Playing musical chairs during Community Outreach field day

Wednesday was community outreach field day!  All of the partners came to campus (except for Grade Six…we still had to have lessons) and played fun games such as musical chairs, seed planting, and an awesome catapult courtesy of Nick E.  K3 came back to campus Wednesday night after their eight-day kayak trip.  The night was filled with screams and hugging. When Thursday rolled around, all of academic rotation was running on low energy.  We had the WHOLE morning off to do some of the mounds of work due on Saturday and catch up on some much needed sleep.  The afternoon was taken up by research. 

Organized crime day

On Friday, long exercise hung over our heads when we all woke up in the wee hours of the morning.  Runners had to run to the old airport and back (a round trip of eight miles) and the swimmers swam from school around Powell Point, through the marina, and to the little bridge (trust us, it’s a long way). The rest of the day was “Organized Crime Day.”  Campus was teaming with “gangstas” - Nathan came back from the States and was thoroughly perplexed. On Saturday K4 paddled for a grueling 4½ hours into the old golf course of Cotton Bay (which was in sight the entire time…).  Upon arriving, they finished up any food that remained, cleaned the boats, and DEBRIEFED (our favorite thing to do down here). 

Leah sitting on the aquaculture cage

Back at campus, K1 and K2 were frantically finishing up academics and turning in last minute homework as K3 pulled in from their Down Island adventure.  As the academic group headed out to Maxey’s for their BBQ banquet, the Down Islanders drove into Deep Creek for dinner.  The hectic 3-week rotation came to a close when all four groups arrived back home as the sun was setting and were all reunited at last.

But the night wasn’t over.  Christi, Sadelle and Jeremy were hard at work planning the first ever…ROCK, PAPER, SCISSORS TOURNAMENT (enter the gong).  After some quick unpacking, everyone gathered on the dining hall deck for an intense battle of the hands.  The field was narrowed one by one (some just couldn’t cut it, while others dropped some expletives) until only five remained.  In the end, it was Sarah who proved victorious and she walked away with some Hershey’s chocolate.  The rest of the night was spent watching Anchorman, chilling in the dorms, or sleeping…  

Sunday was our day of rest, the first for some in weeks.  People slept in, played basketball, exercised (?), did Junkanoo, or spent the day around the Cape.  The day was highlighted by the best brunch ever (courtesy of Sheryl) consisting of cheesy eggs, hamburgers, hotdogs, cinnamon raisin toast, and watermelon.  Dinner circle was finally back to its normal size, and so began stress week, as study hall brought research and Omeros…or chilling in the dining hall…Later that night us Northerners became ashamed of the English language when Jeremy pointed out that “y’all” was in the dictionary.

Monday began with a SWYCHO and then a pancake breakfast (with more cheesy eggs!). We were back in our normal academic groups for Humanities (except Wahoos, who became by-catch for the day…thank you fishery lesson).  We began our presentations for research, had math class, and planned for one of our last community outreach sessions.  NOBODY could sign out because personal spaces were “offensive”.  So people continued research (we’re all about to fall apart), worked on their Junkanoo costumes, or played outside.  At dinner circle Joanie, as cacique, made us do 3 PUSH-UPS because people were late.  It was intense.  Then halfway through circle we realized that Lauren was asleep in the dorm.  So we did 14 more.  Pasta dinner and faculty dishes followed by community meeting and then study hall!  Yesss!…MORE RESEARCH. 

Tuesday was run or swim track, which proved to be difficult for those who hadn’t exercised in two weeks.  Classes started with Humanities, when we finally finished OMEROS!  Well not really-we still have to write our papers…Art was spent preparing the gallery for this weekend, and yet more research in the afternoon.  A quick trip to the marina store or research consumed free time, and then it was dinner.  After a busy week, all of the students are simply squirming in anticipation of Parents Weekend on Thursday… 

Alex and Scotty’s Super Shout Out! Yay! - Alex loves her family and is ecstatic to see them on Thursday!  Scotty loves his family too.  Alex misses all of her friends from Rumson and can’t wait for summer.  Scotty can’t wait to be back in Newtown this summer.  So now to the BIG RED!  Stanley and Dick – We miss you all like we miss Ball Park pizza from TJ’s.  Lauren and Reece miss you bunches.  I (Alex) loved talking to you last week.  Thanks for sending me my flipping sweet Stanley Converse (I haven’t gotten them yet) Yay to Deeds and Gillian for being Prefects.  Ali and Hill…what can I say…I.S. people say hi. Everyone else that I for got I love you and thanks for writing me and keep the letters coming!  Scotty says hi to Alex’s friends too.  Velez, Damen, Davis, CT, Tervooren, Kerr, Marchi, Porter, Coxe and everyone else-I miss the house so much.  Thanks for always sending mail and keep me updated (I hope the Dick Dance was flipping sweet).  See you guys this summer.  What do they lick? Jules-I miss you! Alex says hi to Scotty’s friends as well! We can’t wait to see you all back at L’ville!

Jeremy - Ok now that the Yankees are through writing a book, the Southerners can say a few things. Hey mom, dad, Krista, BJ, Seth, Shelby, Chelsie, and everyone else in Bremen, hope it is all good. I will be back in 3 weeks, so we can start chillin out again. It is pretty cool down here, but it is getting annoying with all this work. I’m ready to see all my people in Bremen. Don’t have too much fun without me for the first 2 weeks of summer. Miss y’all and can’t wait to see everyone. Now a few words from my southern hombre.

Stephen - Mimi and Papa I know  you guys read the updates every week and just wanted to say hey. Mom , Dad and Austin  you guys will be here Thursday and I cant wait to see you.