Midland Mirror | April 2026

MIDLAND MIRROR

ByEmma‘26

ApBuilding

TeaTime MIDterms

WhilemanyMidlandstudentsweregettingoffcampusandexploring newplaces,theApMIDtermwasexploringthelandweliveonandthe traditionalbuildingpracticesoftheChumash,onwhoseancestralland Midlandisbuilt.

Jacob Grant, spouse of Genevieve Herrick ‘97, Spanish and Humanities faculty, is a local farmer who has dedicated his life to building a relationship with the land we live on and the Chumash people. In early winter, Jacob had the idea to host a MIDterm for studentstolearnhowtobuildanap,atraditionalChumahhouse,and beganharvestingtule,areedthatgrowslocallyandhasbeenusedfor hundredsofyearsasabuildingmaterial.Healsogatheredwillowfrom theMidlandpropertyanddebarkedittoprepareitforbuildingwith duringtheweekofMIDterm.

ThesevenstudentswhospenttheweekbuildingwithJacoblearned everything from how to harvest willow respectfully to how to lash togetherwillowpolesandwhatitmeanstouseeverypartofamaterial. We also learned how to deal with failure. The first day, we put the polesinthegroundandbegantobendthem,butthefirstonebroke. Wehadtoreadjustandmakeanewplan.Wesoakedthepolesinthe creekandrealizedthatnomatterwhatelseweaccomplishedthatweek, we had to remain mindful of our materials and move slowly, not rushingtogetthingsdonesooner.Thoughallofuswereexcitedto buildtheapandhaveitbeausablestructure,weallworkedtoslow downandtrulyappreciatetheexperiencewhilewewereinit.

We successfully built the structure of parallel arches with lateral ringsrunninguptheoutsideandbegantofocusonthethatching about two thirds of the way through the week. We used every bundleoftulegatheredbyJacobandhisfriendsbutdidnothave enoughtofinishduringthatweek.Thatwasokaybecauseitmeant wewouldslowdownfurtherandhavemoretimetoappreciatethe workthathadgoneintomakingwhatwasnowastandingstructure withareasonableamountofinsulationfromthereeds.

Bytheendoftheweek,thesevenofuslearnedfarmorethan anyone thought we would. We learned how to build, yes, but we also learned what it means to be present and move slowly and appreciate the work we were doing. We worked with Jacob, Genevieve, and Julia, Spanish faculty, as well as a few of Jacob’s friends who came to visit us during the building process, and we learned from all of them. What seemed like it would be a simple buildingprojectforaweekturnedouttobesomethingincredibly uniqueforallthosewhochosetobepartofit.

CountercultureMIDtermstudentsposeoutsidetheanarchistbookstore

ExploringSanFrancisco

ByLuca‘27 (Continues onPage2)

For our MIDterm, we went to San Francisco and learned about counterculture.Spending3daysinSanFrancisco,wesplitintotwo groups;onegroupofseniorswenttoTaylor‘27’shouse,andagroup ofnon-seniorsstayedatFaith’sbrother’shouse.Wespentthreedays there sketching in journals, taking pictures, and visiting museums, with the intention of understanding the many cultures that make San Francisco so diverse. We explored many cultures and many locationsinthecity,includingChinatownandHaight-Ashbury.

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KIDterm

ByVeronica‘26

The KID-term at Family School, our pre-K through fifth grade neighbor, has been the highlight of my four years of MIDterms! I spent my days fully immersed in the classroom, jumping into everythingfromcreativeartprojectsandoutdoorplaytohelpingthe studentsnavigatetheirdailylessons.Beingthereinthemixallowedme to see how much energy and curiosity elementary school students bringtoeverythingtheydo.Takingonamentorshiproleandbuilding genuine bonds with the kids throughout the week solidified my passionandconfirmedformethatworkingwithchildrenisthepathI wanttopursue.Andreturningforasecondyearshowedmethatmy interest in education is only growing. I want to thank Charlotte GreenblattandLeahKaplan‘13forthinkingofsuchabrilliantidea andorganizingtheweekatFamilySchool!

