Itwasthefirstmonthoffreshmanyearwhenwecaughtour homesick classmate looking at Google Maps in English class, tryingtofigureouthowlongitwouldtakehertobikehome.It wasabout350milesfromMidlandtoSanFrancisco.Later,my friendMateo‘26andIthoughtthisoverduringStatus,when we (being freshmen) had no homework to do. According to Maps,ifyoubiked12milesanhour,itwouldtakelessthan30 hourstogethome.Thetwoofuslivedabouta320miles’ride fromschool.Weturnedto eachotherandsaid,“Howhardcan thatbe?”
BothMateoandIarestewards,veteransofmanyhardlucks andOLtrips.Weknowthatthehardestpartofatripisnotthe mileage, but the Three P’s: planning, preparation, and permission.Thesummerbeforesophomoreyear,weaskedour parents and both received hard no ’ s. For some reason, they didn’twanttwofifteen-year-oldsonatriptogether.It’snotlike MateoandIeverdidanythingtolosetheirtrust,though,right? ButcomeAugustbeforesenioryear,itwasourlastsummeras Midland students. I was out of excuses to not go, and our parents had been whittled down by many a year of lobbying andpoliterequests.Theplanningbegan:plottingtheshortest routethatavoidedhighways,dehydratingmeals,andofcourse promising my dad that I would work on my college applicationsbeforewedeparted.
We began the journey on a sunny day, a week before the seniorswereduetoarriveatschool.Mateopulledatrailerwith our tent, stove, food, and sleeping bags, while I carried a backpackwithsomewater.Thefirstdaywasthehardest,aswe adjustedtothephysicaldemandsandcrossedtheSantaCruz Mountains, gaining 2,800 feet of elevation before dropping downtheothersidealongEurekaCanyonroadatblisteringly fast(butofcoursestillverysafe)speeds,coastingmostofthe way to our first campsite at Sunset State Beach over fifty-six milesfrommyhouse–plussixforMateo,togetfromhishouse inMountainViewtomineinSunnyvale.
ButMateoandIweren’treadytoquit yet VeteransoftheThacher HikeandmultipleHighSierrastrips,wepushedon,stoppingforlunch betweenthehighwayandtheoilfield Afterthat,wekeptpedalingover the highway and along the route that our faithful navigator, Google Maps,hadsetforus Afterapleasant,breezyridedownasteephill,we arrivedattheendoftheroad “Justgoforwards,”GoogleMapsassured us Beforeuswasadirtroad,continuingtothehorizon Andbetweenus andthenextpartofourridewasaloomingmetalgatewithsigns:“No Trespassing,”“PrivateProperty,”and“NOBIKERSALLOWED”
Asweatytrio:Shae,Mateo,andJay‘26afterarrival
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Aftermuchdiscussion,wedecidedtofindanalternateroute,and headedbackthroughthestinkingoilfield Butafterthirty-fivemiles ofbikingthatday,theafternoonheatandtherapidlyapproaching sunset forced us to stop and call our support driver (my dad) for help Defeated,wehitchedaridetohishotelinPasoRobles,where weateChipotle,satinthehottub,andplayedBrawlStars Trulya devastatingdefeat,andtwentymilestragicallymissed Onthefifthday,wehadplannedtostayatourfriendShae‘26’s house in Baywood-Los Osos, forty miles from Paso Robles We textedherthemorningoftoremindherthatwewerecoming,and thenathoughtoccurred:itwasonlytwodaysleft Surely,shedidn’t haveanythingimportantlefttodofortherestofthesummer?“I rememberIwasjustmindingmyownbusinesswatchingTVwhen Mateo texted saying that he would be there in a few hours,” she recalled “Iinitiallythoughttheywerejoking Butmyparentslooked at me dead serious, and said ‘ you should go. ’” After crossing the Santa Lucia mountains and escaping the beating heat of inner California,wecoastedalongthecoasttoherhouseandpickedup thethirdmusketeerofourtrip.
