I stepped into Leelanau’s Student Center for the first time in 1988. I was a counselor at a neighboring school, and I had been invited to visit Leelanau by the admission director, my new friend, and a fellow member of our Midwest Boarding School organization. It was a toasted cheese Tuesday, and to this day, I can 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 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 a reflection with Leelanau’s Board of Trustees and our Facebook followers.

“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… 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.”

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 blog post, I would! I’d combine the smell wafting from a big pot of maple sap tended with patience, the freshness of Lake Michigan in the early morning, the earthy aroma of the forest floor after a rain, the 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.

In my work with our wonderful alumni, I’ve found that their memories of Leelanau are still palpable despite the years or decades. Admittedly, not all the “smells” at Leelanau are positive: some of our dorm’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 the memories also conjure up a time and place when they found themselves in the company of kind, authentic people. A time before compromise when they were cooking up plans for their 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 and learning into a stack of rich experiences that stick to our bones and stay with us in good times and bad. Gratefully, Leelanau continues to smell like pancakes, syrup, cedar, and love.