Prescott College:
Students at Arizona school make
nature, the world their classroom
Bs KRISMAVKS
Vulr /Sn State l
I inked anas id .1 ipnriimii.il Arizona
town, hundreds id miles .mas hum the
sl.ile s i 11 mill 11 irse.il < In I .t/ed umi el
sides, n ,i nm i ollrgr (hai has Imind .in
rdni .tiiiiii.il mii|>t.i iIti<><if^li n.iiuie
1*11-SI till ( ollrgr. .ill < in II Iillinelit.ilIt
based liliei.il ails lollcgr isiili A 1 A
irsidrnttal siudmls. slues .m.n limn the
sedlit die pull id ledfial lest .in h nmnn
and pm es I ai tildes in lawn id per tuna I
insduiliiui and a haiidsmi rnwionmrtilal
expeitrtKt
Spin n 11 In a glowing naiional
environmental i mm nnisness, siudi ills
llit-11- ale waking up In I'm ult s allrniatisr
method i d ethic alum
‘ I lie enwinninenl.il ellilt I K g.ill Jd seats
ago, and H has taken awhile lot that to
hen line part nl w * letal r mis n lustless said
Mai k Kies nei I’resi nil s ens I) on me Ida I
direr tor I lit lest ut the world is i atr hing
up to us ’
Students at first nil lake < outset vsilli a
heats emphasis mi held studs a |ik us tiles
s.is makes the ssi u Id thru i lassdKini
"Tse alss.ns hern Iasi mated hs wilderness
and natute. said ( hi is dan 1‘ettos u It. a
sen mi st inlying er ologn al t onsets at ion.
Its i inllessls thtillmg In Im able in go out
ami I*mik al viiuelhing and ihrn shale those
oitMTsatiotU with other people
'It gust iattie In me mie das that I wanted
tn do tesrata h in l nsta Ku a said I < ah
Das, a sen mi t mu end a ling mi ouidooi
etlm attnn and ■ teatise r mnmunu alion
"Within a week I ssas gning I hat s the
epitome nl I’tesc nil ( adlege
A taiidnui sampling nl Presinil’s coutse
tillering hetalds sm li sjk a i.ih/ed ionises as
Se a Kavaking and Mamie I andst apes.
I splni.ilmils tn till Sir11 a Madir, Mesim,
and even the tiaditimi.il hminmu
I’tiui iplr* and ( <11111111111 \pplu .linin'
\lso i unit dinting III the m IiuiiI s
j opus at inn .is .m alternative-method college
is the 17das wilderness orientation program
i.tih mss student musi entei before
Uginning .it I’u x <111
In addition, new I’n si nil students ,m
asked in design tlicit own rdtu .nioris
deleimining a programs of studs uilofetl lo
then inieiesis
" I heir s .1 lot ol liusl in die studenls that
dies knots sslial s In si hu them, l’ellovull
Willi
Hi added 1 didn't ss.mi to ss.ui se.us lo
slati doing sshat t in going to do 1 his s< hool
lei* me stall tioss *
I’etlosu h wild die .ihiltls lo tmpai I six ul
altitudes ahoul the natutal vsoild makes
Plrsiotl the ultimate rdmatlonal
rxjHi lend
'll all lomes horn naluii lie said "And
we want lo hung eseisdung in nauile h.u k
to M M lets
1 (loses o( pi ospei use students ale h< ipillg
lo nah a mill h sought .diet plat e on the
s« hool s losiet
1 ast seal neai Is '>*mi applltants 11 uiijk l< d
loi lift* slots adiamaltt mi lease liom pasi
seals, said link |.ilisseil. duel lot ol
admissions ami maiketing
Still some I’lesi ott I at lilts hkeeiologs
piolessoi ( all loiiiofl, tan irtneinliei a
not so loss lime in the i hronit les ol
I’ll v Oil
Ioilloll was gelling Ins stall at I’lrstoil in
I '.I? I when os ei Is ambitious expansion
plans and a national recession lotted die
college into hankinp'cs and pushed u
| m i ill msls t lose toevliiu tkrn
■ 1 lit t nmilltlllif 111 ol indisiduals lo die
Itleals ol the *t lit m >1 kepi us going " I omoll
saltl "He had most ol the lac ulls sias
ihiough die final quarter.'
