SSR 3 Heads to the Needles and Devils Tower!

Howdy Y'all!

The Spring Semester - Rockies 3 (SSR  3) has just left the building.  They are headed out to The Needles, South Dakota and then off to Devil's Tower, Wyoming for some amazing climbing.  The students and instructors were super excited to get outside and enjoy some spring climbing.

While in town, SSR 3 made sure to have some fun between sections. Students tried on NOLS apparel and played frisbee. SSR 3 efficiently and rapidly rationed their food and geared up for the 3 week climbing adventure. The group was all smiles during their brief stopover in Lander. Have fun climbing out there y'all!

Wrapping Up "Trash Your Can"

This past week NOLS HQ and NOLS Rocky Mountain participated in a week long “Trash Your Can” waste management challenge.  During the week of April 20-24, NOLS staff members voluntarily gave up their personal trash cans in exchange for a comparably sized recycle bin supplemented by one small trashcan for the whole department.  Our goal was to reduce the amount of trash we create by facilitating an office climate where recycling is more convenient than “trashing”. 

From the beginning, many staff members were excited for the challenge.  Jeanne O'Brien thought we should extend the program from one week to two.  Lou Gordon told me she didn't want her trash can back saying, "When the trash can is under my desk it is too easy just to throw things away, working without a trash can really helps me to recycle."  After the "Trash Your Can" campaign we had 10 HQ employees permanently give up their trashcans.  We plan to label these vacant cans and re-distribute the containers to NOLS staff as more durable and waterproof recycling bins.  Using these new recycling containers gives people the opportunity to store their leakier recycling items in a secure place while they wait to sort their items.

As a result of the Trash Your Can campaign we doubled the amount of food waste NOLS Headquarters composts in a week, increasing from 1 1/2 five-gallon buckets to over 3.  By moving our trashcans out of reach we eliminated enough waste to reduce our trash by 4 industrial sized trash bags in one week (down from 8 bags/week).  The cleaning staff also saw a huge difference in the kind of waste we were producing.  Rhonda, who manages the cleaning for HQ said, "Normally we see all kinds of paper and food waste in the trash cans, this week we hardly saw any.  People did a great job."

At NOLS Rocky Mountain 4 people decided they no longer need their trashcan.  Greg Fleming reflected on his Rocky Mountain experience stating, "Trash Your Can” experience stating, "Wow! What a positive, eye opening event... a great concept that worked very well.  It was amazing to see that the reduced number of 'community' (departmental) trashcans did not fill up.  Thanks you organizers & the NOLS Lander community for making this work.  My can has been trashed, FOREVER!" 

Thanks to everyone who participated for their great work!  Please contact the NOLS sustainability department at sustainability@nols.edu if you have any further questions or suggestions about recycling.

Grab a Sticker and Run

It's 9 AM on a cloudy morning in Indianapolis and the bus crew is watching a class of elementary school children do calisthenics to the musical sounds of fruit smoothies being blended. We're at the headquarters of Angie's List, whose employees are hosting the bus and selling the smoothies as a fundraiser for Washington Irving Elementary School.

Once the calisthenics are over (part of a program with FitCity in Indy) the kids line up to climb our bouldering wall. At least, they don't so much line up as bunch all together in a wriggling, squirming, excited jumble of crazy kid energy. And after climbing the wall with varying degrees of success, they proceed to scoop up any and all of our free goodies, recognizing, with the wisdom of youth, that anything free is automatically awesome.

It's a laid back event for the bus crew, with nothing much for us to do besides making sure the kids climb the wall and not each other, and that no one ends up on the roof. Once the kids line up and march back to class, the moment for which we have truly been waiting arrives. We get to slide down the fire pole.

Angie's List has their headquarters in an old fire house, complete with an old fashioned fire truck which they purchased on Ebay, and a gen-u-ine fire pole right down the middle of the office. We dust our hands with a bit of baby powder to prevent friction burns and each of us, including Emanuel, take turns sliding down, a-hootin' and a-hollerin' all the way. I find that if you leap onto the pole with a bit of momentum you reach the ground in a lovely, dizzying spiral. 

It is definitely a blast, and something else I can check off my life list.

Christi

Radio Interview With Emanuel Rosen While He Toured With The NOLS Bus

Emanuel Rosen, author of 'The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited', spent two weeks on the NOLS Bus to see first hand how we roll. He was a great addition to the bus crew and even helped fuel up (check out 'The Anatomy of Grease'.) Last week while in Louisville, Emanuel was interviewed for the 89.3 WFPL show State of Affairs. Check out the interview. (Emanuel talks about NOLS at 35:30)

NOLS Admission & Marketing Director Bruce Palmer was in the studio and took this photo with his fancy new Blackberry phone.

The Brotherhood of the Wrench

What do Yale and NOLS Rocky Mountain have in common?  Yes, they are both storied educational institutions.   Yes, students at both institutions graduate as more intelligent, aware and well-rounded individuals.  But the similarities run even deeper.  Like Yale’s Skull and Bones secret society, NOLS Rocky Mountain has the Brotherhood of the Wrench. 

