Newfane High School graduate to walk the college road less traveled
Men’s school combines learning with labor
NEWFANE — While most new high school graduates will use the summer to prepare for a traditional college experience next fall, Newfane High School’s David G. Nasca has already stepped out on the road less traveled.
Tuesday, the 17-year-old Nasca embarked on what appears to be a two-year adventure at Deep Springs College in California, a very different school nestled in a mountain valley between Death Valley and Nevada’s Yosemite National Park.
He is one of only 26 students in the country who will attend the men’s liberal arts college.
In addition to learning about the great philosophers, mastering public speaking and pursuing other academic endeavors, “all students are required to help run the school’s organic cattle ranch and farm as well as doing about everything else needed to keep the [complex] going,” Nasca said.
All 26 students attend Deep Springs on a full scholarship covering tuition and room and board.
Nasca said the school was founded by L. L. Nunn, who played a role in the development of the Niagara Power Project.
“He founded Deep Springs College because he became interested in educating young people on the three pillars of academics, labor and self-governance,” Nasca said.
That means, in addition to studying the arts and sciences, Nasca said, students “are expected to work 20 hours a week in various jobs at the college, ranch and farm; screen and select new
college applicants; hire and fire faculty and select new course offerings.”
“When it comes to work, we do everything from farm labor, milking cows, collecting eggs and gardening to holding skilled positions like butcher, baker and auto mechanic,” he said. “Since we have 350 head of cattle, there’s the coveted position of student cowboy. The student cowboy stays all summer and remains at Deep Springs for a third year when he is considered a faculty member.”
He said he decided to apply to Deep Springs a year after he read about it in a college guide.
“It’s something so different and such an experience that you may never be able to have at any other time in your life that I decided to try,” he said. “After all, it’s only for two years, and that’s not a lot of time in the grand scheme of things. You go there for two years, get an associate degree in liberal arts and transfer to a four-year school. Our students have a lot of luck getting into good four-year schools.”
Nasca said he was accepted by Deep Springs in March after writing numerous essays and going through a rugged four-day interview process and tryout period “where you get to show how you’ll fit into the community.”
An honor student, Nasca said he felt his penchant for making desserts might have been responsible for closing the deal on Deep Springs’ students granting him admission.
“I like baking and when I was there, I baked cream puffs for everybody. They tried them and put me in charge of desserts,” Nasca said.
As for the labor duties he will take on, Nasca said, “I’d like to be gardener for the first term because I’d like to be outside for the summer term. Then I can be a cook in the winter.”
He said he’d also like to be the school’s “dairy boy” for another term, being responsible for milking and caring for the college’s two cows every day.
“I’d also like to be the mechanic’s assistant and help repair our tractors and other vehicles,” he said.
“But that’s a sought-after position because it translates well into the real world and may be hard to get.”
He said the college rotates jobs so each student gets to do six different duties while attending Deep Springs.
“Almost all the work is done by students who are overseen by three professionals, including a ranch manager and farm manager,” Nasca said.
He said the school has an endowment, and alumni contribute a lot of money to keep the college going.
For the special candy bars, boxes of breakfast cereal, processed foods and other items the students and college need, Nasca said there’s a weekly trip into nearby Bishop, Calif., and a farmers’ market at Big Pine, Calif., to pick those items up.
The school is run in that way because “part of the idea behind the labor thing is to prepare you for a life of service to others because, like in life, everyone at the school is dependent on each other to do their jobs,” Nasca said.
Students even do most of the cooking, and every student attending is asked to bring his favorite cookbook to school.
As for self-governance, he said, “The students make all the major decisions. They decide who to accept into the college, and they make decisions about hiring and firing faculty and selecting new course offerings.”
He said Deep Springs has the same resources as most college’s but no television and no female students.
Nasca hopes to attend the University of Chicago after he finishes at Deep Springs. He aspires to be an anthropologist or archaeologist.