Wasitreallyhard?Yeah.Wasitfun?Ofcourse.Attimes,itwas maybeTypeTwofun:astruggleinthemoment,butafondmemory forever. As the saddle bruises and muscle aches faded, only the unbreakable bonds of friendship, memories, and pictures of epic vistasremain.OnlyaMidlanderwouldbike300milestoschoolfor fun,andonlyShaewoulddropthelasttwodaysofsummertobike eighty-fivemileswithtwoidiotsoneighthours’notice.I’mgrateful formyfriendsforbothconvincingmetogetoutofthehouseandfor accompanyingmealongtheway,formydadbringingtherestofmy belongingstoschoolforme,andcertainlyforShae’sfamilyputting upwithMateoandI.
ThisOctober,thethirteenstudentsinFallOLjammedintotwowhite vansandembarkedonalong,arduousjourney:thesix-hourdriveto the Golden Trout Wilderness in the Eastern Sierra Nevada Upon arrival,weslungonpacksladenwithfoodforfivedays(plussnacks) andhikedlongintothenighttoourfirstcampsite.
Theseconddaywasbeautifulandpainful.Webegananeight-milelong,2,400footuphill,passingtalushills,toweringcliffs,pilesofrock, andotherSierrasfeatures,suchasthecreativelyandaptlynamedLong Lake and High Lake. High Lake, despite tasting somewhat like iron andfishoil,providedasceniclocaleforlunchandapiercinglycold polarplunge.
Afterward,withfullbelliesandlightenedpacksafterdiningona cheddarcheese,salami,andcrackertrifecta,weascendedNewArmy Pass:twothousandfeetofelevationoverelevenendlessswitchbacks. Reaching the top felt like heaven, albeit with less oxygen, at over 10,000feetofelevation.Weweregreetedbyviewsofmilesmoreof stone,asmallpatchofsnow,andacutefuzzymarmot.
Yetwindshowled,leavingfingertipschilledandlipschapped,and broughtwithitabankofdauntingthunderheads.Ourgroup,atthis point quite beat from the long uphill climb, oxygen sparse air, and altitudesickness,hadtokeepwalkingwithonlyaquickbreakatthe summit so as not to get caught in unsafe weather conditions. Sluggishly stumbling down the back of the pass, it quickly became apparent that our group was (rightfully) too exhausted to trek the remainingfourmilestoourplannedcamp.Sowhilethegroupmade theirwaydown,DanSusman,DeanofExperientialLearning,tooka fewstudentstogoaheadandscoutoutanicemeadowtocallhomefor thenight.
After a four-mile stroll through the Siberian Outpost basin (namedforitscold,wind,andflatness),wearrivedattheGemini Lakes,namedbecausetherearethreeofthem.Wehadblueskies whilewecookedourfinalmealbeforeheadingontosolo–butas wepackedourbagsforthenightalone,windbegantohowland darkcumulonimbuscloudspouredoverthehorizon.Suddenlywe wereshivering:engulfedinstrongwindsandsnow,inthebellyof ablizzard.Webeggednottogoonoursoloexperiences,fearfulof hypothermia.
Theonlyproblem?Itrequiredanothermileandahalftrektofind water. While most of the group set up camp and a “kitchen,” Bella Marill,SciencefacultyandOLinstructor,andtwointrepidstudents madethejourneytofilloverthirtywaterbottlesandthreedromedary bags.Asthesundippedbelowthewesternmostgraniteembankment, wesippedonwarmramenbrothandsharedourappreciationofeach otherandtheworldaroundus.Itwaseasilyoneofthemostphysically andmentallyruggeddaysofourlives.Torecuperate,wesetouralarms foraleisurely7:00amthefollowingmorning.
Yetwithinminutesofsolobeingcanceled,thefallingsnowflakes abided and melted away. As the sun began to shine again, each studentdecided(oftheirownvolition)togooutandsitinone place for fifteen hours alone, staring up at the stars and sleep granitecliffs.Itistrulyremarkablethatourtripwaspopulatedby thirteen students willing to brave the rugged landscape of cold stone,snowandscragglypinestospendasilentnightreflecting. Asthesunsetilluminatedtheblockadeofrecedingstormclouds, everysingleoneofusbegantowrapourheadsaroundjusthow muchwehadgrownduringourtrekthroughtheSierras.
