Completing Chores (featuring Clive)
Autumn Nealis & Finn Paulsen
As the fog descends on the lake, eleven Arcadians groggily shuffle towards the kitchen, prepared to face a day of chores—after morning coffee, of course. Last week the Arcadians were introduced to a dynamic chore system that would enable them to efficiently complete important tasks and keep the yurt village flowing smoothly. Today, as we break for chores, we reflect upon our first night in the yurt village, when several Adirondack Semester alums came out to cook us dinner and offer some advice.
Many stories and recommendations filled the air, but one piece of advice stands out from the rest. Ben von Mehren, who participated in the program just last fall, told us this: “If you are looking for an ah-ha moment that will change your life, you probably won’t find it here. Instead, enjoy your time for what it is, and you will be much happier for it.” This seems like strange advice at first, but it’s actually quite powerful. If we spend all our time looking for something that isn’t out here, we will miss all of the incredible experiences this program has to offer. One such experience goes by the name of Clive, our composting toilet.
Clive works hard every day taking our … (Editor’s note: expletive referring to human waste removed) —literally—so in return, two to three Arcadians are tasked each week with the ritualistic stirring of the excrement inside. To ensure that everyone is granted the opportunity to partake in this delightful experience, chores are rotated weekly. In caring for our friend Clive, we mop the floors, clean all surfaces, and restock woodchips. Perhaps the most important part to clean is the bin underneath. After donning large black gloves, one Arcadian pumps out the liquids while the other stirs up the solids to promote composting. With only a slight grimace, fellow Arcadian Abby Lateer remarks, “It is an honor to serve my community in such an intimate way.” Keeping the Clive clean is an important way to make sure that our toilet stays bearable to use.
When Arcadians aren’t spending time at the Clive, you can usually find them in the kitchen or one of the two community yurts. The cleaning of these spaces makes up two of our other chores. Students tasked with the “kitchen deep clean” wipe down all surfaces, clean out and organize the fridge, sweep and mop the floor. With people constantly cycling in and out of the kitchen, it’s important to thoroughly clean surfaces and keep the place organized. This ensures optimal sanitation and efficiency for cook groups as they begin their dinner prep each evening. The cleaning of other community spaces is equally important. As Grace Gargan shakes out a rug in the community yurt, she tells us that “It’s important because the space reflects people’s emotions. If it’s cluttered, people will feel stressed. If it’s organized and homey, people will feel more at ease.” A quick cleaning of floors and tables in both the Lurt (learning yurt) and Curt (community yurt) completes this chore.
The remaining two chores we are tasked with every Thursday afternoon are “pack out” and “sauna cleanse.” Students on pack out are in charge of gathering all composting buckets, along with the accumulated trash and recycling from the past week. After barging it across Tenderfoot Cove to the vehicles, they load the Suburban and drive down the road to the disposal sites, bumping tunes all the way. It’s important to stay on top of garbage and composting in order to avoid an abundance of waste that could attract unwanted animals like mice.
Our final task is a deep scrub of the sauna. The sauna is frequently used by bare-naked Arcadians to keep their bodies clean, so a weekly cleansing is needed for sanitation. Paired with this chore is wood chopping, which provides the fuel to heat the sauna and keep us warm during the colder months as the days get shorter. Occasionally there will be other jobs that need to be done around the yurt village. This week, for instance, we helped move and stack additional firewood from across the lake.
While these chores might seem arduous, they are an integral part of the program and also provide a fun break from school and homework. Completing the chores diligently keeps Arcadia and its occupants clean and organized. When asked why we do the chores in the first place, Assistant Director Will Madison says that they “keep Arcadia a functional and pleasant place to live. I like that.” By taking the advice of alumnus Ben, we have been able to shift our perspective from grueling manual labor to fun community building. Overall, chores are a beautiful learning opportunity and also promote self-sufficiency.