On paper they are called the Transportation Department.  However, after one step into the hallowed bays of the garage, the aura consumes you and it is obvious you’re not in Kansas anymore.  As you make your way to the Great Chamber (office), ancient brotherhood contrivances surround you.  Shortly you will be in the presence of Grand Master Steve Matson (Transportation Manager).

The members of the Brotherhood are the last people students see when they leave for the field, and the first people they see when they return.  If Lander is the heart of NOLS RM, then Transportation is its veins and arteries.  In a rare opportunity, the Rocky Mountain Interns had the privilege of an interview with Grand Master Matson.

Q:  Exactly what is it you do here?
A:  You know, after 31 years I’m still trying to figure that out.  Most people wonder if they will even live that long.

Q:  What can students do that you really appreciate?
A:  When eating on the bus, make sure the food hits the target.  Don’t spill milk.  Practice great Expedition Behavior. 

Q:  Does the Brotherhood have a secret handshake?
A:  We don’t.  We try desperately not to touch each other. 

Q:  How would you describe what students smell like when you pick them up?
A:  An overwhelming olfactory adventure.

Q:  If the Brotherhood were a Nascar Pit Crew, who would hold what position?
A:  Mark=Driver, Rob=Under the hood, Tom=Tires and lug nuts, Steve=Pit Boss

Q:  There is a rumor that Bob Vila calls you for advice?  Any comment?
A:  Bob Vila needs advice. 

Q:  Do you have any nicknames for the fleet vehicles? 
A:  No names. Just numbers. All business.

Q:  On belay?
A:  Its true.

Belay off. 

Trash Your Can for Earth Week

Just like building cardiovascular endurance for a NOLS mountaineering course or practicing for a difficult climb, training for any big goal requires that one constantly push the limits. NOLS adopted this same philosophy in the sustainability effort, designed to facilitate maximum impact education through minimum impact practices.   NOLS newest opportunity for maximum impact education comes in the form of the “Trash Your Can” week long challenge. 

“Trash Your Can” is designed to facilitate a new and improved outlook on waste.  During the week of April 20-24, NOLS staff members are voluntarily giving up their personal trash cans in exchange for a comparable size recycle bin and a small department trashcan, creating an office climate where recyclables are the most convenient type of waste.  By experiencing a work week where throwing things away requires a trip down the hall, “Trash Your Can” participants are forced to think about the waste they are creating.  The trip to the trash can will not only help stretch those legs to train for the next big hike, it also allows recycling to go from being a second thought, to a first instinct.

In the effort to improve recycling everywhere, the NOLS Sustainability Program encourages everyone to “Trash Your Can” this coming Earth Week.  Please let us know if you’re participating or if you’re stepping it up in another way this Earth Day.  To RSVP for the “Trash Your Can” event and to download and print out a “Trash Your Can poster visit http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=95127748135&ref=mf 
or contact Paige_Healy@nolse.edu.  

BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY

The NOLS bus is able to travel the country with the help of various people for each event.  There is the barista who makes our coffee in the morning, the security guard who helps us park, and the contact who hosts the event.  These are the fearless advocates who take the potential of the NOLS bus and turn it into a reality.  But our University of Indiana contact went beyond the regular enthusiastic support we are looking for.  Jeff Wuslich, Chief of Staff to the University Chancellor, met the bus at 11 pm on Saturday with cold sodas to enjoy.  Then we were checked-in to the campus dormitories for free.  Jeff had us over Sunday morning to attend a holiday brunch.  Afterwards, he took us on an afternoon hike to the Hickory Ridge fire tower.

Buildering: This time I didn’t break anything too expensive.

Jeff spent the entire day on Monday with Emanuel Rosen and the bus crew on campus.  Our location was perfect, Emanuel’s talks were flawless, and we even were able to pick up some good old fashion Indiana Mustard before leaving town. 

Jeff Wuslich, Brian Hension, and Christi Van Eyken in the tower.

Jeff’s support for the NOLS bus went beyond just the event.  There is little else I could have asked for from a contact, a friend, or even an arch nemesis.  Thanks for all the contacts and help we have had for the NOLS bus over the years.  She truly appreciates it.

Just another day on the bus with Matthew Celesta. 

NOLS Grad is NASA's Hubble Repairman

Multiple NOLS course grad, astrophysicist, professional astronomer, and NASA astronaut John Grunsfeld will make his final rendezvous with the orbiting Hubble Space Telescope in mid-May. See the stunning and brief New York Times video/slide show to hear John's eloquent description of his work, training and the telescope's amazing discoveries about the nature of the universe.

Please join us in wishing Dr. Grunsfeld the best when he dons his 400 lb spacesuit on his 5th trip into space to perform the Hubble's last upgrade.

Bus Participates in Rat Race Parade

We had a blast participating in the Rat Race Parade with Spalding University in Louisville Kentucky! They have a 37 year tradition of training rats to compete in races. This parade kicks of the event.

Rat Race Parade from NOLS on Vimeo.

Angie's List Day and the NOLS Bus

Today we are working with the good folks from Angie's List in order to help raise funds for a local school as well as promoting our environmental ethics. We had fun spending time with the kids while enjoying our smoothies.

Angie's List Day - Do It For The Kids! from NOLS on Vimeo.