Artist Spotlight- Rachel Witus '13

Rachel Witus has always had a passion for the arts, from her drawings of teapots at the age of six, to her abstract figures as a senior at SAAS. Whether she is on stage performing in Alice in Wonderland, in the dance studio practicing new routines, or painting a full body portrait, Rachel is an artist of many dimensions. Rachel’s exposure to art began at a very young age after watching her father excel in his art. She says her dad was fortunate to have such talent, but he never took it far. It was at this point that Rachel learned that natural talent doesn’t get you far unless you work for it. Rachel realized that in order to become a successful artist, having the natural ability to create art was only just a small part of finding success. She also needed to put in the time and effort needed to become the artist she is today. These days, Rachel works on her art every day after school, sometimes for three hours and sometimes just for one. “I try to work on my art every day; it’s a great outlet for me to relax and enjoy myself. If I don’t make art, I’m unhappy.”

For a long time, Rachel worked hard to find the right technique for her art. She was always learning how to use different mediums successfully and finding the right method for her. After successfully learning the basics of creating art, Rachel can focus on exploring new concepts. “I make art that makes me feel good and that conveys a certain feeling,” Rachel says. Rachel creates art as a way of communication and to evoke emotions from people. She yearns for her art to be viewed, read and interpreted in different ways. “I want to make a piece that has the ability to affect someone-- however it will.”

Rachel is now working on abstract art, specifically art that conveys the human body as patterns.  She is also exploring ways to make her creations more interactive. For example, Rachel has started creating a doll-like figure made out of canvas and wood. She intends to make the doll life-size and interactive by having observers dress up the doll. “Sometimes I start out with a great idea and the result can be completely different from my original idea. Art is so unpredictable, and you really need to be willing to be flexible and patient,” Rachel says.

Over the summer, Rachel attended a two-week arts program in Colorado called the Marie Walsh Sharpe Art Foundation Summer Seminar that helped Rachel with color theory, a subject she used to struggle with. “My teacher this summer really made it make sense in application, not just concept.” Rachel also learned about outdoor art and how much more complicated it can be than she had expected. “We focused mostly on landscape which isn’t my usual subject matter so it was really interesting to try something new.” Her time during her summer program really helped to develop her art and helped her to try new mediums so she wouldn’t get bored of using the same medium time and time again. She learned to push her boundaries and how to make her art her own.

Rachel plans to continue her passion throughout college and even as a career. She hopes to earn a Master in Fine Arts (M.F.A.). “In a perfect world, I would be a full-time artist but realistically, I wouldn’t mind working in a gallery or museum or even being a professor of art. Anything related to fine arts would be a great career.”

Student Spotlight: Lauren Myers '13

For Lauren Myers ’13, one of the top young equestrians in the United States, horseback riding means long hours of practice, hard work, and travel. On Tuesdays and Thursdays after school, she spends two to three hours at the barn before getting home around eight to start her homework. Her entire Saturday is dedicated to riding, and that’s when she doesn’t have a horse show. Sometimes she travels and sometimes the shows are local, but most horse shows require Lauren to get up between 5:30 and 6, spend all day at the horse show, and finally come home around 10, only to get up and do it again the next morning. And in between rounds, there is very little time to think about anything other than horses. “Riding will always be a huge part of my life,” says Lauren. Since she was four years old, Lauren has had an interest in horses. It started with horse racing, something she was quite fond of as a child. Her favorite race horse was Secretariat, and Lauren dreamed of being a jockey. However, it soon became apparent that Lauren was going to be too big to be a jockey. But that never discouraged her love for horses.

“When I was 6,” says Lauren, “I went to a Little Bit horse camp at the Seattle Science Center and then we went to the barn to actually ride horses. We got to trot and I wanted to trot more than they would let me, so it sparked my interest in English horseback riding.” Soon after that, Lauren started riding lessons at the Mercer Island Saddle Club. For a little over a year, Lauren learned the basics while riding bareback (without a saddle). But it soon became apparent to Lauren’s trainer that Lauren was going to excel further than her barn could take her. Thus, when she was eight years old, Lauren went to Potcreek Meadow Farm, the barn where she currently rides.

After nine years of riding at Potcreek with trainer Cara Anthony, Lauren’s hard work has finally begun to pay off. Last year she qualified for three national finals, getting the opportunity to travel to Harrisburg, PA, Lexington KY, and Los Angeles, CA. Just being able to attend these finals is an incredible achievement in itself. However, Lauren ended up placing 7th in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Talent Search Finals for the West Coast. Of the three finals, the one taking place in Los Angeles, the USET, is considered the most technical. Not only are the jumps higher, but the different phases of competition test the riders in every way possible.