Afterscouringthewesternhorseworldandseeingtoomanytocount, Lauren Pearson, our fearless and absurdly dedicated horse program director,foundfivenewhorsesfortheprogramthissummer Froma hunterjumpernamedMontytoawell-trained3year-oldnamedMiss Priss, we certainly found a wide range of horses, including Dewey, Katie,andJay,andarecontinuingtopullmoreinastheyeargoeson Carrizo,thehorseofourbelovedhorsetrainer,Malena,arrivedpart way through the year and will be heading back home over winter break And Bob, the surprise horse of distinguished Midland Alum, NickAlexander,arrivedduringadvisorlunchoneTuesday,andafew ofthededicatedhorsestudentstruckedouttogreethim Inaddition to these four, we have three horses on loan from Bar 717 Ranch, a horse program run by board member Gretchen Collard and her family Themostrecentadditiontotheherd,Chip,isa3-year-oldwith traininginreiningwhowastrainedanddonatedbyanotherMidland alum,Kiki‘07 Though,sadly,wedidreturnZara,aroughly12-yearoldquarterhorse,whospentthelastfewyearsatMidland Shewason loanfromherownerswhowantedhertoparticipateinourprogram, andpossiblygetalittletraininginthemeantime
Getting more technical, students are learning the mechanics of each stateofriding(walk,trot,lope),aswellaslearninghowtodragobjects, rideone-handed,and,eventually,howtorope Thefallhasbeenavery excitingtimeforourstudents,andwelookforwardtoseeingwhatwill comethiswinter!
Musicians of Midland (or MOM) is a club that recognizes the musically inclined faculty and students in our community, and it puts on several events each year Their first event this year was CoffeeHouse,whichhappenedonOctober18th Therewasagreat turnout, with many students and families coming to enjoy the festivities CoffeeHouseinsimilartoanopenmic,atimeforpeople to (somewhat spontaneously) show off their talents It was held outsidetheMusicCabininOldUpperYard,featuringperformances from both students and faculty, along with a fire and snacks, complimentsofTalei
ThehistoryoftheMusiciansofMidlandorganizationisshort,asit isonlyayearold Despitethefactthatthisschool-sanctionedclubis new, we have a rich history of artists sharing their talents Record listeningclubs,orchestras,choirs,andmorehaveallexistedinour history OneofthefirstinstancesofstudentmusiciansatMidlandis foundintheMirrorarchives,anOctoberissuefrom1939: “OrchestraOffToGoodStart:Theorchestraisveryfortunatethisyear inhavingseveralmusiciansfromamongthenewboys Mr Mackof theBennettMusicCo inSantaBarbarawillagainmakeweeklytrips totheschooltohelpwiththeorganization,bringnewarrangements, andgiveindividualinstruction Thefactthatoneveryhalf-holiday evening, a group of boys meets in the music room for an informal "session"provestheenthusiasmtobegreat”
Since1939,plentyofthingshavechanged,butmusicisstillabigpart of our school Dances, the beginnings and endings of chapels, our infamous birthday song, work period speakers simultaneously blasting all over campus, status playlists, the list goes on Many studentsplayinstruments,andanyoccasionthatgivesthemachance toperform,orevensimplypracticewithothers,isagiftthatmakes ourcommunitymorevibrant AnnualopportunitiesincludeCoffee House, Thanksgiving, and Lessons and Carols, which the communitydoeseachDecemberbeforedepartingforwinterbreak
NewFaces:HealthTeam,Admissions,andTeachers
ByEvie‘29
This year, Midland School has welcomed nine new faculty members–eachwiththeirownstoriesandincrediblecontributions toourcommunity
DanPetrocelliisthefirsteverfull-timecounseloratMidland He teachesIntrotoPsychology,andisalsooneofthegroup-teachersfor seminar classes Dan grew up in New England, just outside of Boston,andlivedinVermontforalongtime HeattendedGordon CollegeinMassachusetts,andplayedDivisionThreebasketball!He earnedhismaster’sdegreeatSt Michael’sinBurlington,Vermont Hehasbeenaneducatorsince2003,andinhisfreetime,Danlikes skiing,livemusic,visitingcoffeeshops,travelling,woodworkingand woodburning,spendingtimewithhisfamily,andnatureingeneral Danintendstoexploremoreofthisareathroughmountainbiking andhiking
