LSC immersion semester off to successful start

The first outdoor immersion program ever offered at Lyndon State is off to a successful start, according to participants from the Mountain Recreation Management Department.

The program, typically referred to as an immersion semester, was launched by Professor Ben Mirkin at the beginning of the school year.

Its goal is to provide interested students with firsthand outdoor education in the form of trip planning and lengthy wilderness expeditions.

This fall, students took three hiking trips and a canoeing trip, all of which lasted between three and 10 days. Locations included northern Maine and the Long Trail in western Vermont.

Sophomore Matt Cowley is one of about a dozen mountain recreation students participating in the school’s first immersion semester.

He says the curriculum is designed to teach students how to confidently lead groups on wilderness excursions while addressing any issues that arise along the way.

“I don’t know if I want to stick with mountain recreation too much,” Cowley explained. “But the leadership and group dynamic skills I’ve learned are transferrable to anything. I think that’s really valuable.”

The group didn’t waste any time getting started, as the first expedition began just two days after students returned from summer vacation.

In addition to outdoor training, immersion participants are required to plan logistics, gear, and food for each trip.

The focus of the program has since shifted from off-site expeditions to classroom activities because of inclement fall weather conditions. Students are now taking a wilderness first responder training course and a geology class that will satisfy a general education requirement.

Despite the unconventional structure of the program, Cowley insists that it is academically rigorous.

“It was a lot of work,” he said when asked about the expedition portion. “It wasn’t easy at all, but that’s not really a bad thing.”

Cowley believes that the program is here to stay at Lyndon State. In fact, department officials hope to make the immersion semester a regular part of the mountain recreation curriculum because of its early success.

For Cowley, the work has been challenging, but ultimately worthwhile.

“I’m proud that I was able to do it. I’m happy to be here.”

Audio Slideshow Synopsis

For our audio slideshow project, Louis and I plan to focus on the new immersion program that the Mountain Recreation Management Department launched earlier this fall. The program runs for an entire semester and boasts a curriculum focused solely on firsthand outdoor education and experience. As a result, students in the immersion program frequently plan for and embark on canoeing, hiking, and climbing expeditions that span one to two weeks. They also receive extensive training in the areas of outdoor emergency care, group dynamics, and nature preservation.

Tyler Weller is a sophomore mountain rec major and a member of the first-ever immersion class at Lyndon State. Louis and I plan to interview Tyler to get his take on the program and learn more about the curriculum. We think that Tyler's stories and information will make for a very engaging audio piece.

For the project itself, Louis will be conducting the interview with Tyler and I will be writing the accompanying article with input from another student in the program. Louis and I both plan to take pictures of Tyler prepping for his classes/trips, hiking outside, getting his gear together, etc. We also have some pictures from earlier expeditions that we may add to the slideshow with credit to enhance the overall story.

In-Class Fish Audio Slideshow

Photo Gallery and Slideshow Critique

Photo Gallery - http://www.upi.com/News_Photos/2013/2013-The-Year-in-US-News/8069/14/
Audio Slideshow - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/8518479.stm
Non-Audio Slideshow - http://www.nature.org/photos-and-video/naturallight/natural-light-october-2011.xml

I chose to look at three photo galleries/slideshows that covered distinctly different topics. The photo gallery was a visual recap of the biggest U.S. news events of 2013, while the slideshow with audio provided a firsthand account of life as a British solider fighting in Afghanistan, and the slideshow with no audio covered an array of stunning natural landscape shots from around the world.

Despite the various information presented by each visual medium, I thought that all three served as engaging storytelling methods. All of them grabbed my attention and held it for the entirety of the story. Admittedly, I was more focused on the audio slideshow than the others because of the combination of spoken word and visual features. It was ultimately easier to follow because there were auditory cues accompanying the pictures, which were quite interesting regardless.

The audio also helped set the tone of the piece, thus making it more real and impactful for the audience. If nothing else, I noticed that the sound enhanced the story such that the pictures made more sense because of the information being presented with them.

In each case, I found that the photos added depth to the piece far beyond that of the written word alone. Perhaps it serves to the prove that a picture, if presented well, truly is worth a thousand words.

LSC officials bolstering academic programs amid enrollment decline

Lyndon State College is committed to growing its academic programs despite falling enrollment numbers this year, according to President Joe Bertolino.

The announcement came during Bertolino’s State of the College Address on Thursday, October 2.

Hundreds of faculty, staff members, and students attended the speech, which took on a more somber tone than those of years past.

This year’s incoming class totaled about 400 new and transfer students, which was 90 to 100 students less than initially expected after three years of steady enrollment, Bertolino noted.

As a result, the college had to scramble to cover a $1.5 million budget deficit through unfilled job vacancies, cuts to project funds, and the use of limited in-house reserves. Bertolino was quick to recognize the seriousness of the college’s current financial situation.

“While I continue to remain optimistic and enthusiastic and positive, these emotions are tempered by the reality of our situation,” Bertolino said.

However, he confirmed that his administration is working to improve a unique academic curriculum that has recently become Lyndon State’s selling point.

“Realistically, what will draw students to LSC and keep them here, in my opinion, is our existing combination of liberal arts and professional studies programs,” Bertolino said.

Priority degree programs will likely include atmospheric sciences, electronic journalism arts, exercise science, mountain recreation management, and music and performing arts.

Those are the five largest majors at Lyndon State and all of them have at least 90 students, according to an October 2013 report from the Vermont State College System.

Four of those degree programs also boast higher out-of-state student enrollment than in-state enrollment, although the Exercise Science Department continues to attract more Vermont residents.

While the administration does not want to be directly involved in academic curriculum decisions, Bertolino noted that the college needs to reevaluate the entire process to eliminate as much red tape as possible.

“The application of knowledge and preparing students for what is happening in the world is what students and families expect from a degree,” he explained.

In recent months, several task forces have been created to address Lyndon State’s ongoing enrollment and budget issues. Those committees will be reporting back to the president and his administration throughout the school year.