The campus has been a lot quieter with half the students gone. Lunch goes by quickly, and we now start cleaning the dishes even before seconds have been called. While K3 and K4 are camping on beaches or kayaking down the Sound, the remainder of the student body has been continuing with academics. It is a little different then the normal schedule, we have fewer classes but for longer periods of time.

Last night, we also went on a night dive. I was really excited to see the coral reefs at different time of day. My group prepared our tanks, jumped on the Cobia, and then headed to our dive sight. Something thing we were told to for was the coral reef nematocysts. Corals get 90% of their energy from photosynthesis from zooxanthellae (algae) that live inside of it. They get the other 10% from nematocysts or tentacle feeding, which paralyze small fish or invertebrate for them to eat. At night, when they can’t photosynthesize, many get energy from this other method. During the dive I saw some Lionfish, Surgeonfish, a School Master Snapper, and a Squirrel Fish. However, I thought one of the coolest parts of the night was ascending from the dive. As we bobbed there in the dark ocean, we looked up and saw the night sky filled with twinkling stars.

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Yesterday in Human Ecology, the class was broken up into three sections and taken around campus. Continue reading →

After only one week of posts from Mac (who is now out on Kayak expedition!) we will be hearing from a new blogger for the next ten day cycle. Welcome Dana Colihan as she voices the Island School student experience to you, until Mac returns for another round.

Dana: After the Ride for Hope on Saturday, we got back to campus and for a night activity went to the inner loop for a game of capture-the-flag. It was pretty intense. Odd numbers in the circle were black, even numbers white. (The black team is better). I spent most of the time in the woods. I had some good bonding time with nature and the dirt. Everyone had a really fun time, but was pretty tired by the end of the day.

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This weekend we also found out what our kayak rotation lists were. Everyone had been pestering the faculty for the past week, but they hadn’t let anything slip. Continue reading →

Yesterday afternoon, students received their midterm grades and had 10min meetings with each of their teachers to talk about their individual strengths and weaknesses. The grades were a progress report, and a good way to find out where you stood. Last night, students started to write their letters home. This uncomfortable process involved most people saying, “Why can’t I just call them?” Our advisors just shook their head and said to keep writing. By the end of our draft we all realized the real purpose of the letter was not only show our parents how we had been doing and our goals for the end of the semester, but to reflect and take ownership of the work we have been doing.

Olympic music filled the air as the sun rose over campus. This morning at 6:30, north side students came out in their sweats and flip-flops and south side students came to circle with their run-swim shoes and bathing suits. South side was eager to do just as well as north did yesterday. Circle ended and the run-swimmers began their warm up jog, Continue reading →

In preparation for my three-hour block of Marine Ecology yesterday afternoon, I made sure I had my mask, snorkel, and fins. I started heading over to the boathouse to arrange my dive gear, when a friend let me know that I wasn’t diving that day. I was going to snorkel in mangroves. Mangroves are a type of tree that live in muddy areas in shallow salt water. At high tide, they flood, and juvenile marine species like conch, checkered pufferfish, blue crabs, and blue chromis swim into the mangrove looking for food and shelter. Mangroves act as a sort of nursery for the baby fish. There is a bounty of algae for the fish to feed on and plenty of protection within the prop roots around the mangrove. Continue reading →

 Sustainability is a pillar of The Island School. In every class here, we discuss sustainability, how to achieve it, and how to improve the world and make it more sustainable. Although at home, I’ve had many classes on “going green,” I’ve realized that the concept is much more than just turning lights off when you leave the room. It’s about empowering the current generation to use resources and meet their needs while saving enough for future generations.

In Human Ecology on Monday, we started brainstorming ideas of Final Projects. These projects will be about solving problems by creating more ecologically-friendly systems, either on campus or at home. Continue reading →

Weekends are some of the best times here – they give us time to relax, bond, get some homework done, and try new things. After a long exercise track, we headed off to a morning of classes, followed by an afternoon in our settlements. I rode in a van over to Tarpum Bay, where I spent the afternoon talking to fisherman, eating conch salad, and spending time with my settlement mother. It was sad to leave from our final settlement Saturday, but I’m so glad I got the chance to go to Tarpum Bay. I’ve learned new things about Bahamian culture, like saying  “Good day” every time I pass anybody in the street, and the history of Eleuthera from the days I spent there.

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Saturday night was our first coffeehouse. Continue reading →