{"id":11776,"date":"2022-02-22T17:24:26","date_gmt":"2022-02-22T17:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/?p=11776"},"modified":"2022-09-06T19:10:13","modified_gmt":"2022-09-06T19:10:13","slug":"from-a-small-town-book-club-to-paddling-the-mississippi-river-learning-gets-bigger-outside-the-classroom%e2%80%a8%e2%80%a8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/2022\/02\/22\/from-a-small-town-book-club-to-paddling-the-mississippi-river-learning-gets-bigger-outside-the-classroom%e2%80%a8%e2%80%a8\/","title":{"rendered":"From a small-town book club to paddling the Mississippi River, learning gets bigger outside the classroom"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just outside Hallock, Minnesota, in the skies that stretch above dormant sugar beet fields, charged solar particles meet the earth\u2019s magnetic shield, exciting those atoms into the awe that is the aurora borealis.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a collision of energy that delights anyone observing, each drawn to its light for reasons both obvious and intensely personal.<\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s poetry, or maybe it\u2019s providence.<\/p>\n

But the meeting of seemingly opposing forces is creating something spectacular in other parts of this border town, too. The magic is made of one cup of coffee, one shared car ride, one page at a time. Here, a book club brings rural community members and urban college students together, meeting each person wherever they are and challenging them to think differently. The book club is one of a number of experiential learning opportunities offered at Augsburg University that put into practice just what it means to pursue one\u2019s calling and build a meaningful life and career.<\/p>\n

Removing obstacles<\/h2>\n
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Participants from the book club talk at a local business in Hallock, Minnesota. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s become known as the Anti-Racist Book Club began as the brainchild of Augsburg alumni and Hallock residents Kristin Eggerling \u201989<\/strong> and Paul Blomquist \u201988<\/strong>. For some time, the couple had been hosting a club, welcoming their neighbors into discussions of social justice issues. But the group grew to include current Auggies when Timothy Pippert<\/strong><\/a>, the Joel Torstenson Endowed Professor of Sociology, began reminiscing about a pre-pandemic writing retreat that gave him time for thought and reflection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started talking to Darcey [Engen \u201988]<\/strong><\/a> about it, about how I missed it, and she said, \u2018You need to meet two of my friends,\u2019\u201d Pippert said.<\/p>\n

Engen, professor and chair of the Augsburg theater department and founder of the theater company Sod House, helped get all the parties involved in conversation. Eggerling\u2014a writer, editor, and community activist\u2014found comfort and friends at the Hallock library when she first moved to the town after working for a time in the Twin Cities. Hallock is where Blomquist grew up, and where he returned after college to run his family\u2019s Ford dealership after his father\u2019s unexpected death. Their Augsburg experience was imprinted on them on an almost cellular level, and it eventually led to them celebrating things in Hallock that some overlook or take for granted, while also asking critical questions and inviting others in the community to engage in challenging conversations.<\/p>\n

When Pippert heard of the couple\u2019s work, it wasn\u2019t long before he asked if the group could join them.<\/p>\n

The couple said yes. With that, planning began in earnest. What book? When? Who will be involved? How? The cumulative efforts of that organizing came together with a Fall 2021 trip,\u00a0funded by Board of Regents member Mark S. Johnson \u201975<\/strong>, that brought the city-dwelling students to the small country community that sits within 20 miles of the Canadian border.<\/p>\n

Welcome to Hallock, population 981.<\/p>\n

\"Student
The book club students and faculty members left the Twin Cities to visit Hallock, Minnesota. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cOne of the things we were trying to do was to focus not just on the anti-racism theme, but to explore the urban and rural divide. Many of our students don\u2019t really have a sense of what it\u2019s like to live in or know many people who come from a town of 900 people,\u201d Pippert said.<\/p>\n

Conversely, folks who\u2019ve spent their entire lives in and near a place where Friday night is synonymous with fish fry don\u2019t necessarily understand why someone would want to live in a place where a high school can be larger than their entire community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen it comes to this idea between urban and rural, there\u2019s a big divide in lots of ways,\u201d Engen said. \u201cYes, of course, there are often issues around race, but there are economic issues, too. And in greater Minnesota, there are people who are struggling and need resources, the same as in the Twin Cities.\u201d<\/p>\n