Jasmine Fullman works in admissions and advancement here at midland. “I’d like to think that I'm supporting connections that makeallofthispossible,helpingfamiliesfindtheirwaytoMidland and ensuring that the experience that we offer here is accessible, through thoughtful engagement and fundraising.” A teacher by training,Jasmineknewearlyonthatworkingwithkidswaswhatshe wanted to do. Jasmine is from Portland, Oregon, and lives on campus. She earned an undergrad in Education and an MBA in nonprofitmanagementfromtheUniversityofPortland,andhastwo grown children. Jasmine says that she is excited for Midland’s centennial,andproudtobepartoftheteamplanningforthenext one hundred years. Some of her hobbies include art, travel, and gardening.
Jess Garff teaches Algebra 2, Geometry, and Physics, along with coaching Maintenance Sport. She is from Pacific Palisades, California,andshespentthelastfouryearsatUCSB.Jessisinthe process of developing three new curriculums, and she has goals to refine them so that they resonate with her students. She shares a housewithRaymond(anothernewfacultymember),andsaidthat it’s been nice living with a friend over the transition “I guess you could say he’s my bestie,” she told the Mirror in an interview She loves hiking, fishing, mountain biking, camping, weightlifting, listeningtomusic,playingviolin,andpiano JuliaBrownteachesSpanish3,4,and5,andshewillbeco-coaching FRSH in the spring She is originally from Boston, Massachusetts, and she went to Washington University in St Louis, Missouri and UCSBforgraduateschool Julialivesoncampuswithherhusband, Luis,andherdaughter,Maya Shewantstogettoknowthehiking trailshere,andhergoalistoteachstudentsSpanishsothattheycan notonlybecapableatacollegelevel,butalsobeconfidentspeaking withindividualsinthelargercommunity Juliaenjoysreading,hiking, baking,andsinging;karaokeoracappella Inaninterview,shesaid that “I wasn’t sure if I belonged at a boarding school, but I think Midlandissounique,andIfeelsoathome”
MalloryMcPherson-WehanisthehealthdirectorhereatMidland, and co-teaches ninth and tenth grade seminars Mallory lives offcampus in Santa Barbara, and commutes daily She lives with her husband, Ryan, and her dog, Fitz She loves rock climbing, backpacking, yoga, reading, and writing One of her goals here includesthecreationofapeer-focusedhealtheducationprogram,as shebelievesthatpeer-to-peerconversationsarethemosteffectiveway tocommunicatenecessaryhealthinformation
Raymond works in Admissions at Midland He is from rural NevadaoutsideofReno,wenttoMidlandasasophomoretransfer, andattendedUniversityofSeattle(SCU),fromwhichhehasadegree inFilmandMediawithaminorinStudioArt MidlandwasalifechangingexperienceforRaymondasastudent,andhewantstohelp otherpeoplelikehimfindtheschool SomeofRaymond’shobbies includepainting,writing,makingvideos,drawing,anddigitalart He has a love for anything creative, and has thrown himself into decoratinghisnewhome
Reggie Stovell teaches ninth grade cultural history and eleventh gradeU.S.history.Hecoachesbasketballandsoccer,andisoftenin PoleBarncoachingstudentsonweightlifting.Helivesoncampus withhiswifeLydiaandhisdaughterRhea.Reggielovestraveling, playingbasketball,collectingbasketballcards(hehasaround20,000 cards in his collection!), and exploring the world and his environment. He has traveled to over twenty different countries, andhesaysthattheseexperienceshaveenabledhimtobeadaptable, and he feels that his skill set is being applied here. His goal at Midlandis“tobethebestteacherIcanbe,butalsotointroduce sportsasamethodofachieving,andtolaunchastudentintothe nextlevel.It’ssomethingthatcanhelpyougettocollege,tofinda passion.”
