By NICK PEOTTER

The Mirror reporter

Glen Reindl may give people a “hippie who had to settle down somewhere because he had to” vibe. After having him as a teacher for a year he gives off a completely different feel.

Reindl teaches Religion & Philosophy, History, and Wisconsin River Academy (WRA). He grew up in Wisconsin, and despite traveling across the world, decided to come back and have a family. He has some philosophical principles that he lives by, and he is a very worldly person.

Through hiking, skiing and canoeing trips in WRA Reindl taught his students how to appreciate their surroundings, especially the outdoors. This is something Reindl feels very strongly about. While students hike through the Ice Age trail he told them that a lot of people today don’t take time to look at the world and appreciate it for what it is. Students were having fun goofing around with friends, and may not have realized they were getting a connection to the land and gaining respect for everything around them.

Reindl has also traveled quite a bit in his life. Reindl spent quite a bit of time in South Korea teaching English. The way of life was hard to adjust to, which was eye-opening to Reindl and a lot of people who spend time in another part of the world. The idea that people just like you live different lifestyles and have completely different cultures, but still act so similar, was mind-blowing to Reindl. One thing Reindl had to adjust to was sleeping on mates instead of mattresses because “it’s just what they do.”

Having a more worldly view is great, according to Reindl, because learning to empathize by getting a closer look at different parts of the world will make one a better person. He says it’s important because some students will get up on a pedestal thinking they know everything; Reindl wants to get these students off the pedestal to learn more. Also, through seeing different things and learning more about everything, people gain a better understanding of who they are. One of the quotes on Reindl’s wall is from Aristotle. It reads “it is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.” It says more than just Reindl’s love for philosophy, this says that learning and experiencing more expands a mind overall. By seeking discomfort through studying and camping and going outside one’s comfort zone, people become more comfortable with themselves.