Communities
On August 21, 2011, all new Marlboro students will arrive on campus, drop off their belongings and set off into the world. Some will explore caves and ride white water. Others will make a mockumentary and undertake a local food challenge. Some will sleep in a tent under a canopy of stars. Others will lay their heads on a bed in a historic farmhouse. Along the way, they'll forge new relationships, learn new skills and discover some of what it means to be a part of the Marlboro community, what it means to join with others and build...Bridges.
Select your Bridges experience! Read through the amazing slate of trip offerings and fill out the preference form at the bottom of this page with your top three choices. Remember: the goal is to challenge yourself. You'll be with a small group of dedicated folks, so try to push yourself to try something new! That's what Bridges is all about...
Carrots, Compost, and Community
We all eat food, but how often do we stop to think about where the food we ate came from? Almost everything that we eat was once alive, or is made up of something that was alive, but where did it grow? Who cared for it? And how? As a culture we have lost touch with our food and the land and people who produce it. On this trip we will re-connect with the local food web, and explore some of the many kinds of agriculture in southern Vermont. We will focus each day on a different aspect of agriculture in our community, including: community gardens, horse powered farms, large scale CSAs, and local Marlboro farms. We will spend time each day working on the Marlboro garden, re-examining food production on a personal level, and designing and working on projects on our own land. By tending to and eating the fruits of our land, visiting with local farmers, and camping in the woods just below the Marlboro garden, we will immerse ourselves in local food production and landscape. Through these experiences we will discuss what it means to sustain and nourish ourselves and our communities.
Champlain Supernova! (CLOSED!)
Do you love sleeping outside, paddling, exploring, and singing Elvis Costello songs? Join Alison and Ellie for an adventure on Southern Lake Champlain! We'll be kayaking, camping, checking out whatever cool things we find on our journey, and sharing intentional conversations about issues we face at and away from Marlboro. No experience necessary; we'll teach you what you need to know about paddling, but be prepared for extended physical activity.
Journey to the Center of the Earth (CLOSED!)
Discover the darker side of New England as we explore a few of the region's beautiful and intricate caves. We'll challenge our fears of heights, the dark, and tight spaces as we walk, crawl, climb, explore and chimney deep within the earth (and sing: caves have extraordinary acoustics). Intrepid explorers we shall be, boldly squeezing through passages ranging from 17 inches in diameter to 17 yards, following underground streams to waterfalls and lakes, and sinking to depths few have dared to reach. It will be muddy, wet, grimy, chilly, sometimes tight, and always very, very dirty: all contributing to an awesome and exhilarating experience. When not wandering the underworld, we will do some above ground hiking to get to and from the caves, enjoy fine outdoor cooking ala mode camp stove, spend our evenings with campfires and music, and get to know one another and a little about the ins and outs of Marlboro College.
Low Tide to Lighthouses: An Exploration of Cape Cod (CLOSED!)
Join us for s'mores and seagulls, biking and beaches, as we explore the forearm of Massachusetts. Come wield the paddle of a canoe and peddle a bike down the scenic Cape Cod Canal Bikeway. Stroll around Provincetown absorbing the rich local culture, and watch the tide retreat. We'll be camping and lounging around the campfire by night and wandering up and down the Cape by day. Be ready for splashing in the waves at the beach and browsing local shops. Cape Cod is a great place with lots to do, so come experience New England from the coast!
Riding The Wave: Journey Into the Sublime (CLOSED!)
The Sublime is the quality of greatness or vast magnitude, whether physical, moral, intellectual, metaphysical, aesthetic, spiritual or artistic. The term especially refers to a greatness with which nothing else can be compared and which is beyond all possibility of calculation, measurement or imitation (Thank you, Wikipedia). Before surfing Ancient Hawaiians used to pray to the gods for protection and strength to undertake the ocean. Our journey will begin off of the coast of Maine where we will we spend a few days surfing where as a group we will find our own strength to conquer to ocean. We will also build sculptures in the sand and test our balance with Gymcraftics. We will have some campfires and nightly meetings where we will reflect on the events of the day. We are setting out to conquer goals that we set along the way, both personal and as a team. Bring a competitive spirit and open mind while we face challenges, and together we'll try and catch the horizon. Activities to (tentatively) look forward to: high adventure ropes course, karaoke night, rocky horror picture show, a hike up Mt. Monadnock, berry-picking and pie making, photo collage, and a BBQ/luau to culminate the trip.
