Written by: Nathan, Lucy, Anna P., & Evan
Cook Crew: Cook Crew is part of the weekly routine here at HMI. Most students are assigned two cook crews per week and then have the opportunity to volunteer more time in the kitchen if they would like. Each Cook Crew makes one of the three meals that day. Cook Crew entails coming before the meal to prep and cook the meal, and then serving and cleaning up afterwards. It may sound like a lot of work, but you always have four to five other students helping out, plus Gabi or Jeff, our Head Chefs. Time honestly flies by when you’re working in the kitchen. When cooking, you learn a variety of skills such as chopping, dicing, checking on food, sauteing and grilling. Cook Crew is one of my favorite activities to take part in on campus because you get to work towards making something that the entire community will ultimately eat and enjoy. Food really brings the community together. Personally, I also love cooking, so getting in the kitchen and having the opportunity to make delicious food is not a chore. I often find myself popping in and helping out even if I am not scheduled to work a Cook Crew that day!
Cabin Representatives, a Leadership Position: When my name was read off as the elected cabin representative for Cab Sev (For Ev!) (aka Cabin 7), I had no idea what this new responsibility would entail other than being a bridge between students and faculty. I have moved around a lot, so I have never been in one high school long enough to have a leadership position, so this all felt like I was walking into a new room blindfolded. My nerves only grew with my anticipation of the first meeting of Cabin Representatives, however my blindfold was quickly stripped away as Hayden (Science Teacher and Director of Student Life, among other things) welcomed me and the other representatives with open arms and guiding leadership. Since week one, we have all worked collaboratively on making Semester 48 the best it can be. For example, we incorporated free time for relaxation into our jam-packed days, and later, drove down the HMI driveway in Turtle (a bus) blasting an ice-cream truck jingle with vats of ice cream cradled in our arms (don’t worry, we shared). Not every moment has been as sweet as that one, as with the Cabin Rep position comes upholding HMI’s values and rules. I would never have thought that one of the obstacles encountered this semester would require the cabin representatives to remind the semester of nightly bathroom guidelines, but that’s the fun of it! HMI is filled to the brim with small, intentional communities, like cabins, expedition groups, advisories, and luckily, the Cabin Representatives are no different. I feel so grateful for the other Cabin Reps. They have made problem solving effortless and rewarding, and to the dedicated faculty who truly care about the wellbeing of the students and tolerate our antics, I would like to say thank you.
Academics: After returning from our Second Expedition, we were propelled back into the reality of junior year. Our bodies had been sore long enough, so now it was time for our brains to work really hard again. Just kidding, I’m being dramatic. The academic workload has picked up this block, but it’s nothing that we students can’t handle. We work diligently to complete our assignments during study hall and free periods. During classes, many students find that they have more fun than at our sending schools. For example, we sing acapella and work in groups in math. Jesse, one of our math teachers, says, “sitting is the new smoking,” so we spend most of class standing and solving math problems on the whiteboard. This helps us stay awake and alert so we can learn more efficiently. During our last two science labs, we ventured to Buena Vista, a town 45 minutes south of Leadville, and studied new landscapes and simulated wildfires using a wooden block with matches. These lessons helped us visualize the factors that contribute to the wildfires that plague our nation. In Spanish class, we are writing manifestos about a topic of our choice. During History and P&P, a class about wilderness ethics, we have lively discussions and debates. In English, we are talking about the poems and letters we will write for our families on Family Weekend. Get excited for those! These engaging activities are a break from the busy work of normal school, and they make the hard work of school worth it.
Activities: Every Sunday that students are on campus, we’ve separated from the day to day routine of campus and engaged in a variety of fun activities. One of the most memorable ones includes our recent trip to the Breckenridge Recreation Center, where we played soccer and enjoyed the pool area, sitting in the hot tub and going down the water slide with friends. We’ve also stayed local, taking a trip back to Ski Cooper, our local ski mountain, after returning from our winter expedition. The outfits we wore to Ski Cooper were ridiculous and the day was even crazier: 360s spun in the air off of jumps, gopro clips, and much shreddage. Everyone had an amazing time as the sun beat down upon us, and we skied a mixture of slush and ice on a beautiful 50 degree day. The conditions, while maybe a little too warm, didn’t matter, as everyone had smiles on their faces and screams of glee streaming from their lips. After the day at Ski Cooper was done, we were so tired that we slept on the buses home and relaxed until dinner. After such a glorious day, we felt refreshed for the busy week ahead.
