Home » 2015 (Page 4)
Yearly Archives: 2015
Biracial Me: Life as an “Other”
By Sophie Haugen, IV Form
Biracial Me: Life as an “Other”
As I walk through school, talk to people, and go through normal, day-to-day activities, I don’t feel as though I have a large sign pinned to my forehead that reads “Biracial.” When I wake up in the morning, it is not the first thought that crosses my mind. In fact, I don’t think about being biracial very often, and I don’t feel biracial most of the time, unless someone or something makes me aware of it.
Something that is an aspect of being biracial is having to choose. In my case, my mom was born in Korea and moved to America when she was young. My dad is 100% Norwegian, but has lived in America for his
entire life. I have been asked if I feel more Korean than Norwegian and vice versa, but in reality I don’t feel (more…)
The Threats Facing Whales
Building Bonds with Campers at Brantwood
By Lindsay Nielsen, V Form
Building Bonds with Campers at Brantwood
It was 2:47 
a.m. I was woken abruptly by a LED flashlight shining directly into my eyes. “Ms. Nielsen?” one of my campers whispered to me. Her face was red and damp. “We have a problem.” She avoided eye contact. I immediately knew what was wrong. This incident had happened twice before. I rolled out of bed, slipped on my rainboots, and attempted to quietly open the squeaky, wooden door that led outside. After silently leaving the shack with my camper, I walked her to the Wayside (the bathroom) and waited on the porch as she washed up. When we returned to the cabin, I placed her sleeping bag, blanket ,and wet clothes into a plastic bag. Grabbing my sleeping bag from my bedframe, I tossed it onto her top bunk and smoothed out the sides. Later that morning, I washed all of her belongings while the campers participated in morning exercises. I made sure no one knew whose items I was cleaning or rumors would spread like wildfire. (more…)
I Am a Spirit on a Human Journey
By Both Long, Spanish Faculty
I Am a Spirit on a Human Journey
“There is no path to happiness, happiness is the path”–Buddha
As a kid, I was raised under the Buddhist way of life by my mom and grandma. I was taught the principles of Buddhism through lessons and teaching; I lived the Buddhist way of life by following my family. I walked this life and always identified as a practicing Buddhist, but I never really studied what that actually meant. I never consciously thought of what it means to be someone with Buddhist values. I am a Buddhist. I am here to learn the teachings of the Buddhist way through my own experience in this human form. (more…)
Achieving the History of St. Mark’s—An Author’s Journey
By Nick Noble ’76, Communications Manager & Editor, School Historian
Achieving the History of St. Mark’s—An Author’s Journey
“Just how do you write a bo
ok about history?” I have heard that question more times than I can count, along with its not so subtle companion: “Why?” Students past and present, who have struggled or who are struggling with research papers in school are usually the ones asking, finding it hard to believe that someone could see such a lengthy project through to the end. Then there are the casual online users who feel that google and Wikipedia are all they need, or those who feel that the past is behind us, over and done, and that studying yesterday is a waste of time when we should be looking forward to tomorrow. And sometimes folks are simply curious. In any event, the answers to these inquiries are both subtly complex and deceptively simple. (more…)
Flipsnacking: Nourishing Food for Thought or Junk Food for the Brain?
By Dr. Heather Harwood, Classics Department Head
Let me begin with a disclaimer: I am not a Luddite. I genuinely like technology. I own a smart phone, a laptop, and an ipad. I have both a Twitter and a Facebook account. I read the New York Times online and love that I can watch the videos that sometimes accompany the stories. I have a Netflix account and I’d be lost without my GPS (literally); I even sometimes Skype with my parents. As an educator, I was an early proponent of using technology to facilitate student learning. In fact, despite its stuffy, antiquated reputation, Classics was one of the first of the Humanities’ disciplines to jump on the technology train, and I have been using it effectively in my classroom for (more…)
Anatomy of a Course: Getting LOST
Anatomy of a Course: Getting LOST
By John Camp, English Department Head
mrcamp@stmarksschool.org
Twitter: @gettinglostcamp
In September of 2004, commercials ran for a new fall show on ABC called LOST. As a self-ascribed t.v. critic (and an acerbically judgmental one at that), I remember distinctly and succinctly saying to my wife Tara, “That looks stupid.” Interestingly, when Lloyd Braun, then the head of ABC, pitched the idea at a
network retreat, virtually all ABC execs had the same reaction that I had. Senior vice president Thom Sherman, however, was intrigued and pursued the idea with Braun and the writer Jeffrey Lieber. Through a few stages of scripting, Braun’s original idea became LOST–driven by J.J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, and eventually Lindelof and Carleton Cuse. In the summer of 2006, friends of mine implored me to watch the show, saying that they knew I, specifically, would love it. So, I borrowed the Season 1 box set, and Tara and I sat down to watch at least the pilot episode. From the initial moment of protagonist Jack’s eye-opening and its inherent symbolism (Eye of Horus, the Mind’s I, gateway to the soul), the mythology intrigued me, and binge-watching, of course, ensued. From those origins, LOST became a literal religion for me as well as the inspiration for what I consider to be the magnus opus of my teaching career, my course “Getting LOST.” (more…)
Getting My Hands Dirtier Than Expected
Getting My Hands Dirtier Than Expected
By Jeanna Cook, Classics Faculty
{Figure 1: Trench 1, 2014 Excavation Season at Binchester (Vinovium), Bishop Auckland, County Durham, UK}
“What will your students think when you tell them that you spent the summer in the toilet!” Quivering with hoarse laughter, Tony slapped his knee and grinned from underneath the visor of his white construction worker’s helmet. He posed, one foot planted up against the trench wall, one hand on his hip. In his other hand he gingerly twirled his “specialty tool,” the head of an archaeological pick superimposed on the longer handle of a garden tool. He and a fellow volunteer archaeologist at Binchester had designed this tool in the off-season, the perfect instrument for this dirty job.
LEO 