Into Thin Air By Jon Krakauer

In 1996, 29,029 feet above sea level, a expedition to climb Earth's largest mountain went horribly wrong. In the autobiography, Into Thin Air, eight climbers lost their lives trying to descend from the top of the world making this the second worse fatality rate ever to occur on Mount Everest. To be able to successively climb Mount Everest, clients must be intellectually competent, which is one of the pillars of the Grad at Grad. Being Intellectually Competent means that students go above and beyond the expectation both academically and in every day experiences, while taking the knowledge students learn in class and present it into the community. Jon Krakauer, the author, shows in his expedition multiple cases of him growing to be Intellectually

In the pillar, it says graduates will take the knowledge that they learned from class and apply it in the community. Jon used what he learned from his past experiences and applied it on his journey. One way that he did this is he planned his ascent and descent almost perfect. He knew not to exert all of his energy on the way up the mountain, but to save most of it for the journey down. If he didn't do this he could of been seriously injured or dead. He may have been stranded on the mountain like the others if he had used all his energy on the ascent and not having enough to get down. Like Lopsang, who used all his energy helping clients to the top, that he could not make it to the top himself. Jon made the smart decisions that helped him on journey like graduates who will take the knowledge they acquired from class to the community around them where they will make the smart

He was originally supposed to go as a magazine writer for "Outside Magazine." Just like the description for Intellectually Competent, he grows from not as a big part of the expedition to a large asset. He becomes one of the top climbers and leaders that help people survive on the mountain. Jon had the integrity to strive farther then what was asked of him. He learns how to work the ropes, walk the ice safely and most of all get used to the high altitude. He grows in his knowledge of all of these. At Regis Jesuit, graduates have the integrity to get the most out of your academics. They take what they learn and express it in the community and others around