Lise's Lens: April 11, 2024
I have been reading a difficult but insightful book, thinking about a recent near-disaster on the Internet, and watching women’s basketball.
WHAT I’M READING
- One of my dearest childhood friends recently recommended and gifted a book to me: The Trauma Mantras: A Memoir in Prose Poems by Adrie Kusserow, a collection of writings exploring the experiences of refugees and the forgotten. As the title suggests, the memoir leans on the traumas experienced by specific individuals and groups, and investigates the American/Western approach to processing, supporting, and understanding refugees from places like Bhutan, Nepal, Uganda, and South Sudan. Make no mistake, this memoir is poignant and beautifully written, and the stories must be told. However, I felt weak, maybe even meek, reading it because my heart couldn’t always absorb the pain and the experiences described. So while I do recommend it, do know that it can also be emotionally challenging to read.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- I am thinking about the world wide web — the Internet. Do you know who has ownership and responsibility over it? Well, (and I’m quoting from a recent article in the NYT mentioned below) “much of it relies on open-source software that is thanklessly maintained by a small army of volunteer programmers who fix the bugs, patch the holes, and ensure the whole rickety contraption, which is responsible for trillions of dollars in global G.D.P., keeps chugging along.” I mean at this point, it truly is a global web without which we can no longer live. Our banking and medical systems depend on it, as do our energy and communication systems. And then there’s about everything else, like getting around when we are driving or looking for recommendations on Yelp. Well, apparently we were almost in big trouble. I mean, HUGE trouble, and most of us didn’t know it until The New York Times shared this near catastrophe with us last week. Take a read to learn how one vigilant guy on the Microsoft engineering team prevented disaster.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- How about this year’s women’s NCAA basketball tournament games? There have been some fabulous moments this season and finally some long deserved recognition of the excitement, interest, and commercial capacity of women’s basketball. There are plenty of stars to mention amongst which Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and of course the record breaker, Caitlin Clark. Did you watch the Iowa / South Carolina final on Sunday?
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Our students catching a glimpse of the eclipse. Thank you to the Science Department for providing not only the glasses for viewing, but lots of good information for us! Photo by Meredith Mikell.
Campus News
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Photography Teacher Anne Rearick Releases New Book
Photography Teacher Anne Rearick has release a new book of photograpy, Gure Bazterrrak (Our Land). Published by the Deadbeat Club Press, the book will begin shipping this winter and will be available during Paris Photo at Polycopies, Porte de Solférino.Read More -
Anny '28 Wins International Film Awards
Read MoreThis past summer, Anny ’28, worked as executive director and cinematographer for two documentary films titled Shaolin Youth and Confined, earning multiple international awards for her efforts.Anny, a boarding student from China, spent her summer filming Shaolin Youth in the Shaolin Temple, a thousand-year-old temple, where she focused on different groups of Chinese teenagers, showcasing China's special martial arts program and the impact it can have on the growth of teenagers from low-income families. The film focuses on the stories of underserved families and troubled teenagers in rural China who are hoping to change their fate by learning martial arts, showing the dedication and love these teenagers have toward martial arts, and the influence martial arts can have on a person's growth. -
CSW Welcomes Students from Panama
Read MoreLast week CSW welcomed 12 students from C.A.D.I. Bilingual Academy in Panama, where our students spent some time during the mod abroad trip to Panama in mod 5 last school year! They were joined by C.A.D.I.'s Director and administrators. During their visit from October 17-21, 2024, they stayed with CSW host families and attended classes with student ambassadors. -
Mod Break Wilderness Trips are Back!
Read MoreMod break Wilderness Trips are back in action with the first one taking students to the White Mountains! During the 3-day trip, students were split up into two groups based on student preference. The introductory group made its foray into the Kinsman Mountains with History and English teacher/Wilderness Trip Guide Aidan Wang, while the advanced group tackled Mt. Garfield with Science teacher and longtime Wilderness Trip Guide Kevin Smith.
Meet CSW Students
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.