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November 2008
11.10.2008 A Nicaraguan Adventure An adventurous Oliverian group recently explored Nicaragua as part of their “Electives Week,” while learning the language, the land, the culture, local customs and enjoying the many exotic dishes Nicaraguan cuisine has to offer. The tour first travelled to Managua where they settled in and rested for their great excursion. After a traditional Nicaraguan breakfast of beans, rice, meat and fried plantains, they travelled to Masaya, “the city of flowers.” The students enjoyed plundering through the Masaya market full of an impressive assortment of arts and crafts the local artists and craftsmen had to offer. As dusk settled on Masaya, the brave group embarked on their evening volcanic tour of the lava caves at the Masaya Volcano National Park. The lighting was spectacular, with a large cloud of smoke continuously exiting the mouth of the volcano. It last erupted in 2001…when would it erupt again? The tour guide was very clear when informing the group that it could erupt at anytime. The group walked down in the former lava caves, now inhabited by bats. The caves descended about 140ft. below the surface. Shining their lights into one of the caves the group experienced up close numerous bats flying around in circles and brushing near. Other activities on the Nicaraguan tour included: a canopy tour of Granada, zip lining, kayak tour of Lake Nicaragua, nighttime sea turtle expedition in San Juan del Sur, a Spanish movie in Managua topped off with a traditional Nicaraguan dinner and show. The dinner consisted of fried and cooked plantains, grilled steak and beef, pinto gallo, salad, and fresh Granadillo, along with Pepsi's and Fanta's filling the table. The Nicaraguan group had an amazing experience and was eager to get back to Oliverian to share their souvenirs, pictures, and stories to all of their Oliverian friends.  11.03.2008Kings of the Mountain Electives Weeks is a time for students to explore new interests while earning academic credit. The timing of Electives Week provides a break to “traditional” classroom academics and revitalizes student interest in learning. Under the guidance of Ben Churchill, Director of Stewardship and Farm Manager, the “Kings of the Mountain” Electives class relocated a rustic cabin to the summit of Iron Mountain on the edge of campus. Students learned carpentry skills while soaking up the beauty of fall from one of the campus’ most scenic areas. The project began by jacking the cabin up and loading it on a wagon. The group then hauled the cabin up the steep mountain, unloaded it, and carefully placed it in its new home on top of the mountain. Before the cabin settled, the group leveled the area and finally added a deck on to the front of it. Everyone worked hard and had a lot of fun while they created a resource that will be valued by generations of Oliverian students to come.  11.03.2008Reclaiming the Mountains: Understanding and Redefining the Stereotypes During electives week two staff, Matthew Brown and Jon Wall, loaded up a van with eight Oliverian students, and enough food to supply a small army, and headed south to West Virginia. Over the course of the week we studied Appalachian culture through literature, adventure and first hand experience. Our destination was the New River Gorge. The New River Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular gorges on the east coast. In this beautiful place, we had the opportunity to connect to the land and attempt to better understand a fascinating area that has been terribly exploited. We started the week out just right with two days of white water rafting on the Gauley and New Rivers. These two rivers, located within several miles of each other, constitute two of the best white water runs in the East. On Monday, we ran the Upper Gauley-a class five river that is one of the most coveted runs in the east. The Gauley runs only 21 days each year in the Fall when the dam is released for recreational use. The next day we took a classic ride on the lower New River through the beautiful New River Gorge. After two intense days of rafting, we spent two days rock climbing on the sandstone cliffs that line the Gorge and the dramatic cliffs that surround nearby Summersville Lake. Over the two days of climbing, students pushed themselves mentally and physically accomplishing something they had never done before. On the last day of the trip we traveled back north to the coal country of Pennsylvania to tour an old coal mine. Here we traveled three hundred feet into the earth to experience first hand the kind of working conditions that so many Appalachian people experienced during the long history of mining in the area. Throughout this experience, our activities were complemented by an exploration of Appalachian history and culture through literature, music and film. Our experience was enriched by hearing stories of the land, people and the struggles they have faced against outside forces that so often stereotype and even threaten to destroy their unique way of life. This trip was a unique and exciting experience filled with adventure that brought us face to face with a fascinating and fiercely independent culture. These trips are what make the Oliverian experience so powerful and informative. |
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