A person’s expression of passion can come in many different forms. Usually, someone can talk about their special interest for hours on end or teach others valuable information on the subject. For Thaden Weeks, sharing knowledge has become second nature, with rocks in hand.
“When I was younger, I did a lot of climate action, and I wanted to help fix the environment,” Weeks said. “I came up here, and my plan was to do environmental science, but the rocks here are very cool, and I’ve always liked them, so I decided to go with that.”
Weeks entered college as an Earth science major with a minor in geology. He found himself seeking ways to learn more in his field. Finding a special interest in a science field is useful and valuable. Weeks has found that studying Earth Science and geology has improved his understanding of the environment and can benefit the world around him.
“With what we’re doing with the environment with lots of pollution and mining, or if we’re trying to go sustainable with car batteries, we can learn how to safely do it and remedy these things,” Weeks said. “This is for the environment, for the earth, and for humans; those can all work very hand-in-hand, to make a future that isn’t destroying how we live.”
While acknowledging the external benefits of studying in his field, Weeks also has dreams of his own. He hopes to work in the National Park Service or United States Geological Survey but would be content working in an environmental firm as well. If he could, he would work in the Badlands National Park.
Weeks became involved at NMU as a freshman and began to attend meetings for the Rock and Mineral Club. Eventually, he got promoted as Vice President. Now, he utilizes the organization to teach curious students and visit geologically fascinating areas around the U.P.
Each meeting with the Rock and Mineral club is a field trip. When visiting a natural area, Weeks often gives lectures on geology and the group collects samples. He reflected on a trip the club took at the Champion iron mine, where hematite and magnetite were mined. For miles, chunks of glittery rock shone everywhere on the ground. Attending such trips allowed Weeks and other students to study unique aspects of the Earth’s structure.
“My main goal is to get people interested in rocks and geology. I think that every single place that we go is equal in how interesting it is, because they all cover different bases in geology,” Weeks said. “It can be sedimentary, metamorphic or igneous; it’s all amazing.”
Although he appreciates each trip he has taken with the club, he still has a favorite. A trip to the Ropes gold mine stood out to him, where he learned a lot about geology himself.
“It’s the only profitable gold mine in the U.P. and in the area, there’s a gold rush. There’s a ton of sinkholes that are forming all over the county because people were trying to mine gold. They covered them up with logs, which eroded and fell into the ground,” Weeks said. “Seeing that and being able to explain it is fun.”
By taking a leadership role in the club, Weeks has the opportunity to teach its members about different concepts. He found this rewarding and likes to be able to describe complex topics.
“I think my favorite thing is big concepts. When we’re at Jasper Knob, where we’re able to look at the history of the Earth’s atmosphere, but also look at the effects of metamorphic geology, and you’re able to tell the history of the Earth 2.7 billion years ago just by looking at this,” Week said. “It blows people’s minds. I love really big concepts and showing that when you’re looking at it, it doesn’t feel so big.”
