MUM courses:
- Energy Use by Man and Nature
- Hands On Course In Sustainable Technologies
- Permaculture Design Certification
- Sustainability Forest Academy
- Artisan Foods and the Slow Food Movement
- Local Economy
Grinnell College courses:
Resource Center
Sarah Neate
|
|
|
|
|
This was my first Sustainable Living class and my last class before graduation. I am a literature major with an emphasis in writing. It would certainly be no exaggeration to say I've never taken a class like this before; I am used to reading, discussing at length, researching, holing up in my room, and writing literary analysis essays. I am not used to working with hand tools and power tools and electrical wiring, nor am I used to building from scratch. Many of the projects I took on in repairing the golf cart (such as constructing a rack from aluminum iron to mount the solar panel) originally had me baffled and unsure. Building the rack seemed like the type of project that someone else (not me) would accomplish, something out of my reach and out of my skill range. But with Lonnie's guidance and the guidance of others in the class, I was able to complete the project one step at a time. Similarly, our group was able to fix up and convert the golf cart by moving one step at a time, never getting ahead of ourselves. The group dynamic was amiable and effecient, with everyone's contribution indespensible. I've completed many projects and assignments, usually of a more straightforward academic nature, so I am accustomed to creating intellectual constructs; I found building and restoring a physical construct to be a uniquely rewarding experience.