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Photo by Carmen G. Ruvie
Five interesting aspects of Northland College in Ashland, WI that you would not have learned at orientation from a Sustainable Community Development graduate of May 2013:
- Shoes are a product of modern day consumerism and a symbol of planned obsolescence… therefore, the classrooms have a certain stench on this environmentally-oriented campus. Not only is it perfectly acceptable to let your toes run free in the classrooms, the cafeteria, the library… I have honestly seen barefoot prints in the snow on campus from those truly dedicated to the cause. If that doesn’t inspire you to get back to your roots I am not sure what will. The students at Northland are of the quirky, alternative sort. Bare feet are just the tip of the off-beat iceberg. In a way, anything goes. Feel free to knit in class, slack line during your break, and work at the community organic farm for class credit. Be innovative, creative, and open with what it means to be an undergraduate student. Question everything, challenge society and yourself and your professors. Make a path for yourself that isn’t shaped with a cookie cutter. Ask for direction to the “granola triangle” and support some local shops. Explore Tai Chi, permaculture, and geo-caching. All of these activities are encouraged and supported by Northland College. If you are looking for your typical undergraduate, picturesque, American college dream from the movies, stop reading now.
- Having a real winter in Northern Wisconsin. I have experienced three feet of snowfall overnight in May. I have been unable to walk to class without a ski mask due to -20 degree weather. But celebration of the season, no matter how drastic it may be, does exist and is in fact embraced by much of the community. Winter sports are all the rage whether you are into ice fishing, ATV riding, or cross country skiing. A huge attraction in the winter months is an event called Book Across the Bay, a 10 kilometer race open to skiers of all skill levels or those brave enough to walk across the surface of Lake Superior in February when it’s completely frozen over!
- The nature in this area will draw you back time and time again – even after graduation. Travel to Norway to see the Northern Lights? Unnecessary! See this natural phenomenon from the shores of the glorious Lake Superior (the world’s largest lake). Northland’s hometown of Ashland, WI is nestled on this lake, lined with beaches for lounging and waters to explore via sailboat, canoe, and surfboard. Also, Northland College is surrounded by dense forests, waterfalls, nature reserves, and miles of area to be explored on foot. One of my personal favorite spots is the St. Peter’s Dome Trail with a jaw dropping finale vista, especially when the leaves change in the fall. Another popular trek is the Lake Superior Trail, a 296-mile journey along Lake Superior’s Northern Shores beginning at Duluth, MN an hour away from campus, short day trips and overnight trips are also very possible on this trail. Nature lovers rejoice!
- The community truly makes the place. Ashland is a tiny town, home to a small population of working class people. There are only two bars: the South Shore Brewery, a microbrewery with innovative beers on tap and the best sweet potato fries I have ever tasted, and a dive bar called The Office, infamous for its all you can imbibe five dollar cup Wednesday nights. It certainly isn’t the typical nightlife scene that keeps tourists and students coming back year after year. It is the beautiful people and their initiatives to connect to each other and to the earth. Honestly, this place has changed my entire perspective of what is truly means to live in community and be supported by your community. Every week you can find yourself engaging at a workshop, open mic night, potluck, volunteer opportunity, music event, or at a local business. Without the self-driven people of this town, Ashland would be another rode hard and hung up wet old industrial town on the shore of Lake Superior with not whole lot to offer. The students and community members work constantly to enrich both Northland College and Ashland.
- For adventure seekers and travel bugs, there are opportunities galore set up with the CELL (Center for Ecological Living and Learning based in Maine) and with sister schools in the Eco-League. Want to get 15 college credits to work with communities implementing sustainable initiatives in rural parts of the Nicaraguan countryside? Want to dig trails in the center of the rainforest with indigenous communities learning about local floral and fauna? I did both of these during my time with Northland College. If going abroad isn’t your thing, Northland is in a partnership with College of the Atlantic in Maine, Alaska Pacific University in Alaska, Green Mountain College in Vermont, and Prescott College in Arizona. Students can seamlessly do a semester or more at one of these other environmentally focused campuses in the country without the hassle of figuring out how to make your credits transfer. These possibilities prove that getting your undergraduate degree at Northland is much more than attending class for four years, it is about life experiences, service learning, and frankly scaring the hell out of yourself by stepping outside of comfortable boundaries.
Carmen G. Ruvie graduated from Northland with a degree in Sustainable Community Development in May of 2013.