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Friday, February 26, 2010

Viva La Vida!


Ah, Bahia de Kino. The ultimate college student destination…but not for the reasons you may be thinking…No, this isn’t a blog about a drunken experience in Mexico. I’m not talking about something you might see on an MTV spring break special. I’m talking about something else entirely. I’m talking about a journey—an educational journey, an awe-insiring journey, a jourrney in Coastal Ecology during winter block 2010 at the Prescott College research station in Kino Bay. Let me break it down.


Standing knee-deep in frgid, voracious, foot-sucking mud an 7:30 in the morning may not sound like an incredible experience. But some days, that’s the best time to see the shorebirds come out to feed. If you're lucky enough, you'll see something rare...like a Roseate Spoonbill, a wading bird related to the Pink Flamingo. You don't see this kind of thing everyday(...unless you do, in which case, I am INCREDIBLY jealous)! We'd take trips into the field like this on a daily basis--sometimes leaving at the crack of dawn and returning to the field station until the sun went down. On days off, we would hike, paddleboard, snorkel, swim, go into town, hunt for tamales, or work on our tan. It's a quiet little town, unlike major "college-kid" destinations(tiajuana, cabo, the like), but it's perfect for Prescott College.

I sometimes wonder where I would be if I had chosen a school other than PC, would I be standing on a beach doing a study on Pelicans--or, as I suspect, would I be sitting in a lecture hall with dozens of my peers listening to a lecture on feeding habits--instead of actually observing them? For the adventure-minded student, the experiential learner, or the inquisitive type, Prescott College offers its students the opportunity to venture out into the field and get a realistic idea of the diversity of the natural world! -Sydnie Bonin (Pictures credited to Madison Prez)

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Good Friends, Good Food, Good Music
By Patrick Jones
One of the things I’ve been enjoying the most about Prescott College as of late is the friendly community of like minded individuals who enjoy intellectual conversations over good food. There’s always a couple of musicians at every outing, so jamming on an acoustic guitar with a flutist, a banjo player, or even a charango player has become a regular event for me. The food always consists of good vegan or vegetarian food because everyone attending is conscious of the diet habits of others, even if they don’t follow them themselves. The best thing about these little get togethers is the amazing conversations we have. Topics range from the philosophy of consciousness to the evolution of religion and the heard mentality, from issues of basic human rights to war and imperialism, from elitist conspiracies and the new world order to a peaceful counterculture revolution, no topic is taboo and everyone approaches the conversation with an open mind. It’s almost as if I can feel the expansion of my consciousness throughout these interactions. I’m exactly where I need to be.