The River Semester was billed as an experiential learning opportunity: engage in a full load of political, environmental, and physical education courses鈥攔einforced by a research project鈥攚hile canoeing down the Mississippi River from its headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico.
But for the 12 Augsburg College students, two faculty members, teaching assistant, and two guides who completed the first-of-its-kind trek from August to December, it was so much more.
For it was on those waters that the crew learned to appreciate the quiet, to be curious about the world around them, and to seek knowledge. They learned to be prepared, to make friendship a fine art, and most importantly to enjoy the moment. And they didn鈥檛 just learn about the river so much as become enamored of it, so much so that many of them feel unsteady back on solid ground.
The Mississippi became their muse, teacher, personal trainer, and confidante. They dreamt alongside its calming waters and paddled through its more turbulent channels. Soon, its problems became their problems: urban stormwater runoff, the economic decay of river towns, and invasive flying carp smacked them鈥攍iterally鈥攊n the face. And so, what started as an interesting, immersive experience has become a sobering call to restore and protect one of the United States鈥 most iconic natural wonders.
Ricky Taylor 鈥17, a film and graphic design major, captured the crew鈥檚 three-month journey and many of the social, economic, political, and cultural forces gripping the river as he gathered footage for a feature-length documentary. He plans to premiere 鈥淟earning to Listen: Our Semester on the River鈥 this summer.
鈥淲e learned by living, meeting the people, and witnessing the issues that illustrate the complexities plaguing the river,鈥 Taylor said. 鈥淲e met Carl, a shrimper who once walked on land that is now six feet beneath water, and we paddled past sediment that was filling in the river鈥檚 largest lake (Lake Pepin near Red Wing, Minnesota). We read about levees being 鈥榖ig bad wolves鈥 but then saw them protect families just trying to make their way through life. A portion of Louisiana is being swallowed up by the ocean, a culture disappearing into the Gulf of Mexico, largely due to agricultural practices that help feed our nation.
鈥淪omewhere along the way, I slipped out of the boat and into the Big Muddy. Every day I think about the river鈥攁bout the paddling, the friends, the food, the learning鈥攍onging to be back there. Mud runs through my veins, and the only word I can find to describe the experience is 鈥榣ove,鈥 and that鈥檚 not a word I take lightly.鈥
A gripping odyssey
The trip had all the elements of any good adventure story:
There was a steadfast leader, , who has been engaged in environmental politics for 30 years and had been dreaming about this trip for almost as long; an epic journey paddling nearly 700 miles in 24-foot handmade cedar-strip voyager canoes; and a compelling cast of characters, including the student who鈥檇 never camped, the chipper morning person, and a student about to drop out who found his calling en route. There were unexpected moments, including an emergency appendectomy outside Mark Twain鈥檚 hometown, an open mic night harmonizing with the locals of Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, and a visit to the Michael Brown memorial in Ferguson, Missouri. And finally, there were lots of emotions鈥攁ll of them, really.
Underhill knew the trip would be an odyssey in every sense of the word. The professor of political science, environmental studies, and international relations had been planning and networking for 15 years to realize the River Semester. He tested the waters in 2001 by organizing a three-day field trip from St. Cloud, Minnesota, to St. Paul. Five-day and 10-day excursions followed before he proposed the semester experience in 2012.
鈥淭his is where Augsburg stands out from other institutions,鈥 said Underhill, who has organized interdisciplinary trips throughout the world. 鈥淎ugsburg values experiential learning, place-based pedagogy, and innovative approaches so much that it wasn鈥檛 a matter of 鈥榠f鈥 we can make this happen but 鈥榟ow.鈥 Yes, we had three years of sorting out logistics, but the College continues to empower and support faculty to engage in this type of work, and you only have to talk with one of these students to grasp the impact.鈥
Once logistics were in place, Underhill鈥檚 years of contacts at organizations such as the National Park Service rushed in to participate鈥攐ffering guest lectures, exclusive tours of historic sites, hot meals, and lodging. Wilderness Inquiry, a Minneapolis-based outfitter that has partnered with Augsburg for years, provided logistical expertise and risk management planning as well as guides, food, and equipment. Erik Ophaug, a Wilderness Inquiry program manager, said the outfitter is proud to be at the forefront in creative endeavors that increase students鈥 access to and connection with the natural world.