What\u2019s more, Engen said, specialty skill sets aren\u2019t simply the purview of urbanites. Visiting a small farming community, and actually communicating with the residents there, is a great reminder that gifts and talents are universally distributed.<\/p>\n

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The group of Augsburg students and faculty visited a local business in Hallock, Minnesota. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cTo not forget there are artists, writers, sociologists, lawyers in greater Minnesota, all over the state\u2014people who are born in the Twin Cities don\u2019t think about that,\u201d Engen said.<\/p>\n

Being exposed to new ideas affects how a person thinks, maybe just for that moment. But sometimes the experience informs a lifetime.<\/p>\n

Lydia Rikkola \u201922<\/strong> grew up in Minnesota\u2019s cities and their suburbs.<\/p>\n

There were some stereotypes about rural Minnesota that she expected to see when the book club visitors took a tour of Hallock. Rikkola doubted there would be much racial and ethnic diversity, and she was right: Census data confirms 96% of Hallock residents are white.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very homogenous,\u201d Rikkola said. \u201cBut some of the things that surprised me were how open-minded and aware some of the community members were. The woman who runs the food shelf \u2026 just to see her passion about social justice and the need for food, that food insecurity is in more places than just the Twin Cities. That was really cool to see her acknowledge that and do everything in her power to address it. It was incredible to see that kind of attention and care and detail.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018It became about the meal\u2019<\/h2>\n
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\"Augsburg<\/p>\n

\"Augsburg<\/p>\n

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Hallock residents hosted a dinner for the book club group. (Courtesy photos)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

The evening of the group\u2019s tour in Hallock and conversations with various community members, Eggerling and Blomquist invited the whole book club to their house for dinner.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to be intimidating when you\u2019re eating.<\/p>\n

\u201cEveryone becomes a little more vulnerable and willing to share themselves,\u201d Eggerling said. \u201cWe were sharing food and stories, laughing at our cat. It wasn\u2019t rushed; we were able to talk about a variety of things. Some really great connections did come about.\u201d<\/p>\n

Engen agreed.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, absolutely, it became about the meal.\u201d<\/p>\n

People sat on the floor, on the couch\u2014wherever an open space presented itself. And the easy environment meant everyone had a chance to just breathe, relax, and reflect.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll never forget the dinner we had,\u201d Rikkola said. \u201cThere were like 30 people stuffed in this house. It was buffet style, and the hosts were so kind as to pay attention to the fact that some of us are vegan, and it was a real home-cooked meal.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe conversations were so rich. The adults in the room were so interested in seeing us grow, and we talked about everything\u2014politics, social issues, life issues.\u201d The following morning, the group all returned to the Eggerling-Blomquist home for much-needed coffee and a hot breakfast, before a planned tour of the town\u2019s school.<\/p>\n

\u201cDuring part of that morning conversation, one of the students said, \u2018I thought all you folks in small towns were hicks and racists\u2019\u2014they voiced that, they felt comfortable sharing that. And that started some really good conversations,\u201d Pippert said.<\/p>\n

Taking students out of the classroom and trying something somewhat unknown takes a bit of a leap of faith, Pippert said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are things you can\u2019t control with it, certainly. One of the things we were really cognizant of was that we didn\u2019t want to put students in a position of teaching; it\u2019s not their responsibility to teach the folks up there, and it\u2019s not those folks\u2019 responsibility to teach the students\u2014it has to be about relationships.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt took us a while to realize that\u2019s where the real work is and the real opportunity: in those relationships. Meeting people who aren\u2019t anything like yourself, and talking and learning not only on the big issues of race, but on all things: Where do you eat in a town that size? How far away is the nearest hospital? The value of experiential learning is that it can be confusing, and it can be scary, rewarding, fulfilling, and life-changing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rikkola said she\u2019s proof of that.<\/p>\n

\u201cThrough conversation comes growth. It\u2019s so easy to \u2018other\u2019 but going on a trip like this stops the \u2018othering,\u2019 because the \u2018other\u2019 is feeding you, the \u2018other\u2019 is caring for you, the shared humanity breaks down barriers,\u201d Rikkola said. \u201cThey explain their perspective, and you explain yours and really listen.<\/p>\n

