Student Life

Nature of Life program introduces freshman to CBS

Freshman Aaron Charlson grew up in Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the selfproclaimed �world�s largest� Corn Palace. (You may have seen the corny billboards along the interstate: �Ear-chitecture,� �You�ll be a-maized,� �Ears to you.�) While he may not brag about this most kitschy of tourist traps, growing up in Mitchell did have its advantages, like an inherent sense of comfort and a history with friends.

Sehoya Cotner leads a field biology outing.

For Charlson, it helped sooth his apprehension over moving to the big city and entering a large university. �It was comforting to come from a small town to a large school and feel like I was a name and not just a number,� Charlson says. �I still keep in contact with a lot of people I met there. Those are my friends.�

�Nature of Life provided the opportunity to meet people that you have class with, so when I go to a biology lecture, I can sit next to friends,� he adds.

The program helps students form relationships with their peers and with faculty. It also provides an intensive introduction to biology. Hands-on, small-group seminars explore various aspects of the biological sciences including field biology, molecular and cellular biology, and genetics and cell biology.

Those touch on the nature of life. Other sessions, led by peer mentors, address U of M traditions and the nature of college life, covering topics such as survival skills, curriculum planning, and research opportunities in biology. Once school starts in the fall, students complete their one-credit Nature of Life experience with follow-up assignments like interviewing a faculty member, attending various events, reflective essays, and writing an academic plan.

"It was a pleasure to meet each batch of students on the first evening and watch them open up to each other as they became part of the CBS community over the next three days," says John S. Anderson, former interim dean, who was involved in developing the pilot for Nature of Life. "I expect that the college will see benefits from NOL far into the future in terms of improved retention and graduation rates, heightened identification with CBS, and ultimately dedicated alumni."

For students, the program goes a long way toward delving into new friendships. �It was amazing how many people I recognized the first week of school, and I�ve heard a lot of people say the same thing,� says Madeline Teisberg, a firstyear student from Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota. �I was nervous because I didn�t know anybody, going into it.�

According to Sarah Endrizzi, the coordinator of Nature of Life, the transformation from nervousness to comfort is clearly expressed on the bus rides to and from Lake Itasca. Says Endrizzi: �The first 10 minutes of that bus ride are pretty quiet, and then the students gradually get to know each other, they form friendships, and by the end of the third day, you come home on the bus and you can�t get them to stop talking.�

�Rick Moore