鈥淭his was the longest expedition we have run, in terms of number of days on the river, in our 40-year history of supporting educational and expeditionary outdoor adventures,鈥 Ophaug said. 鈥淚t was inspiring to watch these students truly soak up and process all of the little moments that make up the culture, politics, ecosystem, and history of the Mississippi River watershed.鈥
Guide Emily Knudson 鈥15 had paddled with Underhill on a 10-day canoe trip as part of a River Politics course her senior year. When she learned the semester-long excursion wouldn鈥檛 materialize until after she would graduate, the determined triple major in environmental studies, English literature, and Spanish secured a job with Wilderness Inquiry in hopes of gaining a staff position on the trip, which she did. Charged with almost every logistical task, from planning mileage and booking campsites to grocery shopping and monitoring weather conditions, Knudson also served as a supplemental instructor and intern for Augsburg. She led study sessions and presented lectures in their outdoor classrooms (or the nearest city鈥檚 laundromat or public library in bad weather).
鈥淓ducational experiences like this are important because they make you think so much more deeply about the course content. Instead of memorizing facts about the lock and dam system for a test, we were paddling through the pools the dams created, hearing stories from locals, and camping on the islands built to replace those flooded out decades earlier. In a couple years, I will forget almost everything I memorized, but I will never forget my learning in action,鈥 said Knudson.
Self-discovery on the riverbanks
Glen Gardner 鈥17 was considering taking a year off from school when he saw the River Semester publicized in the cafeteria. He signed up, and somewhere along the pilgrimage, the Montana native realized he wants to teach art. Gardner is back at Augsburg this semester, majoring in studio art and art education.
鈥淗aving the time to unplug and reflect about my life helped me realize my passion for art education. I have always been interested in the arts, but I hadn鈥檛 really thought about teaching until I discovered that I loved spreading the feelings I find in art to other people as much as I enjoy making art,鈥 Gardner said. 鈥淚 want to extend my knowledge and passion beyond myself and use art to promote living in a way that is not wasteful to the world.鈥
Hearing this, Underhill is proud. Provoking self-exploration was not his motivation for organizing the trip, but the sense of vocation students found down river is certainly the journey鈥檚 most fulfilling outcome. Admittedly, he took a leap of faith selecting the crew. He didn鈥檛 pick a team of students with similar interests, backgrounds, maturity levels, and outdoor experience. He picked a team that reflects Augsburg鈥檚 commitment to nurturing a diverse community of resilient, driven, and faith-filled citizens. As you can imagine, the initial weeks included some whining and a few cold stares, but before long, this dynamic group evolved into a harmonious tribe.
Forging lasting bonds
Taylor was nervous about the trip, not because of the physical demands or the elements (he was an Eagle Scout and grew up a 鈥渞iver kid鈥 in north-central Wisconsin). As the crew鈥檚 videographer and documentarian, Taylor was most concerned about getting his new Nikon, Sony video camera, and two GoPros wet. But even more so, he was terrified of the quiet鈥攆or those moments when people would start sharing information about their lives. He was finishing up his second semester at Augsburg in the College鈥檚 , the nation鈥檚 largest residential collegiate recovery community.
Now sober for two years, Taylor said he burned bridges between himself and others before he entered recovery. 鈥淢y peers on the River Semester were some of my first friends in a long time. It was truly a fresh start,鈥 he said.
鈥淥n the trip, I heard things that were strange to my ears: 鈥楻icky, you鈥檙e a good person,鈥 鈥榊ou鈥檙e kind,鈥 and 鈥業鈥檓 amazed by you.鈥 I always looked around, thinking, 鈥楢re you sure you鈥檙e talking to me?鈥 It was the first time in years that I felt good, felt worth, and felt confidence. People trusting and caring for me is more precious to me than anything, and I developed everlasting bonds with this crew.鈥
Brian Arvold 鈥80 witnessed that closeness when he welcomed home his daughter, Hannah, who was one of the first two students to sign up for the trip. When the crew stepped off the train at a welcome home rally in mid-December, Arvold said, the students ran into their families鈥 arms, and then they all ran back鈥攖o each other.