\u201cGetting taken out of your environment is so necessary. If you only have friends with the same opinions you\u2019re never challenged, you can\u2019t really learn; you won\u2019t grow.\u201d<\/p>\n

Best-kept secret<\/h2>\n

Experiential learning has been a core feature of Augsburg\u2019s academic framework for more than 100 years. In the late 1800s Augsburg\u2019s second president, Georg Sverdrup<\/strong>, required students to have pre-ministerial experience with congregations around Minneapolis. Today 100% of undergraduate students participate in some form of experiential learning. It takes shape for many students through internships, study abroad, research, and community engagement, in addition to the hands-on components already built into many academic courses.<\/p>\n

Joe Connelly<\/strong> is the principal torchbearer for the practice, serving as experiential education specialist with Augsburg\u2019s Center for Global Education and Experience<\/a>. Connelly said these types of experiences are essential and always relevant for students. The experiences are also part of the university\u2019s thinking about how a liberal arts education should prepare students for vibrant careers addressing challenges in their communities and around the world.<\/p>\n

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The River Semester crew paddled significant portions of the Mississippi River. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cIf there\u2019s one best-kept secret, it would be just what an important role Augsburg plays to provide experiential learning for their own students and students around the country. This is work that is so closely tied to the mission of Augsburg\u2014and creating vocation\u2014and this is work that has been going on for decades,\u201d Connelly said.<\/p>\n

And while the opportunities have always mattered, today\u2019s global uncertainties provide perhaps even more motivation to make sure experiential learning continues, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe provide students the opportunity to immerse themselves in other peoples\u2019 lives, in other peoples\u2019 realities,\u201d Connelly said. \u201cThey share a meal, sit around a table and hear other peoples\u2019 stories about their experiences with war or other hardship. We understand that life is very complicated, very nuanced. Things are not black and white; there are a lot of sides to it, and it\u2019s not cut and dry. Through experiential education, students understand that\u2019s what life is\u2014it\u2019s not easy answers; it\u2019s not a yes or no.\u201d<\/p>\n

Science backs what these educators know: Moving out of a traditional classroom setting and into a learning experience can be challenging, but the effort is worth the work. In a 2019 study published by the Lithuanian Science Council in Public Health Magazine, researchers Viktorija Pi\u0161\u010dalkien\u0117 and Hans Ingemann Lottrup found that, \u201cExperiential learning and experience reflection hold a significant role as an educational methodology, and it is a shared value to prepare students for the challenges in a changing world by developing professionals who can think critically and reflectively.\u201d<\/p>\n

Having time to reflect is what motivated Pippert to go north. Associate Professor Joe Underhill<\/strong><\/a> was moved to go north, and south.<\/p>\n

Underhill, Augsburg\u2019s environmental studies director, wanted time and space to put big questions to his students. Specifically, he wanted to engage his students in more than conversation about climate change\u2014he wanted them to find ways to combat it. And since big questions can benefit from having big space to work within, Underhill turned to the Mississippi River.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Joe Underhill<\/strong> [second from right] and a crew hand-build the boats for the 2021 River Semester. (Photo by Rebecca Slater)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\u201cWe started with smaller trips,\u201d he said, experiences that paired his students with like-minded nonprofits like the Audubon Society or the Friends of the Mississippi. But Underhill and the students wanted more. That desire gave way to what is now the River Semester<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe ideas or inspiration behind the program have to do with the value of direct embodied experience as a way to learn, rather than reading about something,\u201d he said. \u201cYou are seeing, feeling, smelling, hearing. Seeing the beauty of the river and the challenges, it sticks with people, it hits home, and it is the kind of thing you don\u2019t forget. If you want to learn about something, there\u2019s no better way than to experience it firsthand.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018I can do so much more\u2019<\/h2>\n

Launched in 2015, the most recent River Semester ran for 101 days in Fall 2021. The team started with a trip to the Boundary Waters, where they paddled and camped for several days while they got to know one another a bit better, learned more about what the semester would hold, and came to grips with spending four months away\u2014far away.<\/p>\n

