More than just a field trip. . .

I just got done having a lengthy Instant Message chat with Sean about his UND ISP field trip to Medora. Although the group returned last night about 5 PM (6 PM was on the itinerary that Sean emailed me), I hadn't seen Sean on the computer ( he shows up on my AOL Buddy list), nor had he returned my emails and his phone was off. I just wanted to know that he was alive and not lying dead in a ravine or something. I guess it is a "mom thing." I'm not entirely sure of the purpose of the field trip. From my perspective, as Sean related experiences--it seemed more of a "bonding experience" with the other students, including "getting drunk" the first night (apparently some students had sneaked in alcohol), to being lost with a group on a mountside in the rain and crossing the "bridge of death." They even sang to "scare away mountain lions!" I do know they did hold a debate about government involvement in the wilderness. Sean's exact words were "Whether the government should help in relocating animals, make oil thingies to extract oil, limit access to national parks." Oil Thingies?