鈥淚t was touching for all of us to see,鈥 said Arvold, who was waving a canoe paddle painted with 鈥淩iver Semester鈥 as the train slowed to a halt. 鈥淵ou may want a lot for your child, but lifelong friendships are at the top of the list. Knowing that these students will be there for each other through life鈥檚 ups and downs is comforting.
鈥淲e鈥檇 talk to Hannah along the trip, and we could hear her growing more socially and culturally aware, but we also detected a real sense of confidence. Paddling that entire river empowered our daughter as she was placed in settings where she had to stand up for herself, push through, and create solutions. Augsburg is truly on the forefront鈥攁 small college doing great things. It鈥檚 neat to see them embrace learning without four walls.鈥
Living and learning on the river
The outdoor classroom developed into one of the excursion鈥檚 top challenges. Underhill and fellow organizers put a lot of thought into how to best maximize the lecture and classroom portions of the semester while maintaining efficient mileage and travel down river. The team pushed off with a mix of short, medium, and long paddling days that corresponded with short, medium, or long days of lecture and class at campsites, historical points of interest, and local libraries. But within the first few weeks, the team realized that loading and unloading educational gear from the canoes each day cut into class and travel time.
鈥淭o give students a break and free up more time for class, we shifted paddling itineraries to canoe two or three very long paddle days in a row, and then have several days in a row off for school,鈥 Underhill said. 鈥淭his greatly enhanced and focused learning potential so that the group could take advantage of as many experiential opportunities as possible while on the river, and on the off days, maximize reading, lecture, and project work.鈥
It quickly became clear that the professor had to be protective of time. Friendly community members invited participants into towns for hot meals and enriching experiences. But although they padded their days for unexpected events and impromptu outings, the practical realities of their journey鈥攕etting up camp before dark and approaching storms, for instance鈥攔equired a tight schedule.
鈥淲e enjoyed an embarrassment of riches in terms of learning opportunities along the way,鈥 Underhill said. 鈥淧eople would show up and want to talk to us or invite us to partake in amazing cultural, historical, or entertaining events, but we had to fit in hours of education on top of paddling five to eight hours each day. That resulted in some tough choices.鈥
Underhill and his faculty colleague for the trip Thorpe Halloran, an instructor of fisheries biology and stream ecology, often held classes on the banks under sturdy trees, students swatting at mosquitoes while typing on laptops pulled from waterproof bags. But the professors rarely passed a teachable moment, even between strokes. Hannah Arvold 鈥18 recalls paddling past colorful boathouse communities near the main channel when conversation veered into the regulation of river towns.
鈥淭his experience helped me to decide to pursue a degree in environmental studies,鈥 she said. 鈥淚t helped me realize my interest in food justice, sustainability, and environmentally conscious agriculture practices.鈥
Wading through analysis, navigating partnerships
Arvold was able to channel her professional pursuits into a research project focused on nutrition and the environmental impacts of farming. On the first leg of their trip, she calculated the caloric intake and expenditure of her peers, noting which foods provided the best sources of energy. Near the end of their voyage, she recorded the agriculture industry鈥檚 negative impacts on the river, including gasoline and pesticides seeping into groundwater. 鈥淐aring about the health of your body,鈥 Arvold said, 鈥渋s just as important as the health of the land it is grown on.
鈥淚 created an 鈥業 ♥ the Mississippi鈥 bumper sticker and gave it out to people along our trip for freewill donations,鈥 Arvold said. 鈥淲e donated $500 of the money raised to purchase science equipment for the International School of Louisiana where we presented many of our research findings to more than 160 fourth- and sixth-graders.鈥
Each student conducted a research project, and many of them involved collaborations with external partners throughout the United States. Noah Cameron 鈥17 worked with Minnesota artist Monica Haller, known for the 鈥淰eterans Book Project,鈥 which captures interviews and data from dozens of soldiers, refugees, and journalists affected by wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Cameron used a hydrophone to record underwater noises while on the river and then paired them with social and cultural recordings, which he plans to use for future collaborations with Haller.
