UNITY – John Zavodny, an associate professor in philosophy and humanities at Unity College, added a component to the required freshman Unity Experience course, which capitalizes on differences in student environmental values.

In doing so, he rejected the “two camps” notion of a campus of tree-cutters and tree-huggers.

“It’s not even a polarity,” he said of the differences among students. “It’s more a wheel,” with students valuing the outdoors, recreation, resource management and the natural environment in different proportions.

Zavodny has the freshmen answer a series of questions that get at their values: Would you rather go to a park or a mall? Watch a sunset over the ocean or go to a waterslide?

Students keep track of answers, and at the end, find someone with whom they have the least in common.

“There’s that awkward moment” as the two students learn they will participate in what Zavodny calls the “unlikely partners” activity. They each must include the other in an activity through which they enjoy the environment.

A hunter might bring the partner along to track deer, and the nonhunter comes to realize how much the hunter knows about the animal, and the value of habitat. The strict environmentalist might take the future logger out into the woods to play a game of chess, he said, sharing a love of solitude.

Back in the class, the nonhunter must explain the hunter’s position, and vice versa.

Mark Tardif, the college’s spokesman, believes such an experience makes Unity grads more marketable for jobs.

“In the real world, you have people having to work with other people with vastly different perspectives,” he said. “That gives [Unity grads] a leg up, I think. It makes them more effective.”