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River Semester students converse around a fire as they set up camp for a night on the shore of the Mississippi River.


ing the itinerary for the trip,” Underhill said. “Tere is a great network of folks who work on the river. Te local experts provided the kind of place-based knowledge that only they possess.” One person they connected with was Reuben Heine,


a professor at Augustana, another ELCA college in Rock Island, Ill. Heine set up two research projects for the River Semester students.


Leaving a ‘profound mark’ While the students no doubt learned a lot about the Mississippi, they also learned a lot about life during the River Semester. “We had such a variety of people—students with


majors from political science, to film, to biology,” Arvold said. “We had a blast learning about each other, which in turn helped us learn a lot about ourselves.” Underhill said, “Tey were physically and mentally


challenged with long days. It was a great opportunity for self-discovery and vocational discernment as students explored their own passions, strengths and weaknesses.” Stewig most appreci-


ated witnessing the diversity in culture as they traveled. For Taylor, some


of the best memo- ries he has are from the people they met


14 www.thelutheran.org


Author bio: Brandsrud is an associate editor of The Lutheran.


along their journey. “From Minnesota to Louisiana, you tell someone ‘I’m paddling down the river,’ and you’re guaranteed to have a great discussion with them,” he said. “Tere’s a collective of people referred to as ‘River Angels’ who spend their time helping out paddlers. Tey don’t ask for anything, they don’t expect a reward—they just want to help and wish you a safe journey.” It’s not a typical college experience to spend four


months’ worth of quality time with classmates and pro- fessors, but Underhill thinks the challenges that came with that led to the best learning opportunities. “We were together 24/7 with rare breaks and we


bonded powerfully as a group,” he said. “Most of all, this was an amazing experience that was a lot of fun. We got to experience one of the great rivers of the world in a full, rich and deep way that will leave a profound mark on all of us.” 


Hannah Arvold (top) and Karl Hahn look out over the confluence of the Mississippi and Arkansas rivers at sunset.


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