Midland Mirror - December 2023

MIDLAND Vol. XCII

Midland School

MIRROR

Los Olivos, California 93441

December 2023

No. 2

Tea Time

Seasons Greetings: Another Midland Thanksgiving

By Ava ‘25

Thursday, November 24, 2023, Midland welcomed nearly 500 people - students, alums, family and friends - on campus to celebrate Thanksgiving. This took place after three days of preparation including final projects, tests, quizzes, and two work periods. Midland’s annual Thanksgiving celebration is a longstanding tradition dating back to 1932. “It's something we look forward to every year,” says Parker ‘25. Guests were greeted by Main House Staff, and the day began with Midland’s third annual Turkey Trot to kick off a stream of events! Mateo ‘26, Rabbit ‘22, Erik (parent of Annika ‘24), and English Faculty John Babbott were quick to the finish line and later were presented medals by Head of School Christopher Barnes at the Welcome Assembly and Awards Ceremony on Kimpton Field.

Assembly ended with a Thanksgiving grace by Christopher, and soon Stillman doors burst open as guests poured in from the field. There they waited patiently in line with their plates and utensils, eager to get a taste of the extensive buffet prepared by the Kitchen Staff: Gloria, Lupita, Lucy, and José , with the help of faculty, staff, and other gracious volunteers. Most people in the Midland community can agree that perhaps the best part about Midland Thanksgiving is in fact, the food. It is no surprise considering the amount of effort and time the kitchen puts into preparing such an array of delicious foods: turkey, butternut squash, stuffing, cranberry sauce, vegetables, bread rolls, and gravy.

Chris, John Babbott, & Rabbit ‘22 at the finish line

Thanksgiving buffet in Stillman dining hall

With content stomachs, the Midland community gathered around Stillman porch to watch musical performances by Kevin ‘26, Sarah ‘26, and Simon ‘25, followed by heartwarming chapels given by Amelie ‘27 and Head Prefects, Ayanna and David ‘24. The events carried on throughout the weekend. Friday consisted of ‘Mini Classes’ where families get to experience students’ day-to-day academic schedules through short, 15 minute class periods.

On Saturday morning, families participated in Experiential Saturday, a weekly activity for Midlanders. There were a variety of offerings, including the traditional Japanese Art of fish printing, a discussion with Chumash Tribal members, several hikes on the Midland Property, a chance to hang out with the Midland herd, and the opportunity to take John Isaacson ‘94’s signature screen printing workshop. Later in the afternoon, students were dismissed and granted permission to spend the night off campus.

After a wonderful few days spent with loved ones, students returned to campus on Sunday morning for work period, ready to refresh and reset for the remaining weeks of the term. Midlanders are back to working hard as the semester comes to a close and are feeling extra grateful for our community, friends, family, (and gravy!) this holiday season!

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MIDLAND

MIRROR

Community

A Look into the Lives of 9th Graders at Midland

By Lyssa ‘26 We all remember what it’s like to be a 9th grader at Midland, from our first triumphant hike up Grass Mountain to the delicious root beer floats afterward. Or our first class hardluck, barely a week into the school year, where we slept under the stars alongside new and unfamiliar faces – most of which would soon become some of our closest friends. We remember the joy we felt during the first rainfall, Midland 101 hikes, and our first taste of strawberries and pineapple guava from the farm. Our first year at Midland is of course, just like any other year; imperfect, there are numerous mistakes made and lessons learned. Some 9th graders still forget to bring coat hangers for their closets, or don’t quite realize just how many snacks they will need. Considering its unique environment, it is no secret that coming to Midland as a new student requires an Pyp & TD ’27 playing bingo with Weston & David ’24 adjustment period. When asked what the most challenging part about Midland was, Levi ‘27 said it was the homework load. His However, along with these challenges, 9th graders find joy roommate, Michael ‘27, on the other hand, finds waking up at in their free time to explore the Midland property and play 7:30 a.m. more difficult. cards with their friends in the library. No doubt the meaning of being a 9th grader at Midland has changed much over the years. As Midland’s physical infrastructure is changing through new faculty housing, bathrooms, and cabins, the culture of Midland is evolving as well. The student body has moved away from the old rank systems.