VIBEterm

ByHahnielle‘27

VIBEterm (Visibility, Belonging, and Empowerment) was an opportunityfor7selectedstudentstolearnaboutsystemicracismand BlackculturefromthesmallAfricanAmericancommunitiesinSanta MariaandSantaBarbara InthefirstfewdaysofourMIDterm,we attendedNAACPmeetings,visitedtheBSUs(BlackStudentUnions) of4differentcollegesaroundthecoast,andmetwithEricaStewart, the mayor of Santa Barbara We ended VIBEterm by meeting with localhistorianDavidMooretodiscusssystemicracismandhowithas contributed to the small Black population in SB we see today This MIDterm provided us the opportunity to be educated on Black historyandcultureinSantaBarbarawhilealsobeingabletointeract with Black community members who have lived through the same historicalchangewelearnedabout

Darren‘27andJessGarff,MathFaculty,cmposeasong

ByLayla‘29

CreatinganEP

Building an EP MIDterm was a feature of learning about chord progressions,playinginstruments,andlyricmaking,whetheryou knew how or not It was led by Talei Cody ‘15, Jess Garff, and John Isaacson ‘94 and held mainly in the music cabin, Sahm Studio Eachdaywehadworkshopstolearnhowtowriteourown songsorlearnhowtoplaycoversofsongsofourchoosing The firstcoupledays,wehadalotoffreetime AndImeanalot Weall hadtolearnhowtoplayoursongsonourinstrumentsorwritea wholesongfromscratchinthreedays Onthelasttwodays,we recordedoursongsonBandLab WeturnedSahmStudiointoa recording area with microphones, headphones, and our instruments Nahom ‘28 helped us use the recording equipment andeditallofoursongs Wewentoffcampusafewtimes,onceto open mic at Lefty’s, our local coffee shop, and once to John’s friend’s recording studio On the last day, we downloaded our songsonflashdrives,andwehadalisteningpartywithallofthem Parentsandstudentswereinvitedaswell,andwetalkedtothem abouteverythingwedidandlearnedduringthepastweek.

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MountainBiking

ByWinslow‘28

The mountain biking MIDterm was a good opportunity for peopleofallskilllevelstoimproveontheircyclingskillsthrough varied terrain and skill learning On the first day, we mostly focused on the basics In the afternoon, we went out to a trial systeminOrcutt,whichwasaprettycoolspotwith mildfeatures andtrails KindoftheperfectstartingspotfortheMIDterm In the following days we went to more spots; two of my personal favorites were Montana de Oro and Rancho Alegre They both featured a long climb and a really satisfying downhill segment Overall, I think everyone, including experienced cyclists like myself, ended up learning something new about themselves and theirbikes

Caves,Creeks,andCanyons

ByJay‘26

Health Director Mallory McPherson-Wehan, five-star Steward Amelie‘27,andDeanofExperientialLearningDanSusmanspent alongtimedebatingwhattonametheirMIDterm Theideawasto spend seven days backpacking over fifty miles in the Los Padres National Forest, walking up creeks, exploring caves, and bushwhacking through canyons They went with the classical alliterativeapproach,namingthetripCaves,Creeks,andCanyons

As the crew of the nine students met up to plan and pack, we devised the acronym MAD, summing us up by our leader’s names (It rolled off the tongue a little easier than SZMAKDJZMASM) Some of us would postulate that a better namewouldhavebeenWETterm

Thetripstartedoutpeacefully,withabeautifulviewfromthe ColdSpringSaddletrailhead Perchedlikeascurryofsquirrelsona fence,wecouldseedownbothsidesoftheSantaYnezMountains

To the south, the Channel Islands stood watch over the Pacific Ocean; Santa Barbara’s neighborhoods and harbor sprawled out below us; and the oil rigs floated serenely offshore And looking northwards, we could see miles of the pristine wilderness we were abouttoexplore,fromthesaddleallthewaytothefootoftheSan RafaelMountains

