Lise's Lens: June 4, 2026
This week, I am reading about the captain of the Haitian Men's National Soccer Team, thinking about precious time with our seniors, and watching a video about Look magazine.
WHAT I'M READING
Consider yourself lucky that we don’t publish Lise’s Lens in the summer, otherwise you likely would have been subjected to an endless series of posts related to the World Cup and the plight of the Haitian Men’s National Team. As a soccer fan and a proud Haitian, I was glad to see this Globe article offering context as to why this World Cup bid is so meaningful to the Haitian community, and highlighting the Boston-ties of captain Frantzdy Pierrot, who went to middle and high school in Melrose. If you’re interested in the World Cup, but aren’t sure who to root for – consider supporting Haiti! We’ll take all the help we can get!
WHAT I'M THINKING ABOUT
Senior Teas with Lise
Around this time each year, I embark upon what has become one of my favorite traditions of inviting small groups of seniors to the Head’s house for tea, conversation, and reflection. While I make it a goal to meet and get to know every student who comes to CSW, there are always those who elude me or whom I don’t get to talk to as much as I would have liked, and so it’s always a pleasure to catch them in this smaller, intimate setting. Our students change so much during their time here — in the best of ways — and I love having this opportunity to pause, and really witness the ways in which they have grown since they first arrived. I will often prompt them to think about their individual CSW journeys and the impacts they have had on them as people and as scholars. Their stories are a reminder that the world is in good hands, and will be made better by the people they are becoming.
WHAT I'M WATCHING/LISTENING TO
As a long time admirer of Look Magazine and having had access to many of its issues, it was fun to watch this video, which offers a fresh perspective on the publication, which was, in many ways, ahead of its time. The magazine, published 1937–1971, delved into controversial issues from those days, including civil rights, Black America, homosexuality, and 1960s counterculture. Journalism has changed so much since then, it is fascinating to have this important cultural vestige, which, in many ways, helps to chronicle the story of America.
WHAT CAUGHT MY EYE
For five years I’ve had the great pleasure and honor of serving on the Board of Trustees of the Park School in Brookline. This photo captures our end-of-year celebration. It’s been one of the best experiences of volunteer work I’ve ever had!
CSW—a gender-inclusive day and boarding school for grades 9-12—is a national leader in progressive education. We live out our values of inquiry-based learning, student agency, and embracing diverse perspectives in every aspect of our student experience. Young people come to CSW to learn how to learn and then put what they learn into action—essential skills they carry into their futures as doers, makers, innovators, leaders, and exceptional humans who do meaningful work in the world.