Midland used to be a place where “lower classmen and new students experienced frequent instances of hazing,” according to an anonymous source. However, Midland has made great strides to shift this narrative since the school's conception in 1932. Now the 9th graders are able to experience Midland without the rank system, living in harmony with upper and lower classmen alike. This year's 9th grade class has been especially fortunate, enjoying not just the new Upper Yard cabins, but also new porches in lower yard. This small class of just 14 people, 7 upper yarders and 7 lower yarders, have become well integrated into the Midland community. Although people in other grades are prone to saying they are glad to not be 9th graders anymore, the wonder of those first months at Midland are not to be scoffed at, and should be treasured forever.

Orin ’24 teaching Ryan ‘27 to clean Glasshouse

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MIDLAND Dia de los Muertos

MIRROR

By Julissa ‘26 Dia de los Muertos is a widely celebrated Mexican holiday where families gather to celebrate the lives of their past loved ones.

Here at Midland, it is a tradition for the LatinX affinity group to construct and decorate an alluring ofrenda or altar where students can place pictures or objects to commemorate their loved ones. This year, on the eve of Dia de los Muertos, LatinX members gave a chapel sharing a little bit about the origins of the holiday and what it means to them.

Dia de los Muertos Chapel

David ‘24 & Darien ’24 setting up chapel | Image by Genevieve Herrick ‘97

Latinx and I began the setup during our Tuesday half holiday.

We had a wide range of students from different classes working together: Ameyalli and Amelie ‘27, Guillermo, Melanie, and me ‘26, and Darien, David, and Maddie ‘24.

Ameyalli, Melanie and Amelie went out to the farm to pick the most lush and vibrant marigolds for the altar. Darien, David and Guillermo helped put together the assortment of papel picado I worked with Genevieve ‘97 and José Juan ‘87 to construct the altar. After some intricate decorating, the job was done! Senor Huesos (the skeleton in Janeway) also had a special place on the altar! We all worked together to color the altar with bright orange and yellow flowers. Melanie ‘26 recalls her favorite part of the process being how fragrant the chapel had become from the marigolds.

Everyone stepped back to view the stunning altar we had all spent our half holiday working on. It looked very orange, to say the least. I was so content being able to have worked with LatinX to create this beautiful altar! On the night of our chapel, we sprinkled marigolds on the ground leading up to the altar, adding to the fall ambiance. As the sun was setting behind the big oak tree, we walked up to the podium where the speakers talked about the traditions of Dia de los Muertos. It felt so surreal to be able to speak to a large audience about my culture. I asked Melanie how she felt being able to be a part of this celebration and she answered, “I felt very proud to share my culture with my classmates and the community. It felt like I was closer to home and able to celebrate more of my culture at school.”

The ofrenda set up by students

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MIDLAND

MIRROR

Sports & Activities

Outdoor Leadership: Students take on Sespe Hot Springs!

By Emma ‘26

OL, or Outdoor Leadership, is a unique sport that Midland offers, teaching students how to be stewards of the land, hike, and survive in the outdoors. OL is offered in the Fall and Spring sports seasons during which there are two 4-5 day backpacking trips where students are able to test those skills and are known to lead to friendships, jokes, and delirium.

Needless to say, the excitement around them is immense.

In his first season of OL, River ‘26 recalls his most recent trip to Sespe Hot Springs in the Los Padres National Forest, “It was pretty rough - but I'm very glad I went.” When asked about some of his strongest memories he said, “Something I remember very well was when a student got hurt just before a big climb - and a group stayed behind and another went ahead. I was a part of the group that went ahead. We accomplished the climb in about 3 hours, which was difficult. The other group was about an hour and a half behind us. Yet, when we reached a breaking point and stopped to snack, the injured student and Dan came hobbling around the bend of the hill…”

Thankfully, everyone made it to the vans that would drive them back to school around the same time. While students do not often get injured on these trips, it can still happen and when it does, that student ends up persevering to finish with the rest of their crew - safely of course.

Weston ‘24 leading OL across the Sespe River | Image by Dan Susman

Weston ‘24 & Bryce ’24 teaching OL a lesson | Image by Dan Susman

David ‘24 above the Sespe River | Image by Dan Susman

River reflected, “I felt I had gotten to know people I wouldn't have talked to otherwise. I wish the season was a bit longer, but for a first OL season I would say that it was pretty rad!” These trips always manage to put our lives into perspective. You may work furiously on submitting your latest History or English paper, or even hike Grass Mountain every Saturday with your friends, but have you ever gotten up at 3:00 a.m. to hike strenuously for 10 hours then drive back to school only to get up at 7:00 a.m. the next morning and return to your classes?

