MIDLAND MIRROR
LosOlivos,California
AMidlandTradition:WinterBanquet
ByLyssa‘26
TherearemanygreatandmeaningfulschooltraditionshereatMidland,fromtheAll SchoolHardlucktoAllSaints’Day,steepedinhistoryandwithussincealmostthe veryfoundingofourschool.OneofthesetreasuredtraditionsistheWinterBanquet, ourlastdinnertogetherbeforewealldepartforWinterBreak TheWinterBanquet markstheendofanera,theendofasemester,theendofouroldjobs,thelasttime we will all be together as a whole community before the coming new year We prepareforthiseventbydonningourfinestformalwear,someofuscarryjackets preparedforthelongoutdoorceremony,others,themorecourageous,showofftheir styledespitethecold.Atpromptlysixo'clock,theeveningbeginsintheassembly circle outside Stillman. Charlotte Greenblatt, Mathematics Faculty, stands on Stillmanporchtocommencethisannualcelebration.
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Her children, Tomas and Freya, wander around with baskets filled with programsandsonglyrics,alongwithcandles.Wheneveryoneissettledandthe candlesattheendofthesemi-circlebegintoblaze,CharlotteandJohnBabbott, EnglishFaculty,begintoplayfestivemusiconthepianoandguitar.Oneby one,theglowingflamemakesitswayevercloser,creeping,crawling,onesmall candleatatime Itseemstotakeforeverforittogethalfwayaroundthecircle, andevenlongertocompleteitsfullrotation,butwhenitfinallydoes,webegin therestofourprogram,huddlingtogethersingingsongsandyearningforthe comfortingglow Wehavenumerousfestiveholidaysongs,fromLetitSnow andJingleBells,toHannukah,ohHanukkahand‘TistheGifttoBeSimple. Interspersedbetweenthesesongsweremanydifferentreadingsfromdifferent religions and classic stories, including an excerpt from The Bible and part of “TheNightBeforeChristmas.”Manypeoplefoundonehighlightofthisfestive eventwaswhenFreya,Charlotte’ssixyearolddaughter,playedthepianoforus.
Aftertheconclusionoftheoutdoorportionoftheevent,weallextinguishourcandlesandprepareourbelliesforthe mouthwateringfeastthatlayahead.WhenweenterStillman,it'smagical.Mistletoehangsfromtheraftersoverthetables arrangedinfourlongrowsdecoratedwithredtablecloth,candles,andfestivefloralarrangements.ThesetupofStillman leavesuswithlessseatingspacethanweareaccustomedto,butwemanage,crowdedtogetherbaskingindimcandlelight andlaughter.Aftersayinggraceandcommemoratingthekitchenstaff-Gloria,JoséandLupitaalongwithnumerous volunteers-forthetamales,wedigin Withhotappleciderandempanadasaswell,itisadeliciousfeast Whendinneris over,weareallsadtoleavethewarmthandheadbacktoourcabins,butwedo,thoughsomeofuswhodidn’tcome preparedwithahandyCarhartorPatagoniaJacketaresubjecttotheharshwinterchills.Perhapsnextyeartheywillhave moreforesight,thoughprobablynot.
Waiters ready for the banquet to begin
Everyone standing in candelight
Community
NewSpanishFaculty:AuriEast
ByJulissa‘26
TheSpanish3and4Honorsclassstudentswoulddescribethis yearas “onelikenoother.”Afterall, goingthroughmultiple Spanish teachers in one year is something we did not expect. Nonetheless,wewelcomeAuriEast,whoisjoiningusforthe secondsemester,intoourwarmMidlandcommunity Students showedtheirhospitalitybyhelpingthemmovetheirbelongings intoonesideofPhoenixHouseduringaTuesdayhalf-holiday beforewealldepartedforWinterBreak.
Asstudentsreturnedtocampus,webegantolearnmoreabout Auri During their childhood, their family would open their hometoforeignexchangestudents Oneinparticular,Auritells usabout,isWinston,whowasfromtheBahamas,whoinspired Auritoattendanexchangeprogram Atfirst,theywerehesitant totakeonthenewchange,butawaveofbraverysweptover AuriandtheydecidedtoliveinSpainfortheirjunioryearof college. During the program, Auri began to struggle academicallyandwaseventoldthatiftheydidnotraisetheir grades,theywouldhavetoleave.ThisforcedAuritoputinall theireffort,makingsuretodedicatetimeforstudying Inthe end, their grades were brought back up and Auri was able to successfullyfinishtheprogram Thisisagreatexampleofhard workthatcantakeyouplaces!
Jumping into a school year that had already begun is difficult, Auri has done an excellent job integrating into our community. Many students enjoy the engaging learning style Auri has brought, making Spanish more challenging yet fun at the same time. Whittier West has also begun to undergo changes: going from the exotic yellow to a simple white It’s a fresh canvas for new adventures that await! Auri values the intention and accountability that comes with living and working in a small community. That's why they feel so connected to Midland, where life is sustainable, fulfilling and full of warmth.