鈥淚t seems that intense, mindful listening is a difficult task nowadays, and some people have no reason to listen. I was given a reason, and I learned much about the nature of sound, silence, noise, and listening,鈥 the political science major said. 鈥淢y project acknowledges that the river has something to say, which it certainly does. One thing the river told me was that it is polarized; its waters are either filled with the sounds of mechanical engineering or with quiet ecological or hydrologic characteristics.
鈥淪imilarly to how I thoughtfully listen to the systems of the river, I realized that we鈥攁s a society鈥攕hould thoughtfully listen, which is not the same as agreeing, to our government and each other. I viewed the river like our government鈥攖his massive, daunting entity that we seem to have little effect on. However, as we moved down that river and as we took classes about both the nature of the river and the nature of democracy, we learned that we do affect that river, and we do affect our government.鈥
Blair Stewig 鈥18 connected with the river on a molecular level, studying how the concentrations of various chemicals influence ecosystems. Throughout the trip, she collected water quality data like that of the National Park Service鈥檚 鈥淪tate of the River Report.鈥 She also collaborated with Reuben Heine, a geology professor at Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois, to gather sonar data about subaqueous dunes, or sediment bed forms at the bottom of the river.
鈥淢y main focus was on the accumulation of nitrates in the Mississippi and its effect on the Gulf of Mexico. The molecule, commonly found in fertilizers, seeps into the river system from agricultural and urban runoff, feedlots, sewage treatment plants, and more. This excess results in a 鈥楧ead Zone鈥 in the Northern Gulf of Mexico each late spring and summer,鈥 said Stewig, who is majoring in biology and chemistry. 鈥淲hat does that mean? An influx of nutrients results in an algae bloom. When these algae die, they sink to the bottom of the ocean, where they are consumed by bacteria, which depletes the area of oxygen. Some marine life sense the lack of oxygen and leave, but others die as a result. According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Dead Zone costs the U.S. seafood and tourism industry $82 million per year.鈥
Lark Weller, who collaborated with Stewig on behalf of the National Park Service, said Stewig鈥檚 data will inform brochures and fact sheets about excess nitrates in a river system that provides water for upwards of 15 million people. The research these students conducted is compelling, Weller said, but their connection to the river is even more impressive.
鈥淚 suppose it鈥檚 possible to complete a college degree without really ever understanding the broader context of the world around you鈥攂ut not for River Semester students. It is clear the experience dramatically changed the lives of every single student who accepted the challenge. They have returned with a new and expansive sense of self, place, and world,鈥 said Weller.
Lily Moloney '15
鈥淏eing warm at night made a world of difference, so I couldn鈥檛 have lived without my sleeping bag.鈥 鈥擫ily Moloney
Hannah Arvold '18
鈥淲e learned to survive with pretty much nothing, but I was so thankful for my wool socks on the cool mornings paddling and when nights began to get chilly. My headlamp was also something I was very thankful to have. For studying after dark, building campfires, cooking dinner in the dark, and even the occasional pack-up in the morning before the sun was totally up, my headlamp really camp in handy.鈥 鈥擧annah Arvold
Glen Gardner '17
鈥淚 brought a French press to make coffee, and that definitely helped me get through the days with fast mornings.鈥濃擥len Gardner
Blair Stewig '18
鈥淚 couldn’t live without my headlamp or puffy jacket. I also used my rain gear instead of insect repellent so I wouldn’t want to give that up either.鈥濃擝lair Stewig
Joe Underhill
鈥淢y main takeaway is that I can鈥檛 do without the river itself. I think we all got to a point where we needed to be on the river, and now we鈥檙e all going through a bit of withdrawal from such a beautiful and challenging experience.鈥 鈥擩oe Underhill
Emily Knudson '15
鈥淚 am a minimalist, so I challenged myself to use as little gear as possible. But the two things I couldn’t live without on the trip were coffee and the support of friends. Everyone came together on this trip to form one big family.鈥 鈥擡mily Knudson
Izzie Smith '18
鈥淐lif Builder鈥檚 Bars, coffee, my Nalgene bottle, sunscreen, Noah playing his guitar, my Buff, and long talks in the canoe with Emily about my future.鈥 鈥擨zzie Smith
The voyage as art
To share those connections with the Augsburg community, the crew collaborated with Minneapolis-based graphic design and digital arts professors and students to develop an exhibit featuring sights, sounds, textures, emotions, and artifacts from the trip, including one of the canoes that flew the Augsburg College flag.