Taylor Replane is the new Dean of Residential Life here at Midland. He grew up in Indiana, and spent much of his life in Boulder,Colorado.Taylorlivesoncampuswithhiswife,Sheri,and twokids,MimiandWilliam.Mostofhiscareerhasbeenteaching art,buthehassteppedintoteachingtheseminarcoursesfor9th11thgrade.Thisishisfirstboardingschoolexperience,buthehas worked in outdoor education and lots of experiential and placebased learning systems. Some of Taylor’s hobbies include playing music,makingart,woodworking,mountainbiking,andhiking.He is learning to surf, and particularly enjoys “nature bathing”, or hikingsomewhereniceandlayingdowninnature.
Lilli McFerrin is the new farm assistant and instructor at Midland,andsheisfromBlackMountain,NorthCarolina.Shewas drawntoMidlandbysomethingthatshefeltwaslackinginherown highschooleducation,sayinginaninterviewthat“ifI’dhadaccess to a farm as part of my education in high school, it would’ve changedmylife.Itisexcitingtobeabletosharethatwithstudents.” Althoughthisisherfirstyearasateacher,shehasbeenafarmerfor over six years. She attended Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi,wheresheearnedherBFAinVisualArt.Asforother experience with place-based learning, her childhood in the mountainsofNorthCarolinahasmadeherdevotedtonatureand learningfromit;andfarmingasanextensionofthat Someofher hobbies include drawing, hiking, listening to audiobooks, and traveling At just 17, Lilli won the National Gingerbread Competition,forshadowingherlaterfascinationwithartandfood systems
Midlandisinmyblood;metaphoricallythroughthegenerations ofmyfamilywhohavesetfoothere,andliterallythroughthesoil which parents the crops that nourish me. I love this place like no other,anditfeelslikesomegreatlifeeventbeinghere.YetSeptember isalwayshardforme.Ihavetoadjusttothebusyschedule,mybrain has to remember how to think, my mornings go from leisurely to frantic,andallofitismadeharderbytheclay-crackinglyhotdays. Naturally,itwasasurprisewhenmybodyinstinctuallydetected thesignsofautumncomingonlyinthesecondweekofschool.But fallcomingearlymeanssummerhasleft,markinganotheronegone to time that will never return. The thermometers stayed at record lows for the summer months; I feel like I missed melon season, I can’tremembereatingasinglelemoncucumber,andIwasoutof state when the corn turned gold. I appreciate the wisps of fall comingsoearly,yetIfindmyselfgraspingattimeasitslipsaway.
Ibeganmyjunioryearthisfall,markingthehalfwaypointofmy Midlandcareer.Someswitchmusthaveturnedinmybrain,causing me to suddenly feel like my time here is declining rather than buildingtowardsgraduation.Mybrainislikeoneofthedustdevils that sweep along the Res Road: frantically swirling, pulling everythingin,tryingtoseepupeverypartofthisplace,becausesoon enough,thewindwillfade,anditwillallfallaway.HowcanIwrap myheadaroundleavingaplacewhenmywholelifepriorhasbeenin anticipationofsimplyarrivinghere?
Thesunsetsthisyearhavebeenspectacular;thetropicalstormMario has brought us sweeping clouds and gorgeous pinks Unlike most yearsofdry,discombobulatingheat,wehavereceivedrainfall Each night as the sun falls below the golden hills of the Chamberlin Ranch,itfeelslikearitual IwishIcouldweaveasmuchmeaning into these words as Leslie Marmon Silko has put into her book Ceremony,whichIamreadingformyEnglishclass Ifeeltheneed to celebrate each cloud, each sunset, each hardluck, each drop of dew, each insufferable task to better this place, each Monday breakfast burrito; because each of these things represents so much morethantheliteralmeaning.Inthesuddenrealizationthatmytime atMidlandwillend,Igriptighterthesoilaggregatesoflifeasthey slipthroughmyfingers.