This most recent crew of OL students have.

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MIDLAND

MIRROR

Half Holiday Jam Seshes Take to the Stage!

By Emma ‘26

This year, Midland students prepared for Thanksgiving weekend in their own ways. Some cleaned, re-cleaned, and rere-cleaned their rooms in anticipation of their parents walking through the doors of their cabin. Others wrote chapels, rehashing details of their Midland adventures.

But Sarah ‘26, Kevin ‘26, and Simon ‘25 prepared three separate songs to perform for Midland families and friends, with the help of Head Prefect, David ‘24, and Heather Carreiro (Associate Director of Marketing & Communications), among others. For weeks these three dedicated their half holiday afternoons at Heather’s house cranking out different melodies, choruses, and simply just jamming. As Simon says, “We each practiced our own songs while the others drum along.” For the past several years, the school band: Coventry, has performed a few songs usually in the genre of U2 and other 80’s classics, but with some of its members graduated, Coventry was not active.

The musicians practicing outside Stillman | Image by Charlotte Greenblatt

Simon ‘25 learning how to use the sound board | Image by Charlotte Greenblatt

Kevin ‘26 encouraging the audience to sing | Image by Lorraine Shipman

So this year, the musical performances have been even more open to students. According to Simon, “Performing music in a smaller group is a lot more fun, but it also carries a lot more pressure. Everyone will notice if you mess up.” They spent so much time practicing that no mistakes were made, and they all received unanimous applause. After many invitations to join this crew of performers in their music, much of the Midland student body was ready with anticipation for this spectacle, and the performances definitely delivered.

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MIDLAND All Saints’ Day!

MIRROR Land

By Jay ‘26

On Monday evening November 6th, Dan Susman, Dean of Experiential Learning, announced that the next day was All Saints’ Day. During status, only a couple minutes earlier, José Juan Ibarra ‘87 rang the bell to signal a fire drill, and the student body all quickly gathered into Stillman. After ten long minutes, the students quieted down and Dan told everyone to find a Steward - Midland’s most experienced explorers - and form a group to explore the property the next day.

Julissa ‘26 above Birabent Canyon

AC ‘25 hiking up Birabent Canyon

The next morning, after an assembly the morning afterwards, everyone set out on their various excursions. Avid avian aficionado Avis ‘25 led a hike around the Bowl trail to birdwatch, Steward Teryn ‘24 took a group of students to Maple Camp, English teacher, John Issacson ‘94, undertook the steep and difficult hike to the peak of Grass Mountain.

Biology and Spanish teacher, Alina Acosta, took a small group to the muddy pit where the Rez once was. Art faculty, Faith Nygren, and a few senior Lower Yard residents, along with faithful Midland dog, Cookie, took a lengthy trek around the Lover’s Loop trail. Caleb ‘25 set off to Platform 21 with a group of juniors. Ellie, Dean of Academics, along with Bella, the new Chemistry teacher, took a group of sophomores up Birabent Creek, exploring where the trails no longer reach.

However, last winter’s heavy rains and flooding severely eroded the creek, giving Midlanders a whole new area to explore, full of small pools, beautiful fallen maple leaves, and lots of exciting wildlife.

The longest hike this year, leaving at around 9:00 a.m. and not returning until well after 5:00 p.m., was the Mount Geal expedition led by the intrepid wayfarers Bryce ‘24 and Ruby ‘25. They took a diverse group of seven valiant venturers, with representatives from both Yards and all grades, on a wild dive into the wilderness that took the explorers on a twelve mile hike, gaining over 3,000 feet of elevation. The objective of the expedition was to reach Mount Geal, a distant and beautiful but steeply sloped peak visible from some parts of campus.

Named after notorious alum Gael ‘23, it’s located only about one and a half miles east of Grass Mountain, but is mostly inaccessible because no trails go near it. This didn’t stop Bryce from making Geal his target. The stewards plotted a route that would take them through the Birabent Canyon, the same area Bella’s group explored, only pressing on further, going another mile up the creek bed past Midland School’s boundary, into our neighbor; the Los Padres National Forest.

The seven tired trekkers got back to Middle Yard with plenty of time to spare - around 5:00 p.m. There was even time to shower and relax before dinner.