This September, Lauren returned to Los Angles to compete in USET finals again. She was tied for 6^th after the flat phase, and received a 93 in the gymnastics to place her on top going into the third round. After the Grand Prix phase, Lauren’s scores qualified her for the Final Four. The Final Four is a work off between the top four riders where they all switch horses and must ride each horse over a shortened course. At the end of the day, Lauren finished 4^th out of the 31 competitors, making her one of the best riders in the country.

“Balancing school and riding is hard,” says Lauren. “Riding involves lots of traveling and therefore missing school. But my teachers have been very understanding and have worked with me to keep up my grades.” As Lauren is a senior, she has also been juggling SAT tutoring along with riding and school. When asked about college, Lauren is still fairly unsure about where she wants to go, but her number one choice at the moment is the University of Southern California, which does not have a riding program. “I want to focus on my academics more than riding,” says Lauren, “but if it was possible, I wouldn’t mind continuing with horses.”

A Review of Cabaret

"Willkommen… im Cabaret, au Cabaret, to Cabaret." Cabaret, which first hit Broadway in 1966, gives a glamorous yet disturbing depiction of life in Nazi Germany. The story begins with Clifford Bradshaw (Jackson Gode '14), an American writer who comes to Berlin in the early 1930s in the hopes of writing a novel. He meets a flamboyant British entertainer named Sally Bowles (Rebecca Marowitz '13) who works at the Kit Kat Klub, a squalid cabaret set against the backdrop of Nazi terror.

The play not only includes exceptional songs and diverse characters, but there’s also a political storyline with a strong message from our past. The play depicts the transformation of the once republic Germany into the Nazi regime and describes a time of change that has some horrifying consequences for all. The illusive world of the Kit Kat Klub contrasts with the harsh reality of the time, and the musical's choreographed routines reflect the changes in German society.

The Master of Ceremonies, played by Logan Pettit ‘13, brought the show to life with his flamboyant personality and his heart-wrenching finale. Watching the Emcee slowly walk on stage in the finale, proudly bearing a yellow Star of David on his chest, was chilling. Logan’s performance was in every way awe-inspiring. Meanwhile, Rebecca Marowitz sang a spectacular rendition of “Don’t Tell Mama, triggering an uproar of cheers from the audience, while Sally Slade '13 was spot on in the role of Fraulein Kost.

The complicated relationships between Clifford and Sally, and Fräulein Schneider (Alice Flood ‘13) and Herr Schultz (Bryce Kolton ’13) were gripping. Alice and Bryce worked so beautifully together that they had us rooting for them until the very end.

The hard work and effort that was put into rehearsals was clearly evident in the performance. Anyone who sees the musical will be impressed by the level of talent that fills the theater. The energy that exuded from each and every character, no matter how big or small a role, radiated across the stage and washed over the audience. The whole audience instantly became immersed in the characters’ struggles and remained engaged with them from start to finish.

Director Paul Shapiro brilliantly combined wit with powerful, horrific, and heart-thudding moments. The song "Two Ladies," which was performed by Jenna Levin '13, Logan Pettit, and Leora Radman '13, received an eruption of laughter and much applause from the audience. As well as having hilarious moments, the musical also included some intense and unforgettable scenes.

Cabaret is showing for two more nights in the Orvis Theatre. Friday and Saturday, Nov. 9-10, 7 p.m.

A Day in the Life of Cabaret Rehearsal

Cabaret runs Nov 7-10, with shows at 7 PM on Wed/Thurs/Fri/Sat. Performances are in the Jean Orvis Theatre. The energy in the theatre before the first run-through of Act I of Cabaret is electric. Actors run around frantically. Some students sit off to the side and repeat their lines. Others quickly sing through songs. Director Paul Shapiro sits high in the seats, taking notes, looking through the script, and murmuring with set designer Ed Hoffman. Musical Director Mark Hoover plunks out notes on the piano as actors drag set pieces in place and dancers stretch. This is the traditional chaos of a show at one month till opening.

Slowly, characters enter the stage in small groups as Mark plays a vamp on the piano, and before long the show is in full-swing. The cast is clearly very comfortable; the actors aren’t afraid to interact and play with each other onstage. Choreographer Rhonda Cinotto’s always-marvelous choreography is executed with ease by both the actors and the dancers.

