By Greg Shea and Spencer Daigle
At a school such as ours, the lack of a central student publication for outdoor pursuits is ludicrous. We are not a new publication, but we are new in purpose. We see the need for one common platform for the art, photography, and writing the outdoor community has to offer.
Our New Mission:
Metanoia (meta·noia | me-tə-ˈnȯi-ə) noun
meta meaning “after” and “noia” meaning thought.
Implies reflection, reconsideration, and change.
Hearkening back to our roots as the Colorado College Alpine Journal, the name Metanoia was initially inspired by the route of the same name on the Eiger, by which Jeff Lowe ascended the North Face of the Swiss mountain in 1991. We believe that the character of this route, and the solo style of the first ascent, embodies the great potential for personal discovery and transformative change in the outdoor pursuits to which we dedicate ourselves. In its most common usage, the word metanoia has strong religious connotations. In a religious context, metanoia can be defined as repentance, reflection, or a transformative change of heart and mind. However, some scholars argue that conversion is the best English equivalent of the word rather than repentance. We did not choose Metanoia as our name because of its religious context, but we won’t deny that it lends weight to the name and imbues it with meaning. While repentance implies sinful deeds or thoughts, does it not also reflect the desire of people to better themselves, to get as close as possible to something greater? Those who engage in outdoor pursuits often desire the same things and seek them out in mountains, rivers, and forests. They keep pushing further, to get closer to something that they can’t quite put into words. Unfortunately, outdoor experiences are usually condensed to social media posts and short captions that reduce the experience to a two-dimensional, meaningless form. Slowly, the experience fades out of memory and ceases to be a part of a narrative of who we are, where we have been, and where we are going. The process of writing is especially important in considering the impact an experience can have because it is through reflection, the afterthought, that we create meaning. Sifting through our memories, we can uncover truths, the essence of the experience that has persisted in our bodies and minds and continues to influence the way we think and act. Beyond the ways in which metanoia relates the journal to the process of reflection, it also reflects the transformation of what was previously the Colorado College Alpine Journal. No longer is the Journal restricted solely to stories about climbing. Our mission is to expand the definition of outdoor recreation with a diverse set of narratives and experiences written by Colorado College students, alumni, staff, and faculty. That being said, Metanoia is inspired by the original Colorado College Alpine Journal and will continue to include notable alpine ascents, climbs, and trip reports. We are calling for submissions of all kinds if you are interested in submitting or working on the publication, please contact us at g_shea@coloradocollege.edu and s_daigle@coloradocollege.edu.