Rites and Rituals of Passage (CLOSED!)
This annual retreat has provided scores of students with an in-depth transition from their lives at home into this passage to a new place. "Rites and Rituals" explores transitions in our lives as fruitful opportunities for growth and expansion. The trip incorporates canoeing, hiking, cooking, trust activities, storytelling, campfires, and more exciting: a two day and two night solo vision fast to meditate and focus, followed by a sweat lodge ceremony. Flynn Johnson, a former counselor at Marlboro who now heads the School of Natural Wonder has led the trip for over ten years and guides by adapting ancient Native American traditions for modern use. Students on this trip generally walk away with a strong bond that continues well into their years at Marlboro. Prerequisite: Letter of intent stating why you would want to undertake the challenge of a two day and two night solo vision fast.
Surfing the Stage
Art is another way of saying "F*$@ You!" to reality and the stage gives you that freedom. It doesn't have to be a gigantic theatre that seats 500,000 people. The theatre doesn't even have to be completely there. It morphs so much who can really say what is or isn't? Surfing the stage isn't just a theatre trip, it's an exploration of stages! We will watch dance performances, local theaters, street performing, circus acts, films and a whole lot more. We'll also be able to talk to some of the performers and have workshops where we learn how to do some cool new tricks. When there's down time we'll be hanging out and playing bonding games. This trip is for everyone, theatre background is not required AT ALL!
The Vermont Writing Adventure (CLOSED!)
Join Nikki & Joy on a whirlwind adventure through the state of Vermont and a state of creative bliss! In our trip, we will travel up and down the state, looking in bookstores, the world around us, and even into ourselves to discover (or attempt to discover) what it means to be a writer in Vermont. What is it about the state that inspires so much creativity? We will experiment with many different types of writing - from free-writing exercises, to poems, to short stories, to (perhaps) song lyrics. Suggestions from group members are welcome. There will be time spent indoors as well as out, and though we will spend one night camping, nothing should be terribly strenuous (at least not physically). This is a trip about learning - about yourself, your classmates, and your new home - as such, no writing experience is necessary. Be prepared for the awesome. We hope to welcome you into Vermont with cheese, tea, and Ben & Jerry's.
The Way of the Mountain Goat (CLOSED!)
Come learn the Way of the Mountain Goat and try rock climbing, it's exciting, challenging, and lots of fun! All are welcome, even (and especially) if you don't know the first thing about climbing! We will teach you everything you need to know to climb some prime of the rocks around the New England area. You'll also learn how to belay, spot, and tie all the knots the pros use. We will also enjoy grand sights, campfire fun, swimming, and outdoors and bushcraft skill lessons. Accommodations will be Mother Nature (don't worry, yes we'll have tents), and meals will be lean, mean camping cuisine. Climbing is fun but also challenging, so come prepared to meet the challenge and learn how to overcome it! So if you've always wanted to try climbing, have climbed a bit before and want to do it again, or just want to try something new and exciting, this is the trip for you! We can't wait to get out there and climb with you all!
Zach Parks He has been climbing since he arrived at Marlboro in fall 2008, and this is his third time coordinating this woods trip. He holds a Base Managed Climbing Instructor certification from the Professional Climbing Instructors Association (PCIA) and helps coordinate the rock climbing program at the college. Climbing is one of his biggest passions and he enjoys teaching it just as much as doing it. Mike Landon has been an enthusiastic climber since arriving at Marlboro in 2009, and has also led a ‘forest skills' woods trip last fall, as well as multiple primitive skills classes in years past. Mike is a certified Wilderness First Responder, and an active Emergency Medical Technician. He is also a graduate of Tom Brown's Tracker Survival School, and is a passionate outdoorsman, and survivalist.
Read all the descriptions?!? Now it's time to pick your trip. Select your top three preferences!
