SMP Presentation

Today I attended Mike Benjamin's SMP presentation. It was my first time attending an SMP presentation and I was pretty impressed. I had thought of the SMP as a research project that you work on, then present, and get finished with at the end of the year. On the contrary, Benjamin's project will be an ongoing endeavor that he will be part of long after he graduates. His work on creating a "local immersion" experience for students has laid the foundation for a new class that would be comparable to a week study abroad program in our own back yard. Six to ten students would live for 3 weeks as close to nature as possible to learn how to maximize sustainability and minimize environmental impact. The purpose of the project is to try to break free from the institutionalization in our lives and to embrace new methods of learning and living. As a child, Benjamin said he only really learned something if he was fascinated by it and was immersed in it hands on. That was the basis for his idea of living close to nature to learn about it. He was well prepared to take ideas and answer questions, and provided good rebuttals for a few arguments one spectator had who doubted the genuineness of the project. As a result of attending this first presentation, I have to say I will definately be interested in attending many more during my career here at St. Mary's, along with presenting my own when the time comes.