One week in February, Midland changes gears for what we call Experiential Week. We have a page devoted to the work the students are doing
here, but here are some synopses of what the students were up to:
Seniors: As part of the work towards their Senior Theses, each senior selects a field they would like to know more about and arranges a one-week apprenticeship. This
off-campus experience is designed to give each student specific and concrete insight into both their papers and to their career interests.
Juniors: Each Midland junior partakes in a two-week homestay with individual families in Mascota, Jalisco, Mexico.
Sophomores: After a couple of difficult days hiking and camping in rainy, cold, and windy Joshua Tree, sophomores are now beginning to work on their solar project. This year, the class will be installing an array at the northeast end of the campus to help power the school's well and filtration system. Check back here soon for photos of their work.
Freshmen: Pinhole cameras and an investigation into the idea of "Home" are the focus for the 9th graders this week. After learning the basics of camera operation, they designed simple pin-hole cameras out of black foam core, and are taking photos that represent their idea of home. They're learning about negatives and positives, developing and printing. To augment their work, they are doing a substantial amount of writing, and they will produce both visuals and written pieces. The following photos show a bit of the process of what the frosh are going through this week, and click to
see a video of the freshmen and faculty at work.
Micah measures and cuts the foam core (l); Faith takes a look at Emmet's pin-hole camera (r)Chris explains how a pin-hole camera "sees" (l); Pebbles lines up her first photo (r)
Gillian shows off a negative and a print (l); Emma begins a poem based on a photo she's taken of oranges (r)