EverystudentthatgraduatesknowsthatMidlandwillneverbe theirs in the same way after walking off that porch with their diploma. I cannot prepare for this place turning into a fading memory.
Round balls with alternating stripes of blue, white and yellow bounceofftheconcretefloorsofPoleBarn;girlsinshortsjumping andrunningtocatchuptotheflyingball;yellsofexcitementand shouts of encouragement fills the space: yes, the Lower Yard volleyballseasonhasbegun!
ThevolleyballteamisdividedintoJuniorVarsityandVarsity,each with different captains. Junior Varsity is led by Kathy ‘26 and Melanie ‘26, while Varsity is led by Veronica ‘26, Shae ‘26, and Taylor ‘27. The team has 17 players, which, impressively, is more thanhalfofLowerYardintotal!Thereare8playersinJuniorVarsity and9inVarsity,withstudentsfromallfourgrades.Thisyear,the team is coached by two faculty members, who both are Midland alumni:LeahKaplan‘13andJohnIsaacson‘94.
This season of volleyball kicked off with a great start, with the Midlandvanshonkingtheirhorneverytimetheycomebackfroman away game This is an old school tradition where when the sports teamwin,theyhonktonotifythewholeschooloftheirsuccess In theteam’sfirstawaygamewithOakGrove,Varsitywonthegame andJVonlylostbytwopoints IntheirhomegamewithProvidence, theyalsoperformedverywell,stilllosingonlybytwopoints Despite some small losses, at Varsity’s second match with Oak Grove, the team won again! Leah, one of the coaches, commented that “ our awaygameatOakGrovewasespeciallydelightfulasourplayerskept upsuchhighspiritsandexcellentteamworkthroughout”
However,thereasonwhytheplayersandcoacheslovevolleyballis notonlybecauseofthethrillofwinninggames,butalsobecausethat intheprocessofplaying,theyhavefun,collaborate,workhard,and mostimportantly,bondwitheachother.Kathy‘26statedthatshe “loves Midland volleyball because we don't focus on winning the games;instead,wefocusonhavingfunduringthegameandcheering foreachother.Evenifwearelosingagainsttheotherteam,westill cheereachotherupanddohigh-fives.”Leahagrees,pointingoutthat “It was awesome to have part of the team supporting our win by cheeringontheotherpartoftheteam,becauseitfeltlikewewereall contributing in different ways, from amazing spikes, returns, and serves to cheers for the Mighty Oaks!” Additionally, during home games, faculties and students in other sports would also gather around Pole Barn to celebrate scores and clap for the players. At Midland, competitive sports are more than just the obvious competing. They are about building tight-knit relationships within thegroupbyhelpingandsupportingeachotherduringtheprocess.
Outside of volleyball as a sport, the volleyball season has also encouraged more Midlanders to be involved in this entertaining activity OnHalfHolidays,youcanalwaysseesomeLowerYarders hittingthewhiteballsontothewallsofPoleBarn Duringteatime nowadays,MidlandersfromallgradesgatherinPoleBarnandplay pick-up volleyball You can always hear their cheers and laughters, because volleyball just brings people together and everyone always hasfunduringthegames
Kathy‘26,JuniorVarsityCaptain
It’s been the wettest start to the water year since 1899, with five straight days of rain soaking our campus. The hills are beginningtoglowthatfresh,brightgreenwelove,andevenpoppiesarepushingupbesidethehaybarn.Lookingoutfrom MainHousetowardStillman,Icanseethattheshower-firecallissetto“CleartoBurn,”anditfeelslikeitwillstaythatway forawhile bringingwithitasensethattheseasonisshifting.