Set in 1931 Berlin as the Nazis are rising to power, Cabaret focuses on life at the flashy Kit Kat Klub and revolves around cabaret performer Sally Bowles and her relationship with the American writer Cliff Bradshaw. Meanwhile, two German women, Frau Kost and Frau Schneider, deal with their own troubles at the hotel where Cliff is staying. Overseeing the action and providing additional entertainment is the Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub.

The acting is already polished and the scenes exhibit the intimacy of a show put on by adults. Logan Pettit ’13, as the Emcee, embraces the flamboyancy and fun spirit of the role. Rebecca Marowitz ’13 perfectly portrays Kit Kat Club performer Sally Bowles, a woman who pretends to have a perfect life but is in actuality starving for real affection and care. Jack Gode ’14 is lovely as Cliff Bradshaw, Sally’s humble romantic interest. Morgan Gellert ’13 plays Ernst Ludwig, Cliff’s first acquaintance in Berlin. Alice Flood ’13 is perfect as the silly, nosy, warm Fraulein Schneider. Sally Slade ’13, as Fraulein Kost, nails it with seamless austerity and strength. Bryce Kolton ’13 is adorable as the endearing Herr Schultz.

Even though I only had the privilege of seeing Act I, I can’t wait to see what the second half of the show has in store. I expect it to be jam-packed with memorable songs, sharp dialogue, and intricate choreography—you won’t want to miss this fantastic performance.

 

SAAS Summer Spotlights

What did you do this summer?

School may have started only a month ago, but if you are anything like these SAAS seniors, next summer is already on your mind. We caught up with a few members of the class of 2013 about what they did over the summer, and they had some great stories to share. If you’re looking for ideas for something fun and valuable to do next summer, read about some of their great experiences here!

Jenna Levin-The Cherubs at Northwestern University

Cardinal: Tell us a brief description of your trip/camp/work.

Jenna: Well I went to the National High School Institute Program, fondly called “the Cherubs” program, where you go to Northwestern University for five weeks and it’s a very intense program. It goes from 8:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night every day, and you work on acting, voice and movement, and then different electives. My electives were Docu-drama, Improv, Learning to Learn (laughs), so it’s about acting but it also expands to the realms of things that involve different types of theater. Meanwhile, while you’re practicing acting, every night you rehearse for a show, and at the end of the program you put on a show and there are ten performances going on.

C: What did you like about the program? Dislike?

J: That’s a hard question, there are so many things that I liked about it. I liked that it forced you to get out of your comfort zone and try new things, Cherubs was all about putting yourself out there and being flexible and doing whatever the director, teacher, or program threw at you. I loved putting on a show in five weeks, it is such a great experience to just be thrown into a group of ten or eleven people and just bond with them quickly and produce a show, everything was so quick, we had one day for everything like tech and dress rehearsal. I loved the pressure of having to put on a show so quickly and succeeding in doing so. I loved the teachers, all of the teachers were absolutely brilliant, inspiring role models, and I loved the kids in the program because I had a lot in common with all of them and they were so friendly.

Initially, I did not like that we had to run about two miles every day in the one hundred degree heat, but then I learned to like it because I got very fit and in shape, so that was good. I didn’t like that I had voice and movement first thing in the morning at 8:30, because sometimes we would be doing an exercise and I would just fall asleep.

How long did you do this? How big of a commitment was it?

The program was for five weeks and we worked for over ten hours a day. I would say it was a very big commitment.

Would you do this again? Would you encourage other SAAS students to do this?

Definitely, what’s cool about Cherubs though is that you can’t do it again, and that’s the way it should be. This sounds very corny, but Cherubs is an experience, it’s not a camp, it’s not a program you come back to. You can do it the summer going into your senior year, that’s the only time you can do it, so everyone is the same age, everyone is in the same boat applying to college and trying to think about what they’re going to do next year. I would totally encourage other SAAS kids to go on this program if you are open to trying new things and if you aren’t exactly sure what path you’re going to take. If you have a wide range of interests and you are willing to try new things and work hard, I would definitely recommend it.

What is one piece of advice that you would give to other SAAS students who are interested in doing this?

