The Male Journey
Bill Palmer’s Spring Term Class Explored What It Means To Be a Good Man
What is the course of the male journey? For 13 Alma students led by
English Professor William Palmer, it started with six books, 1,600
miles to Ghost Ranch in New Mexico, and 10 days of service and
discovery.
The idea for the spring term class sprung from a Men’s Rite of Passage Retreat at Ghost Ranch that Palmer attended in 2006.
“I learned about problems of fathers deserting their families or being
remote, emotionally unavailable, often suffering addictions of work and
substance abuse,” he says. “I learned that most men have not been
mentored by wise male elders on what it means to be a good man.”
Students in Bill Palmer's "The Male Journey" spring term course begin building a patio for the Casa del Sol retreat house.
Palmer developed the course with English Professor Robert
Vivian. The course used books such as Iron John, Death of a Salesman
and Tuesdays with Morrie as a basis for discussion about the male
journey.
“Students explored topics such as the history of male initiation; the
tradition of wise elders to affirm and guide young men; the importance
of nature for initiation; and the importance of humility, honesty,
forgiveness, compassion and gratitude,” Palmer says.
During the second week the class traveled to Ghost Ranch where they
continued their studies. They also learned about contemplation by
paying close attention to silence and nature. For a service project
students built a patio for the Casa del Sol retreat house.
The brick courtyard service project nears completion.
“The
Men's Journey did an amazing job on the courtyard at Casa del Sol,”
says Carole Landess, companion host for Casa del Sol. “They were great,
with a very positive attitude, and accomplished a lot.”
“I could not have asked for a better work project for my class:
constructing a red brick patio in a retreat house devoted to
spirituality seemed symbolic of helping students build their own
spiritual foundation, a key goal of the course,” says Palmer.
The class had a mix of nine men and four women, an important
combination, Palmer says, because the male journey affects everyone.
One person in particular who was affected was 2008 Alma graduate Monica
Rentfrow, a little person. She had been to Ghost Ranch before but was
never able to take the well-known three-mile hike up to Chimney Rock.
“One of my fellow classmates approached me at dinner saying he wanted
to get me up on that mountain,” she says. “I was ready to dismiss the
idea when I heard one classmate advise me, ‘You know, you might want to
try lowering your pride because the view would be really worth your
while.’ He didn't know how much I needed to hear that.”
Junior Jeff Laatz and senior Buddy Scarborough took turns carrying
Monica up the mountain in Laatz’s backpack, while others were on hand
to help scout the trail and assist as needed.
“One of my brothers, right before we reached the summit, even had the
grace to thank me for ‘letting’ them do this,” she says. “Since our
journey to Chimney Rock I have been trying to adopt a new kind of
pride: one that understands how sometimes there will be mountains in
life we cannot climb alone, but there will always be a buddy with a
backpack.”
Students interviewed their fathers after returning from Ghost Ranch and found some surprising answers.
“We talked a lot about our fathers in class. At first I was frustrated
with this because I am so used to feeling disconnected with my father,”
says junior Kori Snow.
“I think that the interview was one of the most enlightening and
beautiful experiences I have had with my dad. His answers were
practical just like he is, but I was surprised at the amount of love
and dedication he has for his family,” she says.
— Amanda VanLente-Hatter
Posted: Thu, June 26th, 2008 at 9:22AM
