Wow! The year is going by SO fast. I can’t believe it’s already October. Well, as for the prompts:

1. Highlights of the year so far:
   • I loved the video that we watched and analyzed at the kickoff meeting. The video was melancholy and celebratory at the same time, a requiem for a faithful friend. It fascinated me how this was entirely composed of photos of the dog from before the dog died, but the video was created after. I wonder how much planning was put into the film?
   • Also, I enjoyed meeting the people who will be in the cohort – and seeing how radically different of a group it will be this year. The social dynamics will definitely be unlike a group that is mostly juniors and seniors, because of what they bring, and it will also be different for me because I will be one of two returning members, and some of the oldest people in the cohort.
2. The Three Week Affinity Group challenge:
   • I don’t think that it has been going as well as I hoped – we haven’t helped each other expand their viewpoints, as we often had similar ideas. For example, we all had very similar opinions about the reasons behind the opening sequence of the first week’s film.
   • We also had trouble connecting on social action issues; as I had wanted to focus on Abenaki recognition and Jules had wanted to focus on entrepreneurship in VT, while the rest of the group wanted to do Climate Change.
3. Questions:
   • What will need to happen in order to work out the 1/2 retreat that I am missing?
   • How could I get to go to the NGLN conference at Window Rock?
   • Does the final project have to be a documentary?

Well, I am excited to get to go on the Mt. Philo hike – for real, this time. Since I am not one of the most patient hikers, I wonder what it will be like. See you all soon!

– Theo Ellis Novotny