Definitely the thing that they will stress over and over and over again if you go is that Cherubs is what you make it, so if you go in and put in a little bit of effort sometimes but are mostly just tired and want to eat and hang out with your friends, then that’s what you’ll get out of it. But if you put a ton into it, take risks, and step out of your comfort zone then you will get a lot out of it. I took that advice for the most part, but I was still a bit hesitant because it was still a new situation. So I would say just go for it. There were definitely a couple times when I would get nervous and freeze up, and now I wish I would have. So just take risks.

If you are interested in participating in Cherubs next summer, visit this link: http://www.northwestern.edu/nhsi/

Claire Mason-Oxbridge Program in Paris, France

 

The Cardinal: Tell us a brief description of your program.

Claire: I did an Oxbridge Program this summer called L’Academie de Paris, and we lived in the dormitories of a boarding school in Paris in the Sixth, which is near the Luxembourg Gardens. We took classes for a month and lived there, but we still had a lot of free time.

C: What did you like and dislike about the program?

CM: I really liked all the free time we had. We had one class a day until 12 and then the rest of the day free, or three days a week we had another class for two hours so we got a lot of free time. That was really fun because we got to explore the city a lot. One thing I didn’t like was that a lot of the other kids in the program were younger than me, so I was slightly more mature and academically focused than most of them. But I liked the amount of freedom, and I still made a lot of good friends. The location was perfect, it was right near the Luxembourg gardens and right near metros which could take you anywhere in the city. And the food! I could go on for days about the food. My least favorite thing was probably the fact that the program itself didn’t have a lot of French immersion, which is more what I was looking for, like a lot of the kids didn’t speak French. But I still had a good time, I just had to take immersion classes to get more of the French experience.

C: How long did you do this? How big of a commitment was it?

CM: It was 28 days long, so basically a month, for all of July. It’s a big commitment in terms of time. Academically, you do have pretty intense classes, like your major is six days a week for three and a half hours except you just spend half the class time in class and the other half exploring the city or seeing the sights. But then you have minors three days a week for two hours, which is a pretty big commitment. You have Sundays off, no classes, which is nice. You can do a lot on Sundays, except everything is closed which is annoying.

C: Would you do this again? Would you encourage other SAAS students to do this?

CM: Well, I can’t do it again because I won’t be in high school anymore. I probably wouldn’t do it again because I’m too old. I would recommend it for younger kids who want more freedom, probably like rising sophomores or juniors.

C: What is one piece of advice that you would give to other SAAS students who are interested in doing this?

CM: Well, the program isn’t a total immersion in French, so if that’s what you’re looking for, do a home-stay. But it was really fun, it was right in Paris, so you got to know the city pretty well. I would say if you want to be in Paris but also want to improve your French, take immersion classes because you actually do learn a lot of French and you’re able to speak French in restaurants and places throughout the city.

C: What process did you go through to make this happen?

CM: I had to apply, but it wasn’t very hard. It’s not very selective in terms of admissions. They make you write an essay, but I don’t think they really deny anyone. For the immersion classes, you did have to write something in French but your French teacher will edit it for you if that’s what you want to do. And then I got an e-mail later saying that I was accepted.

If you are interested in participating in a global Oxbridge Academic Program next summer, visit this link: http://www.oxbridgeprograms.com/index.php

Leora Radman-Nordstrom Summer Job

 

The Cardinal: Tell us a brief description of your job.

Leora: I worked at the Bellevue Nordstrom, and basically I was an employee in the Men’s Sportswear department-woohoo men’s clothing! It was actually really nice because if I saw something I wouldn’t be like, “I need that!” because it was all men’s clothing that I didn’t need. So I was a cashier and I worked in the back room, cleaning and organizing and putting away all the “dump,” as they call it, which is basically when people don’t want their stuff and they just leave it for me to put back on the racks. I also helped people find clothes that they were interested in, or not interested in, and I showed people where the bathroom was, got people coffee, the usual.

C: What did you like about the job? What did you dislike about it?

L: Wow, I really liked interacting with the people. I think it’s really interesting to see what people like about certain styles and what they don’t like. I loved meeting all the employees, they’re actually really nice and always willing to help you and answer questions. They’re like these completely different people when they’re in the backroom, so it was really funny to see both of their personalities come out. It was a nice contrast, they’re actually really silly. What I disliked was the fact that I had just come back from Zambia, and it was kind of a culture shock for me. It was really frustrating for me to see people pick up a shirt that was hundreds of dollars and they would buy it right away. It was really uncomfortable to see all the clothing and how expensive it was having just come back from such a poor place where they cherish dirty, second-hand shoes. It was really disheartening, and really eye-opening too.

