After yet another exciting weekend I find myself writing to you all on the dining hall deck. This weekend was exciting for a variety of reasons. On Saturday, we had morning classes and then midterm meeting after lunch. For a period of 5 hours students were streaming in and out of the dining hall area checking in with each teacher for 15 minutes each. The meetings were a great chance to individually talk to your teachers about not only how you’re doing in terms of grades in their class, but what they feel are your strengths, as well as what they think you need to work on. Students also used the feedback they received from their teachers to write a reflective midterm report letters to their parents; one I’m sure most of you will be receiving soon. After the very last letter was “Drop-boxed” onto the server, we could begin our Saturday night festivities! Our weekly Cacique (Harrison, Connor, Chris, Remington, and Cate) planned an optional night snorkel off of boy’s dorm beach with a bonfire too. About 10 students participated in the night snorkel and joined the majority of us after to warm up next to the blazing fire. It was a really fun and relaxing way to end such an exhausting day. As wonderful as the bonfire worked out, most students were too tired to stay up past 11, so it ended at about 10:30 when students gradually started to head back to their dorms.

Yesterday was not an ordinary Sunday. While the girl’s dorm was busy having their once-a-semester deep clean, a much anticipated list was released onto the server. A list that would determine how the next month looked for you and who you would be spending the next month or so with. The 8 day kayak groups were released. As soon as word hit the girl’s dorm, the brooms and rags dropped and the computers were turned on. The sense of excitement in the dorm was almost overwhelming. I’m on the first kayak trip that leaves Wednesday! It is both exciting and surreal to think that in a week or so I will be on “solo.” While others are reading Omeros, on their 3-day “down-island” trip, or just eating GORP in the dining hall, I will be all alone on a nameless beach. To wrap up this exciting Sunday we had study hours in which the majority of us worked on our Oral Histories project and read Omeros, with a cake filled birthday celebration for Brian to mark the end of another academic week.