By Justin Streeter
Sitting in the trip room having our final meeting before the big trip, Doug asked the group if we would like to meet a Mini-School alumnus and tour Arches National Park with her. We all at the time seemed kind of curious and didn’t know what to expect. So we all just sat there with no comment. Then Doug sensed it was time to speak up and said that we’ll try to have her meet us, though it’s short notice.
Doug had told us that Melissa Quigley would be coming on the third day, spend the night with us and tour Arches the fourth day. She did just that, as she arrived on the third day right after we had finished our taco salad. She brought some company as well, her German Shepherd, Barney who loves to chase sticks. We talked around the fire a while, then hit the sack.
We woke to the smell of Doug’s famous French toast. After breakfast, we prepared camp for the day and loaded into the van. The tour of Arches began with some pictographs and moved its way through the guide’s trail. Melissa showed us through the park with ease. We found this is because she visits the park quite often herself. She really broke my expectations to pieces of a former Mini Schooler in the seventies. She is very knowledgeable and interesting. She was able to answer our questions like a book.
Melissa said she was sent to Mini from her other school in Chicago, where she was a known rebel. She came to Minnetonka forcibly but she got to choose between Mainstream or Mini. She walked in a well dressed hippy with a purple suede type jacket with frills hanging from the sleeves that ran down to her knees. Along with some matching purple suede bell bottom pants. She started off coming to class with her rebel attitude and ways, too lazy to do any work and if anybody bothered her she would threaten to kick their butt. She wasn’t much of a talker and you could usually find her in the corner.
For Melissa and many others it didn’t take long to find friends. Although she hadn’t been much of one for friends she had few through her years in Mini. She said that time in Mini helped her to find herself, which ultimately helped her to socialize with others and speak her mind.
Melissa also, like many, hadn’t done well in school before Mini, but soon found out that she could. She said that the reason for her not doing well before Mini was that everything had to be done certain ways or in sequence that she wouldn’t understand or like. She said Mini helped her to find her own ways which helped her to know herself and how to learn. Mini also helped her to want to learn and gave her the confidence to want to learn.
Her favorite part of Mini was what she called the explorer division (also known as trips). She said that the trips let her experience a lot of new and fun activities and taught her to respect nature. Trips influenced her to do some of the activities she still does today. She, like Doug, has learned to explore surroundings and make trips of her own good fun learning experiences. One of her activities she likes to do is rock climbing which she used to compete in. This sport has taken her around the U.S. and beyond. She said these kinds of activities have broadened her mind dramatically. I say beautifully.
Mini-School ways were a little different back in the mid seventies, in that school would move along at an uneven pace and that the trips wouldn’t fill up all the time. You rarely see that these days. There is one thing that hasn’t changed in Mini though and probably never will. That’s the fact that Doug rules as Melissa said and many many others that have been thankful for his influence in their life. Melissa is especially thankful for the fact that Doug helped her quit smoking. She is very happy with her experience in Mini and gives credit to Mini for helping her towards her successful and happy life.
Thanks Melissa