C: What process did you have to go through to make this happen?

L: Well, I had to apply online and then I had to interview, and then I had to go through a cashier process so I could learn how to use a cash register. That took a couple days, and I had to learn some things about the company.

C: How long did you do this? How big of a commitment was it?

L: I did it over the summer, so it was about a month and it was every other day for five to nine hours. So, it was long. But it varied depending on how much they needed me, and people have been cutting back a lot in the malls so they have been laying off a lot of salespeople.

C: Would you do this again? Would you encourage other SAAS students to do this?

L: For sure! I would definitely do it again, I’m actually hoping to do it over Thanksgiving just for a week or so. I encourage other people to do it, it’s a great way to not only learn about retail but to learn about Nordstrom as a company and about what they pride themselves in. You also learn about how to work with people and how to interact with people in retail.

C: What is one piece of advice you would give to other SAAS students who are interested in doing this?

L: I would definitely say if you want to do it, I would highly encourage you to apply. But don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it because we all go through that sometimes…this sounds so cheesy. Just follow your dreams! And try new things and new places.

If you are interested in applying for a job at Nordstrom next summer, visit this link: http://about.nordstrom.com/careers/

Alexa Strabuk-Intern for the Jay Inslee Campaign

The Cardinal: Tell us a brief description of your job.

Alexa: Well, I guess I’ll start from the beginning. Initially,  they were looking for a very specific type of person: someone young who hadn’t had much experience.  For me, the main attraction was just getting my foot in the door to the professional world. As far as the actual work experience, I was working on Rainier Avenue South, so it was very interesting to explore that part of the city and see what kind of things were going down in the area. At the actual campaign headquarters, I was a Field & Public Outreach intern.  There were various different sects of the campaign that you could be a part of, like Communications or Accounting and a couple others that I can’t really recall.  I was working with several other interns in my sect. A lot of college interns ended up working for the campaign too so I was actually one of three or four high school interns which gave me a different perspective on politics. Most of my work was doing phone banking and voter contact, responding to e-mails from the public that were organized into different categories on a big email database, as well as doing a little policy work like planning events and canvassing for Jay...and that was pretty much the way it worked.

C: What did you like about the job? What did you dislike about it?

A: The best part of the internship was the opportunity to work with a lot of interesting people, nobody was slacking off and everybody kind of had their own story or reason for being there which was cool to hear about. And then just being in the middle of all the action was really exciting.  Obviously this is a really important, nationally monitored election, so just being in the middle of it all and experiencing campaign life was a one-of-a-kind experience.  Observing how people on the Inslee campaign reacted to the outside attacks from our political opponents or making sure our public image was what we wanted it to be was also very interesting to watch and learn from. My least favorite thing was probably being yelled at a bunch on the phone...that was not ideal. But I guess if you really believe in something you kind of have to take one for the team.

C: What process did you have to go through to make this happen?

A: Well, I did an interview which I had to initiate. I’ve been interested in politics for awhile, both my parents were always politically involved. Also, Jay Inslee lives on Bainbridge so I had heard about him before, he’s been our representative for many years now so I knew what he'd been doing in Washington D.C.  I also support many of his beliefs and policies. Of course, in politics, you’re not going to agree with everything that your candidate believes in but as long as you believe that he/she is the best suited to lead people through the good times and bad, that’s what’s really important. So yeah, that was basically it. I went through an interview process, and then a lot of e-mail correspondence with my supervisor.

C: How long did you do this? How big of a commitment was it?

A: I did it for the entire summer, and I did it for about 21 hours a week. So it was a pretty big commitment, especially still living on Bainbridge everything in Seattle is kind of a commitment for me. There wasn’t really any at-home work, so that was kind of nice being on a break from school and not having to do work at home. But outside of the job there were a lot of work events that I had to attend as well, like luncheons or parades and things like that.

C: Would you do this again? Would you encourage other SAAS students to do this?

A: I personally would not do it again. I want new experiences. I think this was a good experience in terms of getting me where I may be headed later down the road, like maybe writing, maybe communications, maybe international relations.  It taught me how to work with people and how to work under someone productively.  Also knowing how to be a representative of a bigger cause and working towards a common goal which is a really useful skill to have if you know how to utilize it properly.   I mean like I said, it was great work experience and getting to work in a professional environment but it wasn’t really something fun to do during the summer. I would encourage other SAAS kids to do this but only if you’re really into politics.

