Lise's Lens: May 23, 2024
Journalist Ari Shapiro’s memoir, our incredible CSW alumni, and the beautiful rhythms of African drumming are all on my mind this week.
WHAT I’M READING
- I’m one third of the way through Ari Shapiro’s memoir, The Best Strangers in the World: Stories from a Life Spent Listening. I like it a lot. I mean, here is a guy I listen to almost every day, and until now, I really didn’t know anything about him. For example, I didn’t know that he grew up in the Midwest and had the challenging experience of being one of only two Jewish students at his school. He is someone who is passionate about finding connection and commonality with those who may seem different.
WHAT I’M THINKING/TALKING ABOUT
- The rich lives our alumni lead. This week’s edition of InsideCSW, our monthly alumni newsletter, features such a range of incredible accomplishments and honors within the CSW alumni community. There is an alum (Keri Ataumbi ’90) who designed accessories for Lily Gladstone at the Met Gala. Another (Rebecca Parkhill ’85, alongside CSW Board Chair Ann Gorson P ’16) has earned an award for her incredible work with the MetroWest Women’s Fund. Our alums are nothing short of incredible, which is why I am so excited about a big event we are hosting for a particular subset this spring…On June 14, dance alumni from the past 10 years will return to campus for a very special Dance Conference. The event, titled “Passing the Torch,” celebrates the alumni who sustain the metaphorical “flame” of CSW’s incredible dance program in their everyday lives.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
- This is the time of year when the sounds of the African Drumming class bring me straight to my life in Haiti. Behind my house in Port-au-Prince there was a “lakou” (houses with a central yard) where they had ceremonies and dances so we could hear the drums, especially on holidays and weekends. Also, any time I walked by a dance studio where they were giving a folklore class, I could hear the drums for many of the dances that Nailah teaches here at CSW. I thought I would never hear them live again after I left Haiti and they are again, literally, in my backyard. I’m so lucky!!! Click here for a taste of what I hear from my office.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
Yesterday our 9th graders got to take a little break to have some fun down on the fields with ice pops, a bouncy castle and some friendly competition. The end of the year can be a busy, stressful time, so I am really glad they had this time to unwind!
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.