Projects Block
Each year, High Mowing students and faculty leave the classrooms for two weeks to investigate a specific interest or to develop a particular skill. Projects are fun, growth-enhancing and deepen relationships within the school community.
Here are insights into this year’s group projects. Please note that, alternatively, with faculty permission, some students take up individual projects.
Medicinal Herbs and Community Service led by Andrea Badger and Robert Sim. Students gained practical, hands-on, experience working with plants and learning about plant medicine. They made herbal teas, tinctures, salves and oils and engaged in plant conservation and gardening through service projects in Asheville, North Carolina. The group was guided in exploring the Southern Appalachian forests by Luke Cannon, an ethno-botanist. Ceara Foley, Director of the Appalachian School of Holistic Herbalism, taught medicine-making classes. Participants also attended a local herb festival and blazed a nature trail at the Soul Flower Botanical Sanctuary.
Southern Appalachian Adventure led by Keith Badger and Ben Martell ‘03. Keith, Ben and seven HMS Naturalist students took up Longwalking surrounded by the unfolding beauty of the Southern Appalachian Spring. These adventurous souls challenged themselves and forged a deeper connection to Nature on their 75 mile hike through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The walkers brought no modern equipment with them, but applied primitive skills to provide themselves with food and shelter. In the course of the journey, the group faced torrential rains and climbed the second highest peak east of the Mississippi River
Cultivating Spirit and Earth led by Marguy Nelson. During this project, students learned techniques to quiet the mind. They explored six different contemplative traditions and experienced a variety of yoga practices. The group had a week-long stay at the Shambhala Buddhist Retreat Center, located in Barnet, Vermont, where they engaged in meditation practice and the life of the community. Students experienced meditation techniques and attended meditiation sessions on a daily basis. They trained in a physical exercise called Dorje Kasung. The group also visited the Morning Sun Mindful Living Initiative in Alstead, New Hampshire, inspired by Thich Nhat Hanh.
Theater Experience led by Wendy Bruneau & Stephen Chalmers. Theater enthusiasts were offered two concentrations (and could choose either or both): acting or costume. In the acting concentration, students chose scenes and monologues to learn and later perform for the school, focusing on finding the character within. In the costume concentration, students created a costume plot, designed costumes for an actual play (coming soon to the Big Room at High Mowing!), and made costumes. This on-campus project included trips to five live performances, tours of a professional theater’s backstage and costume warehouse and an overnight stay out of town. The community service aspect consisted of work for High Mowing, creating costumes, organizing the school’s costumes and props, and organizing clothing donations to service organizations.
Historical Reenactment led by Cary Hughes. Participants experienced and role-played the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 on High Mowing’s campus! Students became the key figures (including President John F. Kennedy, Nikita Khrushchev, various aides and cabinet members) involved in making decisions...averting a nuclear war and finding a peaceful solution to the ultimate Cold War confrontation between the Soviet Union and the United States. Students studied historic transcripts of high-level conversations and presentations. Guest, Milan Daler, spoke about growing up under a Communist regime in Czechoslovakia. Participants watched several films on Cuba pertaining to the Missile Crisis and concluded by viewing Thirteen Days in October.
Claymation Extravaganza led by Cedar Oliver and Susan Thompson. This group wrote, planned, filmed and assembled three different short animated videos using clay and wire sculpture and mixed-media sets. The project was based on campus, but included off-campus day trips to some fascinating and fun-related sites. Students learned how to plan and produce a complex, cooperative production as a team, crafted something artistically significant together, and had the chance to view and discuss outstanding historical and contemporary examples of the claymation art-form. Student musicians and singers are featured. See two of the end products online:
Holes in My Shoes by Ellie, Amber, Dan, & Sarah M:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u8ct4DRKII
The Making of Holes in My Shoes:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWyvOKF9_0Q
Trouble in Mind by Jonah T & Caitlin, Max, Jaimen, Mac, Robbie, & Aaron:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oX9Kyfv7Az4
The Making of Trouble in Mind:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaBq5YXqKoU
Rock Climbing led by Mike Wisniewski. Participants first traveled to New Paltz, New York, where they climbed the Shawangunks (the “Gunks”). The next stop was Rumney, New Hampshire to climb one of the premier sport climbing crags of the East. The group proceeded “Down East” to Maine, for sea-side climbing at Acadia National Park. The group finished their trip whitewater rafting on the Kennebunk River in Maine. Out of the students that participated this year, three learned how to belay and one accomplished her first lead climb.
Kayaking led by Kiliii Yu and Bev Boyer. This project was led by nationally known naturalist, Kiliii Yu, from the Pacific Northwest, and Billy Roeck, a professional boat-builder, from Maine. With their guidance, each participant crafted his or her own sea kayak. Keiliii has taken his kayak on the ocean for month-long voyages. The kayaks’ frames were made from Western Red Cedar and bamboo, built on a traditional design and using methods of construction. Instead of being covered with skins, however, these kayaks were covered in nylon. While the construction phase was campus-based, time was allowed to try out the kayaks’ sea-worthiness on local New Hampshire ponds and lakes. More on Youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtOpMDxPKHA
Pottery led by Mrs. Karl. A few committed pottery students worked in the pottery, helped with the tasks that need to be done this time of year, and worked on the final firings.
Stained Glass led by Susan Brown. This group set up a working art studio where students had the opportunity to design and build large stained glass windows using the copper foil technique. While immersion into a working studio rhythm was the focus, participants also took a field trip to view masterfully executed glass works.
