Guatemalan textiles exhibit

Tate Conklin ‘24

First-hand exposure to other cultures and traditions is essential to school community health. Since September 17, Centennial Hall has become a home to a Guatemalan textiles exhibit. Many students have had an opportunity to learn about the pieces and their significance to Mayan culture. Walls of outfits, dolls, and men’s clothing—including pantalones and belts—have allowed students to comprehend these pieces’ societal and cultural meaning, as well as to understand how our all-boys community compares to a different culture.

The exhibit was brought to the community by the Friends of the Ixchel Museum (FOIM), an organization composed of Guatemalan and North American volunteers who share an interest in the Mayan textile tradition of Guatemala. The foundation is a part of the Museo Ixchel, located in Guatemala. Yolanda Alcorta, an FOIM Board Member, guided students around the exhibit and explained the pieces’ significance to

Upper school students learn about the Guatemalan Textiles in Ball Auditorium, September 21, 2021

Ms. Susana Lambour’s students learn about Guatemalan textiles, September 21, 2021 Guatemalan society and her culture.

“My culture is very important to me,” Alcorta said. “I’ve learned to embrace it and educate others on its history and traditions.”

Students from art classes learned about the weaving process, specific materials, and design inspirations.

A wall of pantalones draws parallels between our everyday outfits and those of the Mayans. Traditional garments called huipiles are packed with color; extremely precise weaving skills are required to create the eyecatching patterns and shapes. An artisan working on a loom allowed students to observe the process. The woman weaving spoke Spanish, which allowed Spanish students to put their skills to the test, interacting and asking questions about the weaving process. She explained how difficult it was and how much time and effort was required to create the beautiful pieces as well as the math and precision required to get the patterns perfect. Not only are all of the works appealing, but they also have many historical roots, allowing students to learn about Mayan society. Geography serves as inspiration, demonstrated in most of the designs. Zig-zags symbolize mountains or rivers. Animals from Central America appear often in the designs. The exhibit’s outfits also reflect individual identity. What someone was wearing could be used to identify where specifically they were from, as lots of regions within the culture used different designs and techniques. The exhibition has allowed students to put different things they’ve learned to use, whether extracting information about the artistic composition of each piece with an art class, or being able to speak to and understand someone in a different language.

Connor Pinsk ’23

The entire world knows of Muhammad Ali, but as time passes, the intricacies of a complicated man fade from view. Muhammad Ali, a documentary directed by Ken Burns, Sarah Burns, and Kevin McMahon, reveals one of sport’s most famous athletes to a new generation.

The four-part series’ first episode premiered on September 19, giving an in-depth background profile on a young Cassius Clay. The viewers watch as Clay—who would later change his name to Muhammad Ali—starts his boxing carrier, youthful and notably ordinary. The story is built via several interviews with his friends and training partners, painting a picture of Ali before he achieved global acclaim. Viewers see the young Clay critiqued for his unusual fighting style—that later made him so successful in the ring.

Watching a career roll open, the film covers Ali easily winning gold in the 1960 Olympic Games and going back to the U.S. to begin his professional career—and the biggest chapter in his life.

Burns shows how Ali dominated his early fights with relative ease. Eventually, the series reached Ali vs. Liston and their fight for the World Heavyweight title. Even knowing the results of fights such as this one, I found the film’s recounting spellbinding. Burns conveys the brutality of the sport and shows the vicious quick speed of Ali as he commanded the ring.

While keeping up with Ali’s boxing, the documentary also provides context on his political actions and activism, which became the base for both his support and hatred. Soon after winning against Liston, Cassius Clay announced that he would join the Nation of Islam and change his name to Muhammad Ali. At the time, the Nation of Islam believed in Black separatism and the idea of separate but equal. This did not make him particularly popular with leaders of the Civil Rights movement or similar advocates in the South. Further tarnishing his reputation in many quarters, Ali announced that he would not fight in the Vietnam War based on his religion. Despite the validity of his reason, it only contributed to more hate. Burns communicates the various opinions of Ali and the larger-than-life role he assumed. Throughout his career, Ali rejected the expectations of others as he evolved into a champion for African Americans. Despite differing opinions, Ali met with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X, forging friendships and discussing civil rights.

Ali continued to fight, and soon the documentary covers Ali vs. Frazier. Widely considered the biggest fight of Ali’s career, viewers hold their breath as Frazier wins the first interaction in the ring. While the documentary works to spotlight Muhammad Ali, it does not hesitate to highlight his flaws. Showing how the Frazier fights brought out the worst in him—including casting Frazier as a traitor to the Black community.

The series depicts Ali’s rise to success and similarly harnesses detail in painting his decline, as Ali’s speech progressively gets worse, due to the effects of Parkinson’s disease.

The show touches on almost all of Ali’s fights, and it must be watched to appreciate how great of an athlete he was.

The documentary shows an entirely new generation the story of one of history’s greatest boxers. People that only know the athlete by name can appreciate an inspiring man in a marvelous documentary.

Ken Burns is known for his distinct ability to tell the entirety of a story, and Muhammad Ali is no exception.

Muhammad Ali viewing his title fight agaisnt Henry Cooper in 1966