group email...
Dear Friends,
I am loving college so far. I miss Portland everyday: the people, the places, the scenery, the atmosphere, the public transportation, the evergreen trees, the weather, the food(!! Oh the food. That's one of the hardest things about being here.), but I love so many things about being here.
My campus is huge- over 356 million acres- and there is always a new section of it to explore (our buildings take up only a tiny rectangle of it, the rest is trails through lakes and woods). Having so much space means that there is tons to do outside (hiking and capture the flag and bonfires are my favorites), and there's tons to do in the buildings as well, from lectures (someone is on campus every week- more often, really, than I can get to and still take advantage of other opportunities) to movie nights, and research to bowling, it feels like there isn't a dull moment here.
One of the great points about a big campus is it means more gorgeous spaces. The surrounding areas areas are beautiful too. 100 yards from my dorm is a lookout point with a view of all of Fairbanks and beyond, and on clear mornings I can see Denali. Most nights we go for walks as a break from studying and see the Northern Lights. Most of a Friday and Saturday at the Helge Ingstad Memorial Symposium on Arctic Change. Ingstad was an explorer who spent 9 months living with the Nunamiut People, up near the arctic circle right by the Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve. Friday and Saturday the symposium was on campus, and was filled with presentations by Americans and Norwegians, both indigenous people and non. On Saturday night there was a reception at the President of the University system, and I got to talk to the Norwegian ambassador, which was really cool. He was very interesting; the whole symposium was full of new information, both scientific and cultural. Then, on Sunday, there was an extra seat on the flight to Anaktuvak Pass (where the Nunamiut people now live) to go to the ceremony dedicating a mountain in Ingstad's name.
Anaktuvak Pass was one of the most incredible places I've been in my life. The village has about 356 people, most of whom showed up at the airstrip to welcome us to their town on Sunday. We went to the school to see posters (drawn by students) and photgraphs (mostly from Ingstad's visit) about the community, which were interesting, and then watch native dancing. I hiked around the base of the mountain a bit with two grad students, and the topography was unlike anywhere else I've been, but still pretty. We also had a native potluck lunch, and more dancing, other than the dedication. At the dedication, a Sami (from Norway) played his flute, and a Nunamiut person sang, which the other locals joined in during. THe Norwegian Ambassador, Ingstad's daughter, the mayor (son of the man who welcomed Ingstad to Anaktuvak before) of Anaktuvak, and a village elder all also spoke. During the second set of dancing, the grad students and I met some of the younger girls in the community (7-10 year olds), who sat with us and taught us the arm motions while the elders danced, and then helped us dance when we were invited to participate. Being so immersed in their traditions for a day was an absolutely incredible experience. I feel so fortunate to have had such an opportunity.
Writing for a high school newspaper is so different than a college newspaper, and I definitely love writing for the weekly college paper so much more than I did the Statesman. Today I got to go preview the Cold Climate Housing Research Center, which is opening on Saturday. The building, and premise behind it were really interesting to hear about it. That's another great thing about writing for the SunStar; I get awesome assignments! Our paper isn't actually that good, and not many high schools here have papers here, so I have quite a bit of experience compared to a lot of people, and get to do cover sweet stories.
There's so much going on here all the time- but this is getting long, and I could go on for what seems like forever. I'm sorry for not emailing everyone personally, but I want to share so much with all of you, that this seemed like a good way to do it. I'd love to hear from you, and I'll definitely reply to any emails (and then you can hear about the great traditions on campus and friends and bonfires and volunteering and and local music and all of that) or phone calls, with excitement- news of you, or Portland or wherever you may be, is awesome. I miss everyone so much, more than I ever thought, but this is also an awesome place to be. Not everything is perfect, but I feel like I'm fitting in well, that I'm in the right spot.
Hope all is well. Take care.