Bloom Hamner

Greenies Expand Their Minds on Enrichment Day



Greenies Expand Their Minds on Enrichment Day

Luke Stone '21 wanted to see Asheville in a different way, not necessarily a new way.

So he and nine other Greenies hopped aboard a Craggy Mountain Line train on Enrichment Day. The small, trolley-style car snaked through the northern side of town along a 3-mile stretch of track, offering the boys scenic views of fall foliage and the French Broad River.

Besides the scenery, what made this ride unique? Passenger trains have not run through Asheville on a regular basis since the 1970s.

"It's a good way to get out and I was really attracted to learning more about the history of the railroad," Luke said.

"It's been fun. It's cool to be part of something that has been around here since the 19th century," Johnny Wehner '21 added.

Enrichment Day is designed to be a fun, but educational break from classes at Christ School.

The train ride was one of many trips available to the Greenies on Wednesday. Others were a "walk on the wild side" at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, an exploration of downtown bookstores and coffee shops, tours of the WLOS News 13 studio and historic Omni Grove Park Inn, fly-fishing, indoor climbing, a hike in the Pisgah National Forest, a bike ride along the Virginia Creeper Trail, work on the Habitat for Humanity Student Build, and an outing to Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to learn from blacksmiths.

Christ School's campus was filled to the brim with activity as well, including students interviewing Ret. Maj. General Rick Devereaux for the Veterans History Project at the Library of Congress. A dozen Greenies simulated the popular reality show "Survivor" with Jack Galbraith '20 being declared the winner after a series of mental and physical challenges.

More than 100 photos from Wednesday's Enrichment activities, as well as video from the Craggy Mountain Line, can be found on Christ School's Facebook page.