of Parliament each morning. Working as a researcher for Nigel Evans MP, proved to be one of the most incredible experiences of my life.

On my first day of work, (I'm the one in pink under Big Ben) I recall sitting on the terrace of the Houses of Parliament overlooking the River Thames, eating lunch with my new co-workers. I remember thinking what was I, a Kentucky girl from Warren Wilson College doing here in London working for the British Government? How was this even possible? My two mentors, Andrew an Oxford History Graduate whose father is the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, and Daniel a Durham Law Graduate whose father is a barrister on the Queen’s Court, both had been working with Nigel for over a year now. My feelings of being ill-equipped for this internship soon faded as Andrew and Daniel walked me through the “who’s who” and “what’s what” in Parliament.

Within two weeks, they had given me an all access pass, and left me to run the office while they went to the Party Conference in Blackpool, England. I felt comfortable answering the phone and dealing with questions. People had actually begun getting used to hearing an American southern draw when they called Nigel’s office. As I became more involved in constituent correspondence I became familiar with British Ministers’ names and positions and had a real understanding of the issues and concerns of the Ribble Valley (Northwest England). I fell in love with British politics and how Her Majesty’s Government is run. During the four months I was there, I saw the State Opening of Parliament by the Queen, shared an elevator with the Leader of the Opposition (David Cameron), and had the honor of being Nigel’s guest at the Stranger’s Bar, a “MP’s Only” establishment directly under the speaking chambers.

Each day was an adventure, a new learning experience, and an absolute blessing. My Worldwide experience in London has forever changed my life. I will never forget the things I learned and the friends I have made. Though I deeply miss my life in London, my job in Parliament, and my jet set lifestyle of living in Europe; I now feel more secure in where I am in my life, and where I am going.

Caitlin

Valentin-less Junior comtemplates Love.

2008-02-14T11:53:00.008-05:00

Today is Valentine’s Day, and I forgot to wear red yet again this year. I don’t have a valentine, but I do have lots of chocolate (which is better anyway). As today is a day about love, let me take a paragraph or two to describe my infatuation with the liberal arts system of education.

I am in six different classes right now: Photography I; Literature of the Restoration and Queen Anne Period; Shakespeare; Jazz Ensemble; Applied Voice; and The Literature of AIDS (Independent Study). My schedule is comprised of classes that do and do not fullfill requirements for the English major. Photography and Jazz Band, are classes that I have never had any previous experience with, which is one of my favorite things about the liberal arts education: I can take pretty much anything that I am interested in regardless of my choice of major.

Within the English Major though, I have an all-star team of professors to help me explore my various interests. First, there is Carol Howard, a brunette bombshell whose name is on the contributors page of the Bedford Handbook. Then, there is David Mycoff, a Medieval, Shakespearean, and Chaucerian scholar who acts in many of the school plays. And last, but not least of course, is Sam Scoville, a metaphorically-minded linguistics professor who has been at Warren Wilson for decades. Their interests are as diverse as their teaching styles.

Thanks to the support I’ve received for my intellectual pursuits at WWC, I no longer cringe when people ask me what I want to be when I grow up. I have become confident in not knowing specifically because I know that the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained will be valuable in many different professions. I know for sure that absolute certainty is a myth. The liberal arts system of education has spoiled me, and I have fallen in love with possibilities.

Rachel

Yoga at Warren Wilson College

2008-02-14T08:22:00.010-05:00

Monday afternoon at 4:30 I went to the Lower Fellowship Hall for Sattva Yoga Flow with Brooke Sullivan. When I got there it was packed – there were probably 40 people with their yoga mats spread out on the floor. Brooke started like she usually does with sun salutations, and off we went! It was wonderful and so rejuvenating. We are told to focus on our breath, which by tightening the vocal cords becomes audible and it sounds like the ocean when everyone is breathing together. When I left to go to dinner I felt so energized and like I was really in tune with my body. One thing I really love about this yoga is that the instructor embraces the fact that not everyone’s bodies move in the same way and she shows different variations on the poses to accommodate everyone.

The Wellness Crew here at Warren Wilson has a weekly calendar of Wellness Activities. Some of the activities offered are yoga – twice a week, two different types, as well as bouldering, drumming, African dance, pilates, salsa dancing, contra dancing, juggling, and Everyone Cooks. I’ve been to Everyone Cooks in the past with Michael Gentry which has been a lot of fun. We cook a vegetarian meal together in a community space with wonderful ingredients, some from the Warren Wilson College Farm. Then we sit down to eat together.

I have also been to Contra Dancing, which takes place every Thursday evening from 7:30 to 11:00. It takes place in Bryson Gym on campus and lots of people from the surrounding community and some from even farther away come to dance together. There is a live band every week and a caller who calls the dances. There is a waltz in the middle of the dance and then more contra! Contra, for those who don’t know, is kind of a mixture of line dancing and square dancing.

The Wellness Crew does an excellent job of making these activities available to students on campus. Check out the Wellness Crew website to see the schedule of events at http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~wellness_office/

Adrianne

My Warren Wilson Valentine

2008-02-12T21:23:00.011-05:00

This Thursday is Valentines day. Let me tell you about one of my loves here at Wilson. She is a beautiful, natural looking woman. Simple yet and homely...like Jane Eyre. Her name is Ellison, and she is our library here at Wilson.

I love the library. She is one of my dear, dear friends here at Wilson. I love everything about her, from the people who frequent her stacks, to the couches upon which we take much needed naps. I've had a pretty steady relationship with the alternative magazines, one that fills me with regret for the time I've missed with the great works of literature housed in her depths.

I love studying in the library. Finishing my homework before dinner, while the sun sets behind those Appalachian mountains I've come to call home. I delight in glancing up from my homework to watch the squirrels dancing in the trees, with the leaves fluttering in the breeze. You'd be pleased to know, that I spent some quality time with her today, up in her loft, reading for my World Cinema class, with a nap as the intermission, and finishing off with some of my mathematics homework. It was a great date.

Lora spent the rest of her evening doing homework, and making* no-bake cookies with two dear friends and distributing them to more friends scattered around the campus.

* making here is defined as helping clean out the chocolate lining the mixing bowls

Lora

Wait, we're already thinking about summer?

2008-02-12T08:54:00.002-05:00

Summer might seem like a long way off, but lots of Wilson students are already planning for it. People do all sorts of crazy things (my friend Hannah, for example, wants to hike from Asheville all the way up to Vermont). Other people will be doing things as varied as maintaining a community garden in Black Mountain, NC, monitoring and restoring indigenous trees in Costa Rica, working to protect threatened seabirds off the coast of Maine, and working with the City of Asheville’s first Energy Coordinator to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Pretty cool stuff, huh? Now, here’s a question for you: what do all of these have in common?

If you guessed that they’re all summer internships offered through Warren Wilson’s Environmental Leadership Center, then you’re obviously either clairvoyant or have spent a ton of time on our website. The internships are a fabulous opportunity for Wilson students to get their feet wet as they learn about what it’s really like to work in different environmentally oriented fields. All twenty or so spots are open exclusively to WWC students, and all are paid, making them a great option for any motivated student. And, come on, who wouldn’t want to spend a summer walking up and down the beaches of long island watching colonies of piping plovers and least terns…and make money doing it (my friend Nora can’t stop talking about it!) If you want to know more, check the ELC internship page out at http://www.warren-wilson.edu/~ELC/New_ELC_Website_/internshipofferings.php

Lindsay, who had her 20th birthday this weekend and celebrated by milking Katy the cow at 7 AM.