Thefirstdaywasintendedtobealldownhill,anditwouldhave beenwereitnotforawell-designedrerouteofthetrail,whichhad been built to avoid the treacherous Mono Jungle To avoid bushwhacking through poison oak and flood debris, the new trail (something our trip leaders were somewhat unaware of) ascended hundredsoffeetverticallyupthesideofthevalley Fortunately,we stillmadeittoacampsitebeforesunset

Theseconddayconsistedofmany,manycreekcrossings,aswe marchedupIndianCreek “Iwasstillingoodshape,”Marcela‘27 recalledinaninterview,“butIwastiredfromthedayofhiking,andI washungry,soIwasexcitedtocookupcacioepepefordinner”

Whileday2hadgottenourbootswet,thethirddaywaswhen WETtermtrulyearneditsname Brightandearlyinthemorning,we leftcampandstartedtrudgingupstream,leavingthetrailbehindfor good Nearly the entire day consisted of pushing our legs against nature’s will, battling the current and hoping our destination hid around the next bend The highlight of the day was the Maiden Pools:beautiful,deepblueicycolddepthswherewecouldn’tseethe bottom,fedbygushingwaterfalls

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IntheLosPadres,suchfeaturesarecreatedonlybysteepcanyons withsheerstoneclifffaces,soafterabriefswim,wehadtodoabit ofclimbingupcrumblingdirthillsidestocircumventtheobstacle. Thedayendedwhenweencounteredanothersuchwaterfall,and were forced to make camp on a sandbar in a rocky part of the creek.

Thenextday,Dantiedahandlineforusaswetraversedoneby one along another steep, crumbling dirt hillside. We then continued walking upstream, climbing over slippery stones scouredsmoothbycenturiesofwater,andforcingourwayunder, around,over,orthroughfallentrees.Eventually,wemadeittoa Chumash historical site at the mouth of Moraga Canyon, and tookabreaktoseethepictographshiddenawayincaves.Wealso day-hikedupthecanyoninsearchofahistoriclimestonemineor condornest,butfoundneitherandturnedaroundafteranhour ofbattlingpoisonoak,willow,andotherthick,extremelystrong riparianflora.Certainseniorsofthegroupelectedtoweartheir dryshoesduringthishikeandattemptedtostaydrywhilegoing upthecreek,earningthemthenamesTweedledee,Tweedledum, andTweedledumber.

On the fifth day, the trip reached a literal (and perhaps metaphorical)highwhenweleftthecreekbedandbeganfighting our way through wild rose and chamise instead of water and willow.Wecrestedtheridgeandweregiftedabeautifulviewof Loma Paloma, a strangely treeless, steep grassy meadow that stretchedformilesdownintothenextvalley:theMono-Alamar drainage.

Thatnightisfoggyinmymind,andit’sunclearwhatexactly happened. Maybe the poison oak itchiness was getting to his mind, or maybe he was simply fatigued, but a certain very experiencedseniorstewardapparentlyreadthemapupsidedown, and we again found ourselves without a campsite for the night. We uprooted thorny rosebushes and sawed away other thick, healthy, well-rooted plants and cleared out a decent sandbar campsiteasheavyrainsbegantofallandwindsbegantohowl.

Thefollowingday,weappreciatedthesunshinemorethanever asitdriedoutoursoakingwetclothes,packs,andbones,witha determinationfuelingusallthewaytoourfinalcampsiteatthe Little Caliente Hot Springs. The steaming waters opened our pores,spreadingpoisonoakoilsovereveryinchofourskin,but theburningwarmthwasstillworthit.

DeathValleyExploration&Geology

ByJulissa‘26

Thelong-awaitedtriptoDeathValley,California,almostdidn’t happenforMIDterms Onourwaytothehottestplaceonearth (thoughtheweatheraroundthistimeistheperfecttimetogo), afteragasstationpitstopinFillmore,California,ourvanabruptly stoppedandwouldn’tstart Afterafewhoursofsittingontheside ofthegasstationeatingourlunchandatriptoAutoZonelater, wewereabletojumpstartthevan,andawaywewenttoDeath ValleyNationalPark!

