by Caciques Anika and Lincoln

Reunited at last! Last night K3 and K4 (the second kayak rotation) arrived back on campus after theirDownIslandand kayak trips. Finally, this morning, we had a complete circle, with all 47 members of our community standing around the flagpole, singing the national anthem. After a delicious brunch, many of us biked down to the coffee shop at the marina to exchange stories from our various trips over cookies, cake, and cold drinks. Due to the power problems from the hurricane a couple months ago, the coffee shop had been closed until a few days ago, so it was the first time any of us had gone down to check it out. We all had a great time talking and laughing at each other’s hilarious anecdotes, and some of us were even lucky enough to witness three nurse sharks and a group of remoras swimming in the harbor. It was also a chance for those of us who had stayed on campus the past week to relax after our 8 days of academics. Everyone was thrilled to see each other and have the dorms filled with friends again.

About two months ago, we were joined on campus by five gap year students, who had recently finished their senior year in high school. They lived in the CEI dorms, ate meals with us, and helped out with projects all around campus. Throughout the time they stayed with us, many of us grew very close to them, whether it was over dinner conversations, free diving adventures, or hanging out with them in our extended advisories. Unfortunately, our gap year students leave tomorrow after their two months on Eleuthera, but we wish them a safe journey and a great time in college.