Sensory Memories
by Kate Olson
Director of Alumni and Development
I first stepped into Leelanau’s Student Center for the first time in 1988. I was a counselor at a neighboring school and had been invited to visit Leelanau by admission director Michael Buhler, my new friend and fellow member of our Midwest Boarding School organization. It was a toasted cheese Tuesday, and to this day, I still remember the smell of warm, gooey sandwiches and the sound of laughter in the dining hall. I was struck by the comfortable, casual atmosphere and the mix of students and faculty at tables. The room felt like home and gave me an immediate feeling of community.
What an honor it is to dine in this space today as a member of the Leelanau family.
This sensory memory of mine popped up last month when Gretchen Knoblock ’82 shared her reason for giving with Leelanau’s Board of Trustees and our Facebook followers:
“I give because I believe in the Leelanau School, what it stands for, and how it forever changes the lives of the students that pass through its portals. I want that to continue. I give because the Student Center still smells the same way it did when I was a student 40 years ago—like pancakes, syrup, cedar, and love. I want that to continue, too.”
Pancakes, syrup, cedar, and love. Can you imagine anything more delicious or heartwarming, especially during these early days of winter? If I could bottle this concoction and include it with this email, I would! I’d combine the smell wafting from a big pot of maple sap tended with patience, the freshness of the breeze off Lake Michigan in the early morning, the earthy aroma of the forest floor after a rain, smoke from a Beach Bards bonfire, and turkeys roasting for one of our Holiday Feasts. I’d call it “Essence of Leelanau” for obvious reasons.
I hope your memories of Leelanau are still palpable despite the years or decades. Admittedly, not all the “smells” at Leelanau are positive: Kindel’s well-worn couches or the pungent aroma of a van full of seniors after three days on South Manitou Island are two examples that come to mind. But hopefully, your memory conjures up a time and place when you found yourself in the company of kind, authentic people. It was a time before compromise when you were cooking up plans for your future with compassionate and creative mentors and friends, consuming a healthy portion of learning with a big side of life and fun.
While Leelanau’s dining room is not the only Student Center-ed place on campus, it is at the heart of our education together. We gather around these tables, combining our lives into a tall stack of rich experiences that stick to our bones and stay with us in good times and bad. With sweet memories, thoughtful stewardship, and your help, Leelanau can continue to smell like pancakes, syrup, cedar, and love for decades (and centuries) to come!
Warmest Wishes for the Holidays,
Kate O.
kolson@leelanau.org