Assistant professor of art Chris Houltberg and visiting instructor Julie Longo challenged students in three different courses to create a unified experience on campus that captured the true essence of the River Semester. Art students video chatted with the crew, conducted extensive research on contemporary river issues, and poured over news articles, social media posts, and the blog, .
Some artists focused on gathering and refining content for the interactive display while others developed the exhibit鈥檚 look and feel, devising its color palette, graphic elements, and typography scheme. Their semester-long partnership culminated in a display featuring a robust timeline, heartfelt journal entries, dynamic photos, and several other elements.
The exhibit, displayed at the Christensen Center Student Art Gallery, built upon previous collaborations between Underhill and the design faculty. Last spring, they created 鈥淪haping Peace,鈥 an interdisciplinary collaboration among 128 students and six faculty members to visualize and exchange ideas about Nobel Peace Prize laureates.
鈥淲e are primarily interested in how design can be used as a catalyst for change,鈥 Houltberg said. 鈥淭he ideas and issues the River Semester students encountered are really important to our world. We set out to create a platform that encouraged dialogue around the important ideas and issues the participants experienced.鈥
Memories keep rollin鈥 along
The next leg of this journey: The documentary. Taylor produced several short videos chronicling the trip, which are at , and he鈥檚 looking forward to sharing the experience through his forthcoming feature-length film. For now, the River Semester crew continues to process the issues they know and to reflect upon their moments together: rows of sleeping bags dotting the shore as they looked up at an ebony sky studded with millions of heavenly diamonds; waking at 3 a.m. to paddle from darkness to dawn; and swaying in hammocks tied to the tall willow trees of remote river islands.
So, if you see members of this motley crew sleeping outside, don鈥檛 judge. They鈥檙e just longing to be back on the water, where they grew stronger and a bit wiser, having realized that the issues gripping the Mississippi River are as sophisticated as its ecosystems. That enlightenment has influenced the way they now see the world, with varying shades of compromise and understanding. They reenter their lives with renewed purpose, fueled by an empowering sense of community, the ability to adapt, and the ache for life鈥檚 next adventure.
From trickling headwaters to the听wide and mighty ocean
River Semester participants share memorable events along the river
Beginning in 2003, Augsburg College Associate Professor Joe Underhill began incorporating short Mississippi River trips鈥攖hree-, five-, and 10-day excursions鈥攊nto his environmental politics curriculum. He first presented the idea of a semester-long trip to College leadership in 2012, and then three years of logistical discussions and planning followed. This past fall, Underhill and biology instructor Thorpe Halloran shoved off from St. Paul with 12 students, two guides, and a teaching assistant. Here are a few highlights from their journey.
1. Aug. 28-30:听Held an orientation at the Mississippi River headwaters to introduce courses, review canoeing and water safety basics, and discuss topics such as American Indians鈥 perspectives on the environment and sustainability.
2. Sept. 1: Chris Coleman, mayor of St. Paul, joined nearly 100 Auggies, family members, and high school students at the launch of the nation鈥檚 first-ever River Semester. Dozens of attendees paddled in a flotilla of 24-foot voyageur canoes to South St. Paul.
3. Sept. 5-7: Studied the water quality and impact of farming, including increased sediment load on the river. Sampled water alongside fisheries biologists with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources.