Auri Backpack Instructing in Patagonian Chile in 2015
Auri Kayaking on the Skykomish River in Washington 2023
Sports&Activities
Basketball:ASeasontoRemember
ByEmma‘26
Winterbringsmanythings:therain,lowtemperatures,toastyfires, andMidlandbasketballseason.Thisyearhasbroughtafewnew changestotheotherwisewildseasonofbasketball.Thefirstand mostnotablewouldbetheremovaloftheinfamouscheesegrater floor. The second would be the Upper Yard team winning the CondorLeagueandplayinginCIF!Additionally,Midlandfielded alargeLowerYardteam!EveryyeartheturnoutforUpperYard basketballisrespectable,enoughtocreateafleetofvansdrivingto awaygames,buttheloweryardteamhadbeensmaller,notquite enough to fill one van, but this year, we had 10 enthusiastic players,readytotakeonthecourt!
Accordingtotheplayers,thisseasonseemstobethebestoneyet! “Ilovehowpositive,enthusiastic,andmotivatedeveryoneonthe teamhasbeenthisseason,andit'smadetheprocesssuperfruitful andfun!”saidRuby25’,whenaskedaboutherexperience.This yearseemstohavefewerofficialgames,butbothteamsenjoytheir weeklyscrimmages However,thisdoesnotseemtohaveaffected the performance of the players; they come to every practice, scrimmage,andgamewithenthusiasmanddrive.AssistantCoach AlinaAcosta,SpanishandSciencefaculty,admiredtheirgritand determination.“Despitetheinjuries,andsicknessesitdidn'tmatter whowasoutorhowmanyplayerswerein,everyonegavetheirall.
Manyoftheplayerscametohelprunpractice,giveadvice,orstay for moral support Their presence even if they could not play showswhatitmeanstobeateam”
Favoritememoriesoftheteamrangeinabsurdity.Onein particular was told nicely by Team Captain Ruby ‘25. “WeplayedValleyChristianAcademy'svarsityteamand welostby40points.Andafterthegame,wefoundthe fullvideorecordinguponYouTube,postedbytheother school Eventhoughthatwasaroughlossforus,itwas prettyfunnytorewatchittogether-includingourpregamedancing.”Onthatlovelynote,IwishourMidland players luck in future games and hope the pre-game dancingisappreciatedbyall,includingpossibleYouTube viewers.
Itwasagreatseasonallaround,notonlyfortheLower YardTeam,butaswellasUpperYard,whomadeitto CIF!Seniorstars,Weston,Darien,andTonyledtheteam courageouslythroughtheentireseason Theirchemistry showed the rest of the Upper Yard team how to work togetherwhilehavingfunanddominatingonthecourt. Whenasked,severaloftheirteammatessaidthatthethree seniorsmadetheteamfeellikeafamilyandpushedthem to play their best. Weston, Darien, and Tony had a fantasticlastseasonandtheywillallbemissedfortheir energyandenthusiasmonandoffthecourt.
Weston‘24,Darien’24,andTony‘24DuringaGame
AnIntentionalSmokeySituation Land
ByJay‘26
This year has had an unusually large amount of fire for Midland. Last October, less than two months after our unplanned blaze near Upper Yard the night the seniors returned,severalfiresburnedhundredsofacresofMidland property But this time, it was meticulously planned and nostudentswere evacuatedfromtheircabins Forseveralyearstheschoolhasbeentryingtocompletea prescribed burn, and after many, many attempts the conditions were finally optimal for the Santa Barbara CountyFireDepartmenttoburn400acresoflandonthe Southeastsideofcampus–adjacenttothelivingyards.
ResultofPrescribedBurnonMidlandProperty
Theburnhappenedoverafewdays,andforaboutaweekstudents sawsomeamazing–ifalittleconcerning–views Flamesburnedless than200feetfromtheUpperYardandLowerYardandwerevisible from many spots on campus during classes. Massive columns of smokedriftedintotheair,layinganorangefogoverMiddleYard andcausingmanystudentstooptforputtingonmasksamidrising airqualityindexlevels.StudentsinHorse&RanchInternshipgot especially close; in some spots, the fire even crossed the fence to burnrightontheedgeoftheRezRoad.“Itwasasbeautifulasit wasterrifying Thehorsesdidnotlikeit,”statedAlisonHeld‘24, Co-HeadofHorseCrew
So why did the school decide to intentionally burn hundreds of acresofourproperty?Themaingoaloftheburnwas“toachieve strategicwildlandfuelreduction,”accordingtotheSantaBarbara Independent,alocalnewsoutlet.Theprescribedburnwillprotect thecampusanditssurroundingecosysteminthecaseofawildfire. It was a success: large areas of the property are charred fields of black–butCaliforniawildlifeishardy,andmuchofthehillsbehind the school are already bouncing back with new growths With recent rains, the areas of the burn are already more green than black–and as spring is right around the corner, wildflowers are beginningtopeekoutoftheashes.
Ready,Set,Go:TheMungerGames!