()nls a handful of professors then
Mill allied al the lie a i Is defuili I college
L
SCAN OPCNSMAW ,I*!T PM >>$ »RL’;rNA STATI L
Students at Prescott College In Arizona are encouraged to tailor their curriculum toward
their own needs Prescott is predominately a liberal arts college that emphasizes
environmental concerns.
U .tt lung Im < l»>x to ihirr \rat\ without pa\
in the bax-ment < >t a Im al hotel
But ^tadtialU, iluou^liout a niur-vr.it
|H"inh!, 1‘irv ott Ik j^an to n lxuind
I hr ircovrrv iiilinmatrd with lull
fear11(dilation and vrnall m air umpm
<\}Mnsn»n
Plrvott President Noith tailed thr
n own a mil at le. giving t irdil lo 1 nmol I
md olhri stall members who temamed at
hr i ollr^r during ils lowest jiehod li was a
k iuhI that malts thought Prescott would
teset list' thlough
"In a was. dial's a mu at 1< " said Norlh, a
i air giaduate “ 1 hrs did it Its lue|>ing alive
hr ideal
Environmental curricula promoted by universities
Bv mikecrf.br
Iht (>hll> 1
I o hug tiers 111 not to hug tl a'
1 li.it s llir stetrotspii al question. lint vinw sas glossing
trends prove tli.it students minted jlxitit tin- enviinnment
.nr doing more than embiai mg redssoods amt bunking in
then tin ki ll'll h ks
t niseisities ate taking envnoniuenlaliMn inoie setiousls
than evil. otlenng in.i|ois sjki il'n alh grated ton aid Faith
< ohm liHis students
" I In opportunities .lie alisolutelv lerritii said Mike
\ndersou. piolessot of envitonnient.il tesounes
eng i nee i mg at tin ill ho Id l State l ill ( allliloni.t " i lie
demand is pisi so gn at i iglit tuns
Mlllotigh that hasn't aluavs tieen tine, mam students
.lie poising degiees that help them and then enviionmenl
( onnie Kohetts. a semot at list , svsiti hed liom geologs
to environmental engineering het sophomore seat, a
move that worneil het father
‘lie assumed Ixi ause it had ensiiomnent.il m it. it is.is
links." she said Rut .diet he fhp|H-d through the ionise
WILLIAM LUTHER. 'at POST OHIO L
Environmental hikes, like this at Ohio U.. are now common.
hook <i11opinl; with math and sucmr i laws, his Irai s
subsided
Ma|oiuig in rnsironmenlal studies lias proven lutt alive
tin HM gtaduatrs
According to Alden Burrows, i li.imn.in ol the
department ol cnsuonmental icsouncs at list mils I ts
students nationwide graduated last seal with a degtee in
<•miioninciH.il rnginrrimg - ;tr> of those students were
lioin llumboldt
It s the in.i|ot iit the dOs," said Ian Worlcs. assistant
diici tot o| the l ol \ ciiiiont s environmental program
It s the hot thing, the Inn thing. to do.'
So tun tit tact that students are jumping at main of the
cunroiuiif mails i oust tons i lass < litru ula ottered aiottml
the < minus
( had Kislet a juinoi at Ohio l , is pat t ol an In mol s
program that allows him to take a imii.td ol classes about
the environment
He hiked through th<* Maskatt tundra last sutnuiet
l tihhing noses with the jxilat tieurs Students at s< IiimiIs like
l of Washington. Sstai use l . Sterling College. I ol
< alifoi nia. Hat is, and mans othets are getting pi at lit al
expet lent e working on environmental studies piogtams
In the past lew seats, ilieic s been a tiemendotis
growth of interest in the environment,’ said protessoi Ss
S< hwait/ ol the l t Dasts "And that interest is mi leasing
at a i.ipid rate *
ktttUnti Siiurrwrin of I he Hails Orange, S\raiuse f
(tmtnbumi In thu \lor\