Onourfirstday,thegroupsummitedWildrosePeak,whichhad extravagant views of Death Valley as a whole and some very delicioussandwichesatthepeak(whichfeaturedsomeladybugs andBloomenergydrinks!) Ourseconddaywasfilledwithrocks and exploring slot canyons, where we sat and picked rocks that reminded each other of our classmates and reminisced on our yearsatMidland Ourthirddayconsistedofmore“sight-seeing” ofsomeiconicDeathValleyspots WewenttotheDevil’sGolf Course,andIhadthechancetoeatsomeofthesalt,cringingatits bitterlysourtaste Then,wedrovetoBadwaterBasin,whichlies 283feetbelowsealevel,andadmiredthebeautifulombrédesert landscapeinthebackground Myfavoritepartofthewholetrip was when Evie ‘29 suggested we stop to see the ethereal desert sunsetinthefieldsofdesertgoldwildflowers Iclimbedontopof oneofthevansandwatchedmypeersfrolicinthewildflowers, their laughter and evident happiness radiating as the sun set behindthemountains Thismomentwastrulythemostmagical experienceofmylife Onourlastday,wetookadipinthehot springsinTecopa,California,andstoppedbyChinaRanchtoget theirfamousdateshakesandthenheadedbacktowardsMidland

SeniorProjectHighlights

ByAmelie‘27

Thetermiswindingtoanend,andourdaysuntilgraduationare slowly ticking down The seniors are hard at work putting final touches on their senior projects, seven more of whom we will highlighttoday!

Forthelastfewmonths,Haydenhasbeenrunningafreefarm standattheFamilySchoolnextdoor Sheharvestsproducefrom thefarmandsetsupastandofferinglocalfamilieswithelementary schoolersaccesstoMidland’sdeliciousproduce Shedecoratesher stand with an array of rainbow flora, complete with informative graphicsaboutthehealthbenefitsofthevegetablesandthelocal agriculture industry to expand knowledge in our broader community Whileallthefoodisfree,Haydencollectsdonations for a local partner non-profit, Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture(SEEAG),whichhasadvisedherthroughtheproject process

Seraphina is expanding her love of the horse program by researching equine artificial insemination and supporting the process of impregnating one of our herd mares, Aspen If her researchiscorrect,Aspenwilllikelybirthafoalinaroundeleven months Not only is she broadening her knowledge of the horse program,hereffortsareexpandingthesizeofourherd!

Owls serenade us every night, and Guillermo is working to conservetheirpopulationsbybuildingfourowlboxes,thelastof whichwillbemadeoutofrecycledMidlandwood Hehopesto takedataontheowls'preferencesinahomeandadjusthisdesign accordingly

River is also preserving our local climate by cultivating and creatingaperennialgardenplotonour10-acreorganicfarm Heis plantingitwithnativespecies,herbs,andmedicinalplants–many ofwhichhereceivedfromalocalnativeplantnursery “Perennial” meansitdoesn’trequireyearlyreseeding,soRiverhopesthatitwill continuetoservestudentsbeyondhisgraduation

ShaeisknownasthequeenofthewavesatMidland,andher senior project is a comprehensive surf guide to embed our surf programintoMidland'sculture Beyondjustthebasicsofsurfing technique and etiquette, she is researching tidal patterns, wave breaks,andinsidetipsofthefrequentlyvisitedsurfspots

Kevinchosetoresearchandwriteathesispaperontheevolutionof history education in America Examining civil rights movements, Supreme Court cases, and large-scale culture changes, he is decipheringhowtheseeventsbothalteredhistoryandthewaythat weteachit Hiscomprehensivereviewontheevolutionofhistory curriculumiswellwithinhisscopeofinterest:infact,helooksto receiveahistorydegreeincollege