ByAmelie‘27
Everyyear,the9thGradersaresenttoperformintheMungerGames; all they can do is study hard and embrace the challenge as the games begin. This infamous field-based exam created by Laurie Munger, former Midland faculty, acts as the culminating event in the first semester of a Midland-specific 9th grade science class lovingly labeled Midland101.Thecourseaimsto“teststudents'knowledgeofthisplace and scientific skills, and they do that in a hands-on way using our backyardasthetestingvenue,”saysDanSusman,DeanofExperiential Learning and Midland 101 teacher Despite the good reviews of this examfrompaststudents,myclassshowedupslightlynervous,fearfully anticipatingthefoggy,colddayaheadofus However, this changed quickly. As soon as our partnerships were announced, a sense of competitiveness for speed overtook my class. Someofthembeganrunning,others,myselfincluded,walkedthrough thehillsfollowingourtopomaps.Elevationlinesandcompassdialsled usthroughthefirstpartofourexam.Thisyear,thetesthad6sections: Santa Barbara Region, Mapping, Orienteering, Geology, Plants and Place Names Within each of these units, specific scientific skills and ideas were also tested In an interview, Dan told me the goal of the MungerGameswasto,“teachtheskillsyouneedtobeascientist,those skillsthatwillsetyouuptobesuccessfulnomatterwhatscienceyoudo, notjustbeinganaturalistontheMidlandproperty.”UsingtheMidland property as the venue for an exam sets students up to not only understand these skills but also learn how to deeply connect to the places they live, promoting a connection to place regardless of where thatmaybe
A series of stops and staged faculty guided us through each unit of the exam. Slowly, the fog burned off and the sun came out. As the games cametoanendaroundnoon,myclassslowlybegan filtering back to Lumberyard, our classroom. Despite the negative energy before the games, my peers came home dusty and smiling, laughter bubblingfromtheirchests Irealizedthatnomatter howmuchastudentcomplains,anexperiencelike this will be beneficial and fun “We aim for fostering that positive experience with the natural worldandwithscience,”saidDan,andIthinkhe succeeded. Despite the high school angst complaints,experienceslikethisoneareenjoyableif youputyourselfintothem.It'smemorableforsure, andagoodstorytotell Thissentimentholdstrue formostMidlandclasses,butespecially101:ifyou allowyourselftoenjoyandengagewiththeclass,it willpayofflater.So,foranyfuture101students: havefunandmaytheoddsbeinyourfavor.
9thGradersExploringMidlandPropertyinMidland101
CommunityVoices
Toast
ByMattox‘24
Peanut Butter, jam, butter, honey so many thingstoputontoast.
Creamcheese,salmon,capers somanythings toputontoast
The toaster is something that every Midlander willcometoloveandhate,respectfully.
Itissomethingthatfeedsthemwhentheirbody grumbles for food and when their minds ache fromlearning.
It is something that never is fully cleaned, as muchtoGloria’sdismay
Avery‘24,Tim-Daniel‘27&Trace‘25ataClubNightDance
The toaster is something that is meant only for toast.
Itissomethingthatpeoplecrowdaround,talking abouttheirday,talkingaboutthelatesthardluck happenings
Itissomethingthatbringspeopletogether,from boys’jazznighttofreshmanhunger
Thetoastermeanswarmfoodafterarun,
Thetoastermeanscrunchythickpeanutbutter.
Everyonelovesthetoaster
Thetoasterwillbeyourbestfriend
Youwillmissitwhenit’sgone.
TheInternational StudentExperience
ByTim-Daniel‘27
Coming to a new environment, especially as an international student, is difficult. You might miss your home country; its food, people, places, and memories. However, this is a great chance to learn new lifestyles and experience activities like hiking,farming,horses,andmore!Itisalwayshelpfultotalk with faculty about any concerns as an international student Makingfriendswithsomeonefromanothercultureisdifficult, especially in a second language, and it is best not to hesitate approaching older students, prefects, and advisors-even your friendsinyourgrade-andtalkaboutanyobstaclesyoumightbe facing.Vocalizingyourproblemscanmakeyoufeelalotmore comfortable being in the vast outdoors and a part of the Midlandcommunity.
HeadofSchoolNote
Thesecondsemesterisinfullswing OverMIDterm,studentshikedtoThacher,paintedwatercolorsoutontheproperty, delvedintolocalfisheries’issues,andexploredtheintersectionbetweenAsiancultureandfoodinLosAngeles tonamejusta few of the exciting offerings A January cold snap (down to the high twenties for a few mornings!) and then some rains signaledthedepthofwinterhere,andyetthedaysarestartingtofeelabitlonger. TheUpperYardbasketballteamwonthe CondorLeagueagain,andthelandscapeisgreeningupquickly,allhintingatthespringtocome.WehostedHannahNelson, incomingHeadofSchool,inlateJanuary.Sheissettlinginquicklytothetaskofcomingtoknowandlovethisplaceand community.Theseedsofchangearecasttothelandand,amongstus,anexcitingtime.Theseniors(andHeadofSchool!)see graduation and the end of their Midland tenure rapidly approaching, and we are all seeking to relish the “lasts” of each traditionandMidlandexperience
