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The Funny Thing About Island School

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“Hey Ashley, you wanna hear the funny thing that Island School has done to me?” Alec asked me with his slow sarcastic Midwestern monotone.  “…I am excited for three continuous study hours on Friday.”

Last week, Alec may have been one of the only sixteen year old boys in the entire western hemisphere looking forward to three continuous hours of study.  Except of course, for the other 20 boys who live here in the dorms with him.

And this got me thinking about all of the funny things that Island School has done to me.  I am excited when I have time to clean my toilet.  Cleaning my toilet feels like a day at the spa: refreshing and so luxurious.  I am a brand new woman with a fresh clean toilet.  I appreciate the littlest of things like I would appreciate winning a brand new car on The Price is Right.  A curtain opens and Ta Da: my bright shining toilet.  What a gift! This is my Island School perspective.

I remember one day last fall, I woke up and looked around. I was dressed as a pirate, screaming “Yarr’s!” at students during Pirate Day morning exercise. I realized that I had spent the last 4 months screaming things at students between the hours of 6:30-7:30 a.m.  I had screamed so many things at students: “Just one more minute, you’ve got it!” or “This isn’t WALK-track!” that I thought that maybe I was the single person who screamed more things at teenagers between the hours of 6:30-7:30 a.m., than anyone else on the planet.  I never thought I had so much yell in me; I don’t even like the sound of my loud voice.  But there I was yelling “Yarr!” as my boss was wallowing in the sand, eye-patched and parrot shoulders, “Yarr! We yelled, together.  “Yarr!” And, I remember thinking to myself: “How did I get here?… isn’t this funny?”  But the funny thing about Island School is more than the silly things we do. Continue reading →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 11, 2011

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 →

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Earthwatch Institute at CEI

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Dr. Alistair Harborne, a researcher from the University of Exeter (UK), will lead a volunteer research expedition this summer at the Cape Eleuthera Institute. The expedition will focus on Mangroves and Reefs of the Bahamas, and is hosted by Earthwatch Institute, a global environmental organization that engages people in scientific field research and education in order to promote the understanding and action necessary for a sustainable environment.

If you would like to sign up to join the expedition, or to learn more about Earthwatch, click here.

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Lionfish Don’t Wear Wetsuits

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“Lionfish don’t wear wetsuits. We are lionfish. Therefore, we don’t wear wetsuits,” the team established while preparing tanks for an underwater lionfish counting excursion. Nobody wore the binding suits that day except for Tarzan (Avery) and Black Fingers (Jessica). An epic series of three dives were ahead of us. After deploying the experimental clod card (what we use to measure currents), we set out, growing stronger as a team and improving our skills in lionfish surveying. A total of eight lionfish were counted, ranging in sizes from seven to twenty two centimeters. We then transitioned onto land for the next day. We went to a local farmer’s market in Rock Sound to inform locals about lionfish and encourage them to try a sample of our delicious ceviche, made with fresh lionfish, tomatoes, peppers, and lime juice. At first, people were hesitant to eat the lionfish, assuming that they are poisonous. We quickly used our newfound knowledge of the species to correct that thought, showing them that the scrumptious fish only has venom in its spines, and once those spines are removed, it is just like any other fish. As a team, we decided that this is also an issue, and we need to spend more time informing the locals on how good this harmful species is to eat and how important it is to help remove it from the reefs.

~Captain Cutch and Holly Pants

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 10, 2011

“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 →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 9, 2011

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 4th week of academics. With this in mind, we really wanted to make this a special day, one worth remembering. Continue reading →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 7, 2011

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 →

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Cave Divers Present to IS and CEI

In the last week of March, The Island School campus had the honor of hosting cave diver, Brian Kakuk and his team at The Island School and Cape Eleuthera Institute. Brian and his team have been diving caves and blue holes in The Bahamas for more than 20 years and were in South Eleuthera on an expedition. The many Blue Holes in South Eleuthera contain an intact fossil record that is helping the scientists piece together the history of The Bahamas as far back as 4,000 years ago. Continue reading →

Cacique Update

Cacique Update April 6, 2011

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 →