鈥淲ithout a current and with a brutal head wind, paddling Lake Pepin was probably one of our most challenging days.鈥 鈥Lily Moloney 鈥15
[Web extra] Sept. 10-11: Swan Island near Wabasha, Minnesota: The crew鈥檚 first extended stay on a relatively wild site, known as Weaver Bottoms. Ironically, it鈥檚 an artificial island constructed by the Army Corps of Engineers to recreate islands that were lost when dams were built.
4. Sept. 12-17: Joined faculty and students from Winona State University for stream ecology labs and discussion on the impact of the lock and dam system.
[Web extra] Sept. 22-24: Effigy Mounds National Monument, Iowa: Explored this picturesque site featuring more than 200 prehistoric earthen mounds, including some shaped like animals. These ceremonial and burial sites, built by American Indians hundreds of years ago, remain sacred to more than 20 culturally associated tribes.
5. Oct. 3: A rough paddle through the pool above Lock and Dam No. 13, one of the widest pools on the upper river. The crew struggled through fierce winds to avoid submerged tree stumps left over from before the dam was built. One of the canoes sustained a bad crack, which the crew repaired at camp.
6. Oct. 7-10: Met with local farmers and a nonprofit environmental group that organizes river cleanups, tree plantings, and other conservation efforts. The crew also engaged a field lab with Reuben Heine, geography professor at Augustana College in Illinois.
7. Oct. 20-21: When the crew paddled into author Mark Twain鈥檚 hometown, Izzie Smith 鈥18 began to suffer from stomach pain. By midnight, she had been diagnosed with appendicitis, and the next morning she had surgery. Two weeks later, Smith rejoined the group in Memphis. Even with all the excitement, the team still engaged in a lively discussion about Huck Finn and literary figures born along the Mississippi.
8. Oct. 29: The last morning of their journey on the upper river, the crew woke up at 3 a.m. to paddle for a few hours in the dark to catch the sun rise over the river. They ended their sunrise paddle on the Mississippi鈥檚 banks north of St. Louis, from which vans shuttled the crew past the Chain of Rocks, an exposure of bedrock in the Cuivre River.
9. Nov. 2: As part of Underhill鈥檚 course, Democracy in the American Heartland, students traveled to the Michael Brown Memorial鈥攖he site of the August 2014 shooting death of a black teenager by a white policeman, which prompted national commentary on racial discrimination and gun control. President Paul Pribbenow joined the group for a tour through the city and discussions with residents.
鈥淪tanding at that memorial in the middle of the road was a deeply unsettling experience鈥攖here was no way it could or should have been otherwise.鈥 鈥President Paul Pribbenow
[Web extra] Nov. 7-9: Memphis, Tennessee: Studied music, history, and food before meeting with researchers from the Mississippi River Project at the University of Memphis.
10. Nov. 16: The team paddled past expansive sandbars and islands full of wildlife at the confluence of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers. Waters in this area can rise and fall as much as 70 feet and swirl around canoes.听
[Web extra] Nov. 22-23: Natchez, Mississippi: Studied bayou country and industry while exploring the Atchafalaya River.
11. Nov. 26: Thanksgiving in New Orleans: The crew enjoyed an abundance of fried turkey and comforting side dishes at their hostel as they visited with fellow travelers from more than a dozen countries.
[Web extra] Dec. 2-7: Gulf of Mexico: Field research studying marine biology and estuarine ecology with the Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium.
12. Dec. 11: Travel by train to Chicago.
鈥淭he train back to Chicago was spent doing a lot of work on our finals, but it was also a time to reflect on everything we experienced on the trip.鈥 鈥Blair Stewig 鈥18
[Web extra] Dec. 12-13: Chicago: Studied urban waterfront developments, sustainability, and arts in the Second City.
13. Dec. 14-15 The crew traveled by train from Chicago to the Twin Cities and joined in a 鈥済ood-bye鈥 hug upon arrival at Union Depot in St. Paul.
ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: As part of the River Semester welcome back celebration, Augsburg graphic design and typography students created an interactive gallery exhibit chronicling the voyage.
You Might Also Like
Playing it forward
- on March 23, 2016