There was a mix of rowing, sailing, and making use of shuttle vehicles that occasionally carried the group from one part of their journey into another. And the group camped on islands or in municipal river parks, eating mostly what they made on cookstoves.<\/p>\n

It was an experience that Zoe Barany \u201923<\/strong> won\u2019t forget.<\/p>\n

\u201cI have never in my life found a community like I did when I was on the river,\u201d Barany said. \u201cPeople were so generous and kind with their resources and their authentic love for the environment. We had the ability to take agency and get things done. I just found a home out there.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an environmental studies major, Barany said they first fell in love with the promise of nature while in high school. But the River Semester opened their mind to so much more.<\/p>\n

\n
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Some of the group recreated a scene from a Wes Anderson film “The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou” at their camp near Vicksburg, Mississippi. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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A sail aided the group’s journey near St. Paul, Minnesota, early in the journey. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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The group paddled around Lake Itasca, in northern Minnesota, at the beginning of the trip. (Courtesy photo)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n

\u201cI come from a place of privilege. I\u2019m a white environmentalist, but I have still struggled with things to work through,\u201d Barany said. \u201cBeing out there, it challenges you. It reveals things you don\u2019t want to see about yourself. It\u2019s just honest.\u201d<\/p>\n

Barany said they specifically learned of the power of clear communication.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn everyday life you can sweep things under the rug, but when you\u2019re outside you have to go through things,\u201d Barany said. \u201cSometimes I would lash out at people or be upset, or complain instead of enjoying the time we had. It challenged me to step up, be a leader, communicate, and speak on behalf of my needs and what I need to function in a group. Having that knowledge now is so empowering.\u201d<\/p>\n

Elias Wirz \u201923<\/strong> prepared for his River Semester with small trips in 2019 and 2020. There was never any question about making the 100-day journey.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one of the biggest reasons I chose Augsburg. There\u2019s nothing like it that I\u2019ve found. With the River Semester you get to see a part of the world that you would never see if you don\u2019t do something like this. You get to learn about yourself and what you are capable of, on top of learning some super interesting coursework.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wirz said with every experience, the group just kept getting stronger.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy biggest takeaway is that I believe I can do so much more than I ever could because of the River Semester. Being able to do something like this, you feel like you\u2019re capable of so much more. You want to keep going, trying, testing your limits\u2014if I can do this, what other great things can I do now?\u201d Wirz said.<\/p>\n

Some of that understanding came not only from the experience overall, but from the hundreds of small, seemingly innocuous moments along the way. It is in the accumulation of those moments\u2014applying academic knowledge in practical ways and engaging with the people present\u2014that experiential education transforms abstract ideas into real-world skills and understanding. That\u2019s how Augsburg students become informed citizens, thoughtful stewards, critical thinkers, and responsible leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of good happening. In every city we went through, in every experience we had, I\u2019m convinced that people are inherently good,\u201d Barany said. \u201cNow I want to serve, to continue this cycle of goodness.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The River Semester crew traveled by catamarans down the Mississippi River. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Top image: Professor Joe Underhill<\/strong> [back row] and students paddled hand-crafted catamarans during the River Semester. (Photo by Courtney Perry)<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Just outside Hallock, Minnesota, in the skies that stretch above dormant sugar beet fields, charged solar particles meet the earth\u2019s magnetic shield, exciting those atoms into the awe that is the aurora borealis. It\u2019s a collision of energy that delights anyone observing, each drawn to its light for reasons both obvious and intensely personal. Maybe <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":423,"featured_media":11778,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[215,124,214,213,113,147,95,121,102,77,194],"class_list":["post-11776","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-stories","tag-center-for-global-education-and-experience","tag-class-of-1975","tag-class-of-1988","tag-class-of-1989","tag-class-of-2022","tag-class-of-2023","tag-diversity-and-inclusion","tag-experiential-education","tag-faculty","tag-river-semester","tag-winter-2021-22"],"wps_subtitle":"Experiential education immerses students in a nuanced world","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11776","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/423"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=11776"}],"version-history":[{"count":21,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11776\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12214,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/11776\/revisions\/12214"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/11778"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=11776"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=11776"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.augsburg.edu\/now\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=11776"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}