Melanieisalsofollowingherpassions:hernailsarealwaysadorned withlong,elaborate,designs,soshechosetocreateherownpress-on nailcompany,‘GelbyMel’Melanieisnotonlylearningmoreabout nailcreationandart;sheisalsodiscoveringthesecretsofbusiness andentrepreneurship

GrassMountainDay

ByAmelie‘27

WhilestudentsnormallyareabletoguesswhenGrassMountain Daywilloccur,alast-minuteswitchandtwodaysofcancelledclass hadusfooled

Duetocrazyhotweather,GrassMountainDaychangedfroma ThursdaytoaTuesday Thecatch:classeswerecancelledon MondayforourDEIJsummit,sostudentsdidn’texpectanother dayofclassestobecancelled

Theseniorsblastedmusicandshoweredusinfruitsnacksand Snickersbarsasweworkedourwayuptheface Theflowerswere gorgeous–asDanSusman,DeanofExperientialLearning,putit, “GrassMountainDaywaspoppy-tacular"

Atthetop,wedinedondeliciouslysoggysandwichesandreleased ourbarbaric“yawp”intrueWaltWhitmanstyle.

Danmentionedinaninterviewthathewasdelightedathowmany peoplechosetotakealternaterouteshikingdown.AsImademy waydowntheface,Isawstudentsscatteredthroughthepoppies andlupine:camerasclicking,windblowing,andpollenwafting throughtheair.

Andwhenwearrivedbackoncampus,wewereregaledwith snowconestoourhearts'delight.

Community LunarNewYearatMidland

ByMiriam‘28

AsFebruaryrollsaround,theyearlycelebrationoftheLunarNew Yearalsoarrives.ThisyearistheyearofthehorseintheChinese zodiac,whichindicatesthatthisistheyearofbreakingoldpatterns andbeingindependent.FortheAsianAmericanAlliance(AAA), the affinity group at Midland that prepares the Lunar New Year dinner, this is the year where they practice taking on full responsibility,asthisisthefirstyearsincethecreationofAAAin 2022wherethegroupdoesn’thaveadesignatedfacultymemberas support.

AAAwasabletocreateanincrediblesix-coursemealwithboba tea. The menu includes various dishes that would commonly appearonatraditionalLunarNewYearreuniondinnertable,such as lion’s head meatballs, tomato-fried eggs, and red-braised pork belly.Whilenotallofthedisheshaveaprofoundmeaning,theyare all authentic and are made with love and dedication. However, thereareafewcoursesthatindeedembodyalonghistorywithin them,suchasthespringroll,withitsgoldbarshape,representing wealth and prosperity. Kevin ‘26, one of the heads of AAA, also mentionedthered-braisedporkbellythathemadewas“tohonor itscreator,theSongDynastypoetSuShi(苏轼),whowasknown forfindingjoyevenindifficulttimes aspiritIhopetopassonasa blessingtoMidlandstudentsthroughthisdish.”

Thoughthedinnerwasonlyaboutforty-fiveminutes,hoursand hours of planning and preparing were dedicated to making everythinghappen.AAAstartedweeksbeforethatnighttofinalize themenu,gatheringredients,andplanoutjobs.TwoExperiential Saturdays were organized to prepare for the final cooking, doing taskssuchascuttingoutvegetablesandmakingsauces.Ontheday ofthedinner,allthemembersoftheaffinitygroupgatheredtoeach finishcookingtheirdesignateddish.Youcouldonlyfeelthechaos inthekitchenbybeingthere peopleallaroundyoushoutingand laughingwithdeliciousscentsflowingtoyoufromeverydirection, slowlycausingyourmouthtowater.Thedinnerwasnotjustthe accomplishment of AAA itself, but the Midland community entirely. Since the group doesn’t have a designated faculty, the kitchen was jammed with students and faculty who are from all different kinds of backgrounds but all possessed an open and helpful heart The year of the horse signified independence for AAA, but it also brought community and connection under the supportofotherMidlanders

