by Caciques Arbin and Lizzy

Today started off strong at 6:30 in the morning with our second official timed run-swim of the semester! For those who don’t know about run-swims, they are pretty much what they sound like: a mixture of running and swimming. As I heard the horn go off, signaling the beginning of the run-swim, I threw myself in the water and began freestyling the first swimming cut. I was ready to shave a few minutes off my time, and was willing to push myself past my limits. With each running cut, my legs began to think for my body. Although my head was telling me to slow down, I remembered back to when I was doing the four-mile run with Justin Symington many weeks ago. I was at the three mile mark and ready to stop. He was running by my side and told me, “This is all in your head; if you needed to keep going, your body could sustain this pace for hours.” His advice helped me to suppress my mental limits and focus on pushing my self past what I previously thought was possible. Continue reading →

“An Island School Christmas”

by Caciques Aldis and Lindsey

Mail arrived yesterday and for faculty and students alike, it felt as if Christmas had come early. Drawing near the fishbowl, where the mail was being distributed, the excitement was palpable. Watching students open their packages and letters, these famous lines sprang to mind:

‘Twas the morning before mail arrived and all through the school

Not a creature was stirring not even David Miller.

The fishbowl was cleaned by the chore crew with care,

In hopes that the mail soon would be there.

The students were nestled all snug in their bunks,

While visions of letters danced through their heads. Continue reading →

by Caciques Caroline and Izza

Being the first single-gender Casique duo of the semester, and following a strong weeks worth of Cacique involvement in our community, we felt inspired to make the day enjoyable. Throughout the week our Caciques have truly had a positive impact on the community, and helped everyone make it through the 4^th week of academics. With this in mind, we really wanted to make this a special day, one worth remembering. Continue reading →

by Caciques Gigi and Austin

Unexpectedly, a Tilapia hopped out of the aquaponics tank. Startled, each student stared dumb-founded at the fish flopping feverishly on the floor. Who knew the food we were eating could be that local? Today in Human Ecology, students experienced what it is like to practice permaculture, or permanent agriculture.  Each class learned how to gather food from the sustainable programs around campus, specifically the aquaponics program and Island School farm. By utilizing these systems, we were able to enjoy fresh mint tea and savory tilapia filets. Continue reading →

by Caciques Hannah T and James Cacique Blog

Time stood still as we descended 95 feet to the lively coral beneath us. A group of yellowtail snapper skimmed past our faces, treating us as if we had just become a member of their underwater world. Before we knew it we were surrounded by the busy life of this bright, foreign ecosystem. As I looked up towards the boat above me, the sun melted on the surface of the water, reminding me of the familiar life and experiences occurring up there at that very moment. A rush of adrenaline filled my senses as I thought about midterms coming up next week, the eight-day kayak trip, morning exercise, my art project, and our grades coming out soon. I returned my focus to the area around me and was immediately flooded with an array of sights and emotions. Continue reading →

by Caciques Caroline S. and Aidan

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David Miller began our Cacique meeting this morning by telling us he thought this was going to be the most important day of the semester, but he didn’t know why and neither did we. However, we soon realized that our time here has been flying. It is time to stop stressing out about homework and start appreciating every moment we have left. Throughout the day we held a positive attitude and tried to encourage others to do the same. For example, during community outreach it can be difficult to maintain enthusiasm during the long hours in the hot sun. Yesterday, however, we made an effort to remain upbeat and energetic throughout the afternoon. The best part of the day was Continue reading →

by Caciques Bronte and TJ

Since we were elected to be Caciques on a Sunday, our schedules were very unstructured. This meant we had the freedom to spend the day however we wished. We each decided to do various activities in different locations. Writing a blog about two different people’s experiences would require two different blogs so we decided to blend the stories into one. We came up with a mixture of our two names to create one person and one story. Here is how Bronteejay’s day played out.

I, Bronteejay, arose from my slumber at 8:30am and 8:40am. Half of me wished I had slept longer while the other half was eager to go free-diving. Funny how that works.  Being as sleepy as I was, I decided to do homework rather than explore. But, coincidently, being as excited as I was, I decided to go free-diving as well. Half of me wished I was there, while the other half was. Continue reading →

By Caciques Alec and Annie

We began the day with a tiring 8 mile run to Deals Point, the longest distance run-track has accomplished so far. We then headed out for a three-hour research block during which time some our community got stuck in Rocksound due to a faulty van. They had the privilege of spending the entire day in Rocksound, visiting the market and interviewing locals for settlement day. We reunited with the rest of our community for dinner circle before beginning our Saturday night festivities. We started out the night by biking to the beach and watching the sunset as a community. Planning our bonfire and dance party, we eagerly biked back to school. After our long run and day in the field, we changed our mind and watched Blue Crush, a better suited activity after such a long day. The night ended with brownies, providing for a great finish to such an exhausting day.