On November 11th, a satellite text message went out to the four HMI expeditions in the canyons of Utah:
“Election Results. President: Trump, Senate: Republican, House: Still up for grabs. Please use the curriculum provided and pass on this news on the last night.”
The 2024 election, like past elections and many major news events, happened over expedition for Semester 53 students, faculty, and apprentices. After much debate, the expedition groups had asked that we withhold the results until the closing hours of their trip, thereby preserving the sanctity of their wilderness experience. In the weeks and months that followed, HMI, like many schools in America, has felt the need to reevaluate and reaffirm its priorities and values. What follows are just a few areas of our work that have come into sharp focus in the early months of the second Trump Administration.
Utah’s Bears Ears National Monument, where our students were backpacking on election day, has been a battleground of federal, state, and tribal politics for decades. When I was a teacher at HMI (2007-11), the area had few protections of its cultural heritage and natural sites. In the years and administrations that followed, the area gained national monument status, had its borders dramatically shrunk, then expanded again. Now, the Department of the Interior has already indicated that it intends to shrink Bears Ears once again in the name of resource extraction and deregulation. We will continue to travel to Bears Ears, regardless of land management status, emphasizing wonder, respect, and a light foot. But while HMI is not a political advocacy organization, preserving access to and opposing the sale of public lands are clearly in the interests of our mission and programs, and we will continue to advocate and educate to these ends.
With increased federal immigration enforcement looming, many schools have adopted policies designed to preserve educational facilities as safe havens from law enforcement activities. At HMI, we recognize the importance of providing a safe learning and residential environment for all students regardless of citizenship status. To this end, we have adopted policies limiting law enforcement access to our campus, except when invited, in the case of emergency, or when a judicially-signed warrant is presented. We are lucky to have a strong relationship with local law enforcement in Lake County and have confidence in their dedication to preserving public safety and community trust above any federal agenda.
Finally, I write this as many government, business, and educational institutions are rolling back their efforts to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, following executive orders threatening federal funding. I want to assure our alumni, families, friends, and future students that HMI stands by the core values contained in our strategic plan and Diversity & Inclusion Statement, which concludes: we are committed to building an exceptional learning environment rooted in community—not just for some, but for all who seek to be inspired by the natural world. We value diversity in our student and adult communities and remain steadfast in supporting our community members from marginalized and underrepresented backgrounds. At HMI, this means continuing efforts to increase the racial and ethnic diversity of our students, staff, and trustees, remaining committed in our recognition and support of our gender-diverse community members, and continuing to critically examine our culture and curriculum to ensure HMI is inclusive and welcoming to all.
As an independent school, HMI is afforded some level of protection from federal mandates that target the public sector. Still, there are ways that antagonistic federal agencies could threaten our operations. While we do not know what the future holds, I am heartened by the coalition of organizations similar to HMI (such as NOLS, Outward Bound, and hundreds of independent schools) communicating, collaborating, and advocating through this uncertain time. We are not alone in our concerns, nor in our commitments.
This article originally appeared in the Spring 2025 HMI Newsletter.