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MIDLAND

MIRROR

Student Voices They Want Me to Paint (Inspired by Picasso’s The Old Guitarist)

By Anonymous Student They want me to paint, but I’m tired.

They want yellow.

What once was the element of my joy

They want a piece

has become the element of my demise.

from a man whose canvas is vivid,

I’m tired.

not one from a man whose livid.

I try but nothing comes,

Blue like the ocean

how can I paint a vision of beauty and love

swallowing me whole,

when my heart feels so glum?

pulling me down,

My canvas is blank,

down where nobody knows,

regardless if I have the paints.

pinned down by strong stones.

Limbs stolen from me,

I’m a broken skeletal man with a guitar in my hand.

falling down a hole of endless misery.

I swipe my brush,

They want me to paint.

I sink to the bottom of the sea.

but nothing comes.

Make me hold up my painting

I brush and brush until I’m numb.

for the all to see.

If I fake what will I gain?

The canvas splits apart,

Meanwhile I’m sinking down

A lie of a reputation,

similar to that of my heart.

to the bottom of the sea.

I’m falling through the cracks,

They need my painting today,

unable to find my way back.

unaware they’re taking

How can one bring others peace,

But I can’t do that right now.

my last breath away.

when they themselves are missing something?

It’s time for me to paint.

believed to be one of joy when really surrounded by an endless void.

I’m just tired.

You only see my golden guitar,

But why shouldn’t I just paint the truth?

I’m so tired.

masking the crippling man from afar.

It may be brutal.

After all this time,

Even as I’m trying to breathe,

but what else is there for me to do?

I finally know what to make;

I have to paint for others to believe.

the truth.

They expect me to paint.

The guitar is my art.

But my palate has only shades of blue.

My shades of blue

I bring it to you.

No shades of yellow

will be put to use,

That’s the last thing

to warm or lighten my mood.

layered on my canvas

I’ll ever do.

Nothing to help soothe.

painting the truth.

People don’t want blue.

I’ve succumbed to the blue.

I’m going to sleep now.

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MIDLAND

MIRROR

Fall Metals & Design Classes

By Caleb ‘25

Joe Castle, Santa Ynez sculptor, has brought two elective classes to Midland this fall; Metals and Design. Joe is a longtime friend of Midland School and has led Maintenance Sport along with Art Faculty, Faith Nygren, for several years. Throughout the many Maintenance seasons, Joe has found his way through the Haybarn as well as the rest of the school, applying himself to Midland’s motto of ‘Needs not Wants.’ Joe has helped Midland in more ways than we can count; from fixing broken doorhandles to readying the old Upper Yard cabins to be demolished last spring. Now, Joe has taken on the role of teaching inside and outside the classroom. In his Design as well as Metals Classes, everyone loves Joe. He has worked with Design students to create ideas for the Midland campus renewal. In Metals, Joe taught nine Midlanders the art of welding and metalwork as he does in his studio in the Santa Ynez Valley. Students began the semester by creating deconstructed tables, chairs and other types of furniture with popsicle sticks. From there, they learned to build those designs that could be used in their cabins out of metal. Metalwork has become a new activity for students during half holiday as the woodshop & metal shop are full of students diligently working on their projects.

Sam ‘25 in his chair

Table by Caleb ‘25

Joe Castle | Image by Bri Burkett

Brodie ‘25 with her table

Table by Ben ‘25

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MIDLAND

MIRROR

Head of School Note A few weeks ago, walking back to the yards after dinner we were presented with a myriad of small ember fires, like blinking red fireflies, on the hills above Middle and Upper Yard all beneath a full moon. It was a sight to behold, and the conclusion of our five-year effort to complete a 2,000-acre prescribed burn adjacent to campus (about 700 acres of which was on Midland).

The embers of the Midland Spirit are strong beneath the oaks this year on every level. Again, we welcomed nearly 500 people for Thanksgiving, the Midland cross-country team again won the Condor League, the jobs program is shining as brightly as ever. Every student is robustly engaged with evaluating their needs versus their wants, and we are all busy in the final days before the December Break.

The Midland Mirror Team Editors

Writers

Photographers

Faculty Support

Ava ‘25 Caleb ‘25

Jay ‘26 Lyssa ‘26 Emma ‘26 Julissa ‘26

Bryce ‘24 Sam ‘25 Levi ‘27 Maude ‘26

Heather Carreiro John Isaacson ‘94

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