Hillsdale College’s biology department and honorary took students away from the classroom and immersed them into the natural world they have devoted their college careers to studying Sept. 10-11.
Accompanied by a few faculty members, 38 students drove to Hillsdale’s Gordon Biological Station at Rockwell Lake Lodge in Luther, Michigan. Although not exclusively limited to science majors, Beta Beta Beta biology honorary’s retreat aims to provide students studying the natural sciences with the opportunity to experience what they learn in the classrooms hands-on, Assistant Professor of Biology Silas Johnson said.
“The big thing about the retreat is that it allows the students to have a weekend away from classes and away from campus to enjoy each other’s company and the world around them,” Johnson said.
Beta Beta Beta biology honorary sponsors the retreat each year as a way to advertise science, President senior Bilyana Petkova said.
“Every biology major or science major should go to the biostation at least once,” Petkova said.
Although the students said some activities taught them new things, the retreat was also filled with fun events pointed toward growing a community.
The students kayaked on Rockwell Lake, canoed the Manistee River, gathered various species of plants on a botany walk with Professor of Biology Ranessa Cooper, and collected methane gas from a nearby swamp.
Sophomore Andrea Wallace attended the retreat for a second year. She said the best part was being surrounded by people who all cherish the natural world.
“It’s great because it’s such a homogenous community,” Wallace said. “For once, we’re not ridiculed. It just feels like science majors are kind of looked down upon on campus because we’re not ‘true’ liberal arts students.”
The biostation contains 685 acres of old fields, forests, marshes, swamps, and a lake.
“It’s really cool because we don’t have many places in Hillsdale like the biostation,” said sophomore Elizabeth Palmer, who attended the retreat for the first time.
Wallace said it allowed students to trade the heavy fluorescent lighting of the classroom for the expanse of an open sky filled with billions of stars.
“You can see God in a way you can’t on campus,” Wallace said.