Posted June 14, 2017 by
Tags: The Liberal Arts My Wheaton
My Experience in the Northwoods
Taking New Testament Literature and Interpretation this summer and Introduction to Philosophy last summer as part of the Wheaton In the Northwoods (WIN) program presented me with the unique opportunity of focusing on a specific subject while enjoying the natural world around me. The two-section format of WIN allows students to take up to eight credits of General Education courses in just four weeks. Classes, ranging from Christian Thought to Ceramics, are held at Wheaton College’s HoneyRock campus, a beautiful camp located in the northern woods of Wisconsin.
Days at HoneyRock start with an early family-style breakfast before class. After classes and lunch, afternoon activities are held, including archery, canoeing, climbing, and, my favorite, riflery. Evenings were interspersed with study, classes, and eating s’mores over a campfire. For me, WIN exemplified the reasons I decided to go to Wheaton College. The faith-based, academically rigorous curriculum, along with the Christian community and amazing professors, make WIN classes fun and interesting. My professors at WIN, Dr. Robert O’Connor and Dr. Seth Ehorn, kept their fast-paced classes entertaining, informative, and applicable. Taking a class on the New Testament gave me a thorough understanding of its context and literary content, something I’ll use personally for the rest of my life. Taking Philosophy 101 introduced me to Christian ethics and prepared me to take Biomedical Ethics. Since I want to work in healthcare, understanding and being able to apply Christian moral principles will be invaluable to me in the future. Dr. O’Connor encouraged the application of those principles by having my class work on case studies where we applied the philosophy we learned in class to approach ethical dilemmas. Having done this will greatly benefit me in my future career.
Unlike Wheaton’s main campus, HoneyRock is a place to disconnect from media and to immerse oneself in the enjoyment of nature and community. Lectures are given around campfires, in fields, or even on boats. One of the many things about Wheaton College I’ve been thankful for is the opportunity to interact with top-notch faculty who care about their students and their field of study. The small class sizes and group activities at WIN quickly build community, but smaller classes also give professors more time to engage with students. Both Dr. Ehorn and Dr. O’Connor held class in their cabins and made it a priority to have individual discussions with students. During both WIN sessions, having professors who highly valued what they were teaching made the classes exciting and interesting.
Overall my WIN experience was as transformative as it was informative. I would strongly urge current and prospective Wheaton College students to take advantage of Wheaton’s opportunities to study off campus. I took a chance with WIN and it paid off, not only in course credit, but in knowledge and skills I’ll use the rest of my life. The friends I made and the time I spent enjoying nature made WIN an unforgettable start to my summer, and I hope that WIN will do the same for some of you.
Joshua Clark ’19 studies biology at Wheaton and has taken part in Wheaton College’s Wheaton in the Northwoods program at HoneyRock for two years in a row. Photo captions (from top): Joshua at HoneyRock; Joshua shooting archery at HoneyRock; Joshua taking part in a class at HoneyRock.
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