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Midland's Experiential Week |
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 Each year for a week in February, Midland students participate in activities by class. The purpose of this week each year is that we take trips and do activities with entire classes that supplement our curriculum and our mission, with our students having experiences in the field rather than the classroom.
Following are slideshows of each class during Experiential Week 2010.
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Freshmen |
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This year, February 2010, Midland freshmen spent experiential week working with the theme Home: From My Perspective. Each student began the process with guided writing to examine the theme, and then constructed a pinhole camera and documented through photos and writing their interpretation of home. Principles of design and composition, the scientific concepts associated with photography and darkroom work, and the history of photography were all explored. Midland faculty members made a large camera obscura in one of the cabins in lower yard to help students more easily see what happens inside their own pinhole cameras, which were constructed from black foam board, electrical tape and aluminum cans. In addition to putting together a portfolio of their work, students had lots of time to hike on the Midland property, spend time together and get to better know the Midland faculty working with them for the week: Phil Hasseljian, Laurie Munger, Faith Nygren, Chris Rea, Don Redl, Jill Redl, Ashleigh Rosa and Derek Svennungsen. * NEW: See the amazing video by Derek Svennungsen, of the freshmen and faculty members during Experiential Week.
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| Gillian and Selena compose a shot |
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Sophomores |
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The sophomores endured a couple of difficult days hiking and camping in rainy, cold, and windy Joshua Tree. They returned to campus to install a 3-kW grid-tied photovoltaic array that will help power our well pumps. This will be the first array of 5 (or possibly 4), one each year with successive sophomore classes, that will meet 100% of our electricity needs for pumping water.
For 6 years in a row, past sophomore classes installed a 3.5-kW photovoltaic array that ties into the electricity meter at Stillman Hall. Now, over 15% of Midland's campus electricity needs (not including faculty homes) are met with solar power.
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| Kendy's a solar guy, you can tell |
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Juniors |
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Each Midland junior partakes in a two-week homestay with individual families in Mascota, Jalisco, Mexico. This is a cultural and language exchange, wherein Midland students get to experience life in a small and wonderfully welcoming town. They live with families who have high school-aged children, and go to school for the two weeks that they're there, and participate in any and all of the families' activities. Mascota is a small town at the base of the Sierra Madre, 225 miles from Guadalajara and 60 miles from Puerto Vallarta.
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| Ruby with a coke and a smile |
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Seniors |
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As part of the work towards their Senior Theses, each senior selects a field they would like to know more about and arranges a one-week apprenticeship. This off-campus experience is designed to give each student specific and concrete insight into both their papers and to their career interests.
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| William sighted! He's in the woods for the week. |
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