Lise's Lens: May 23, 2024
Journalist Ari Shapiro’s memoir, our incredible CSW alumni, and the beautiful rhythms of African drumming are all on my mind this week.
WHAT I’M READING
- I’m one third of the way through Ari Shapiro’s memoir, The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening. I like it a lot. I mean, here is a guy I listen to almost every day, and until now, I really didn’t know anything about him. For example, I didn’t know that he grew up in the Midwest and had the challenging experience of being one of only two Jewish students at his school. He is someone who is passionate about finding connection and commonality with those who may seem different.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- The rich lives our alumni lead. This week’s edition of InsideCSW, our monthly alumni newsletter, features such a range of incredible accomplishments and honors within the CSW alumni community. There is an alum (Keri Ataumbi ’90) who designed accessories for Lily Gladstone at the Met Gala. Another (Rebecca Parkhill ’85, alongside CSW Board Chair Ann Gorson P ’16) has earned an award for her incredible work with the MetroWest Women’s Fund. Our alums are nothing short of incredible, which is why I am so excited about a big event we are hosting for a particular subset this spring…On June 14, dance alumni from the past 10 years will return to campus for a very special Dance Conference. The event, titled “Passing the Torch,” celebrates the alumni who sustain the metaphorical “flame” of CSW’s incredible dance program in their everyday lives.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- This is the time of year when the sounds of the African Drumming class bring me straight to my life in Haiti. Behind my house in Port-au-Prince there was a “lakou” (houses with a central yard) where they had ceremonies and dances so we could hear the drums, especially on holidays and weekends. Also, any time I walked by a dance studio where they were giving a folklore class, I could hear the drums for many of the dances that Nailah teaches here at CSW. I thought I would never hear them live again after I left Haiti and they are again, literally, in my backyard. I’m so lucky!!! Click here for a taste of what I hear from my office.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Yesterday our 9th graders got to take a little break to have some fun down on the fields with ice pops, a bouncy castle and some friendly competition. The end of the year can be a busy, stressful time, so I am really glad they had this time to unwind!
Campus News
-
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.