LunarNewYearismorethanjustadinner,though Traditionally, itrepresentsatimeofreunionandbeingwithlovedones Thisyear, nearthestartofthedinner,thefacultysupportofAAAforthepast few years, Nhi, returned to join AAA for the night All the membersweresurprisedandexhilarated Moreover,thecelebration isduringthetimeintheyearinAsiawhenpeoplereturntotheir families,soitisasymbolofhome Kathy‘26,anotherheadofAAA, agrees to this, stating that “It's nice to do something that I do at homehereatMidland,anditmakesmefeellikeIamathomemore Iwanttokeepitgoingeventhoughtherearen'tanyAsianfaculty" Kevin‘26alsoaffirmsthat“sharingthisdinnerwithstudentsfrom similarculturalbackgroundsfeltlikethebestwayforallofustofeel connectedtohome"LunarNewYearisnotmerelyascrumptious mealbutalsoanidentity,acommunity,andaculture

“Howdidwegetsolucky?”someoneaskedaswedrovealongthecatway,headingtowardsthebacksideofGrassmountainMaybeluckhas nothingtodowithit.Maybeit’sintentionandtheresultofhardwork.Ormaybeitsserendipity,puttingusallattherightplaceattheright timeThestarsaligned,andyouchosetocometoMidland

Weallchosetocomehereforareason,whetherthatwasforasport,forbeingclosetonature,orbecauseaparentwenthere.Regardlessofthe reason,weareallherenow,andeverypassingdaymarksadaylessthatwehaveatMidlandIfeellikesomethinghasshiftedformeoverthe lastfewweeks.MaybeitwasstandingontopofGrassMountain,hearingthewholeschoolletoutoneresoundingyawp,orseeingcampuscome aliveonrevisitday,withalmost50peoplehereMaybeitwasinthequietermoments,inconversationsaboutthefutureofMidlandwiththe strategicplanninggroup,orduringtheparentwebinar,sharingthestorieswetrytotellaboutthisplace.Allofithasleftmefeelingmore awareofhowspecialthiscommunityis,andhowrareitistobepartofsomethinglikeitIhavealsobeenthinkingabouthowwespendour time,especiallywhenwehavealimitedamountleft.Howdowedefinequalitytimewithoneanother,andhowwecanmakememoriesthat willbecomethosecorememoriesthatarebroughtbacktousbyasong,asmell,orthesoftlightsettingonahillsideMaybeit’slessabouttrying tocreatememorablemomentsandmoreaboutpayingattentiontotheonesalreadyhappening.Thesenextfewmonthswillmovequickly,and IfindmyselfwantingtobealittlemoreintentionalabouthowIspendthattime,whoIspenditwith,andhowpresentIaminit

InhonorofEllie’slastterm,IwantedtoshareanexcerptfromtheWaltWhitmanpoemcontainingtheyawp

Verse52from"SongofMyself"byWaltWhitman

The spotted hawk swoops by and accuses me he complains of my gab and my loitering. / I too am not a bit tamed I too am untranslatable;/Isoundmybarbaricyawpovertheroofsoftheworld.

Thelastscudofdayholdsbackforme;/Itflingsmylikenessaftertherest,andtrueasany,ontheshadow'dwilds;Itcoaxesmetothe vaporandthedusk.

Idepartasair Ishakemywhitelocksattherunawaysun;/Ieffusemyfleshineddies,anddriftitinlacyjags.

Ibequeathemyselftothedirt,togrowfromthegrassIlove;/Ifyouwantmeagain,lookformeunderyourboot-soles. YouwillhardlyknowwhoIam,orwhatImean;/ButIshallbegoodhealthtoyounevertheless,/Andfilterandfibreyourblood. Failingtofetchmeatfirst,keepencouraged;/Missingmeoneplace,searchanother;/Istopsomewhere,waitingforyou.

-Excerptedfrom"SongofMyself,"inLeavesofGrass