On Oct. 27, 2017, the two American Studies classes went on a field trip to Brown County State Park. They studied poetry from poets who follow a Transcendental concept. The transcendental concept is the ideology that was followed by poets in the 1800’s. They were heavily influenced by nature.
Transcendentalism is the idea of being self-reliant, valuing intuition over scientific knowledge, and not conforming to society.
Junior Katelyn Piche prepares to present her chosen poem to the class. Piche’s quote was “The only way to have a friend is to be one,” by Ralph Waldo Emerson. “[This field trip] taught me to look at the better things in life, and look at nature more appreciatively,” Piche said.
Junior Faith Faber reads her poem to her class. Faber read the quote “There is no wholly masculine man, no fully feminine female,” by Margaret Fuller. “This trip benefitted me because I got to be one with nature,” Faber said.
Juniors Grace Pollard, Evan Brill, Sam Gercak, Alyssa Phipps, and Katelyn Piche watch the other students’ presentations. Gercak and Brill stayed close to keep each other warm. “Evan and I normally go and do nature stuff together a lot, so it was cool to do it during school,” Gercak said.
American Studies History teacher Ms. Joyce Gilly discusses the poems with her class. After everyone was finished, she shared a poem by Eleanor Roosevelt and an original poem by herself. “Not only is it a great learning experience, but it’s part of the American Studies tradition,” Gilly said.
Junior Paul Freer examines a turtle he found on a walking trail. The students named the turtle “Gilly”. “I lost my lunch box because I was focused on the turtle, but it was worth it,” Freer said.
