Let’s Make Some Dust!
By Ella Pecor & Keegan Leboffe
November 18, 2024
As the infamous Monday morning rolls around and Arcadians fumble their way to the kitchen, a certain excitement buzzes in the air. Rather than the all too common “ughhh” that begins a week on campus, Monday mornings bring our favorite class, which inevitably brings smiles. Through the cold and warmth of the seasons, canoes pile into Massawepie Lake. Breaking still water or battling whitecaps, Arcadians meander their way around Pontiac Point and towards Gannett Lodge, where a figure with a joyous face and a waving hand awaits. Putting in canoes and striding towards class, we have high spirits at the prospect of baked goods and wood dust filling the air.
Throughout the first half of the Adirondack Semester, Arcadians embarked on crafting their very own wood paddles, assisted by Everett Smith, master boatbuilder. From the start, we were reassured by Everett of our creative freedom, which was bolstered by a surplus of gorgeous woods to choose from. With cookies and orange juice to guide the way, we quickly realized the skill and perseverance which goes into crafting a paddle. Eva Wetzel, Assistant Director of the Adirondack Semester, had this to say about the process: “It’s a different way of engaging a brain and a different way of thinking. It directly connects you to the materials found around you.” Another unique part of the process was the near total reliance on hand tools as opposed to power tools.
Taking the time to connect with our paddles through hours of work made the end product all the more fulfilling. Using cherry, maple, butternut, and more, different Arcadians had different experiences with their paddles. Riley Gale said this about his cherry wood paddle: “The weight of it disappears. Even though it’s cherry and heavy, I’m just happy to have my own paddle.” In the end, however difficult the journey was, the gratifying feeling of our paddles meeting the water made all of the sweat along the way worth it.
Following mid-semester break, our woodworking class quickly takes on a new facade. Monday and Friday mornings are all of the sudden a potpourri of options. Larry Jenne, through his infectious personality, helps us to create that which exceeds even our own expectations, from clocks, to baseball bats, to jewelry boxes. Larry is the owner of ADK Rustiques and is easily recognized in his ocean blue overalls, leaning against his favorite tree, awaiting students whom he loves dearly before even meeting them. Arcadian Sophia Nicholas says, “Larry is an incredibly sweet human being who makes everyone feel special.” His love for us, and vice versa, creates a work environment welcoming to all and one that pushes all of us to be our best and most creative selves.
Unlike Everett’s class, where our energy was devoted to one craft, with Larry we are able to tackle multiple projects at once. Some opt to make a gift for a loved one, and Larry is just as passionate about getting this done as we are, providing us with all the resources we need. Callie Garnett is one Arcadian who will be spending her two-week long internship continuing to work with Larry. Callie says she is “very excited [because] Larry is amazing, and I can’t wait to help him in the shop.”
Larry, above all else, is a teacher. When we are happy, he is happy. A man with endless patience, Larry helps those of us who aren’t experienced with power tools—and woodworking in general—feel confident and capable. When a mistake is made, Larry never bats an eye and instead meets us with his infectious smile and a pat on the shoulder. These are just some of the reasons we’ve come to love Larry so much. His homemade baked goods and loving demeanor are the perfect embodiment of Arcadia. There is nothing but good intentions in Larry Jenne, and his impact is still echoing through the years in the hearts of previous Arcadians.
Usually, we spend Friday evenings like most other nights, sitting around the kitchen table enjoying each other’s company, accompanied by games, books, and guitars. But on our last Friday night of the semester, we spent it a bit differently. After class got out, we excitedly piled into canoes for the second time that day, bound for Gannett, to turn our messy workshop into a sparkling dining room fit to host Larry’s surprise 64th birthday party. The secret had been hard to keep for many eager Arcadians, who would come close to spoiling the surprise several times during the past few woodworking classes. Gannett was cleaned in record time thanks to some upbeat CD’s that blasted tunes, and soon after cleaning was finished, Adirondack Semester alumni from 2023 began to trickle in, ecstatic to join us to celebrate such a special person.
Former Arcadian Ben Graham, who organized the whole event, brought pizza and cake to dine on and streamers and balloons to decorate with. Before we knew it, Gannett had been turned into the ultimate Arcadian birthday party, and as Larry and his wife Carol drove into the driveway, we turned off the lights and hid behind the table to surprise him. Larry’s reaction was perfect—full of pure shock—and Carol looked so relieved that the plan had been successful. Dinner was full of laughter and reminiscing about Larry’s time in the Adirondacks Semester program. With every story told, it became even more evident how special of a person Larry is. After dinner, Larry told everyone that he doesn’t remember a lot at his age, but he’ll remember that night for the rest of his life. The same sentiment could be said by many 2023 and 2024 Arcadians about Larry’s woodworking class. The love that Larry shows to his students is unmatched. There is no project too big or elaborate. If you dream it, and any one of the seven hardware stores that Larry frequents has it, he’ll help you build it.
Although the night was perfect, there was another feeling that was present. For many current Arcadians, the night in the beautified woodworking classroom was a glimpse of what was to come. For three months, we eleven Arcadians of 2024 have spent every waking minute together, whether that be during class, brushing teeth, and even on the Clive (our composting toilet, which has two stalls divided only by a piece of plywood). At night we huddled together around woodstoves and slept in pig piles on the floor. But as the days have gotten colder and shorter, the clock has begun to run out, and the end of the semester has become the elephant in the room. To the present-day Arcadians, watching the 2023 Arcadians interact showed that even though we may not spend twenty-four hours a day together in the future, the bond we have formed over the semester is unbreakable. And when we get back together, it will be like nothing has changed. Stress over classes, chores, and who’s going to light a fire in the community yurt may fade into the past, but the people are not going anywhere. The stories Larry and the 2023 Arcadians shared validated this hope. They told stories of fond memories they had together back on campus and in Larry’s workshop. Ben Graham even admitted that after the Adirondack Semester, Larry Jenne had become “a father figure [he] didn’t know [he] needed.” Saying goodbye to Arcadia in less than a week will be bittersweet, but knowing we get to continue strengthening friendships with each other and those we’ve met on the semester, like Larry, makes the goodbye much easier.
Before we had to say farewell to Arcadia, we got to have one last woodworking class with Larry. Arcadians ran about Gannett trying to finish up their projects. Clocks were assembled, wooden toys sanded, and baseball bats lacquered. Music rang out, making the energy upbeat. Smiles covered faces as Arcadians saw the projects that they’d been working on for weeks come to life. Knowing it was the end was bittersweet, but we all felt an overall sense of gratitude that we got to have an experience like woodworking on the Adirondack Semester.