C: What is one piece of advice that you would give to other SAAS students who are interested in doing this?

A: My one piece of advice would be that you have to be truly willing to commit, you can’t really be half-hearted about politics because you’ll just be miserable if you’re working on a political campaign and you’re not really passionate about it, you have to have a lot of drive to do the work because it is a huge personal commitment to make.  It takes a certain stamina.  I don’t think I actually had that in the end... like I love knowing what's going on and what kind of things our government is doing but some of the work I had to do was too invasive.  Nonetheless, I’m glad I had this work experience to reflect upon what I do and don't want to do in the future...but yeah, definitely not going into politics anytime soon.

If you are interested in working for a political campaign like Jay Inslee’s, you can send an e-mail to info@jayinslee.com.

Article by: Izzy Bank

Halloween at Seattle Academy!

Check out the gallery here!

Teacher Spotlight: Tom Flood

http://diluvianllc.com/about/ A pamphlet lies open among a sea of papers engulfing Tom Flood’s desk.  A futuristic building sits among blue skies and bicycle riders, a more dramatic representation of Capital Hill’s eco-friendly values. The image immediately inspires within me excitement for the prospects of our bright future. However, just as fast as I was excited, I am brought back to reality, frustrated with my ability to become easily persuaded by good advertising.

Noticing my distracted gaze towards the pamphlet and sensing my thought process on the matter, Tom begins to tell me that the building is one of a few being built using criteria from the Cascadia Region Green Building Council, one of three original chapters of the U.S. Green Building Council.

Cascadia’s “The Living Building Challenge” provides a blue print for people who are concerned about the environment and sustainable living. Modeled after a flower, there are seven petals, or requirements, that must be fulfilled for the challenge to be completed. The standards that must be met include providing your own energy, water, food; dealing with your own waste; and preserving sixteen times the amount of land in the country as is used in the city.

Tom speaks of the project with great respect, however, without any visceral connection. I know already that this project is not what Tom is involved in, because if anyone were to become emotionally invested in a project that involves sustainable living and design it would be Tom Flood. “I imagine the Cascadia project and the official brochure [are] similar to other corporate companies like Starbucks. They have [a] $190 million endowment for their project of developing the building on 15^th. On the other hand, the for-sale townhouses we are building are going to hopefully demonstrate ways that sustainable urban projects can successfully hit on all three legs of a sustainable system: Environment, Economy, and Equity. We are working with no endowment. As a result, those of us in the trenches, with much, much smaller means must use creativity to accomplish the same things as more ‘corporate’ projects,” he says.

As a sculptor Tom is inherently creative in all that he does. “Everything that I do is a form of art making. Whether it’s making objects or teaching kids, all elements of art are in it. In my work, I reference many artists that have gone before me that share the same sort of world view, for example the German artist Joseph Beuys, American ‘land artist’ Robert Smithson, and Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser. The best art I think is that which doesn’t fit into a neat box or any succinct category.”

Do you think the project will be successful?

“I’m just a school teacher trying to pull a rabbit out of his hat. But yes I believe in it. I have hired architects and people who know how to run numbers. I think too that it troubles people that I see architects and engineers and public officials the same way that I see metal, paint, and wood; they are all elements used to compose a piece.”

What are the sustainable features of your design?

Water. Living where you work is huge. Meaning, if you live where you work you could potentially eliminate a car; your life is therefore more pedestrian focused. Flexibility is also a key component to the design. There are few interior walls. The design also allows for maximum exposure to the sun for passive heating. We’ve also designed it to have a thermal chimney, which allows for passive cooling as well. The roofs are engineered to handle twelve inches of soil so you can grow your own food on the roof. The gardens will be irrigated with rainwater, and the native landscaping will be watered with “grey water.” Grey water, the water that comes from sinks and showers, will also be pumped up to flush the toilets.

These townhouses you are in the process of building encompass values our generation should implement. Can you comment on the current cultural practices of our generation concerning sustainability?

“My generation never had a concept of a disposable culture. You would have something, own it for forty years, and work it until there is nothing left of it. The French term for that is “briccolage.” This concept of disposability is a very recent phenomenon. That concept your generation has of immediate gratification and disposable culture is messing with our intrinsic value of self worth.”

The live/work townhomes at Pike Station are under construction and due to be completed in February of 2013.

For more information check out the following links related to Tom’s work:

Article written by Nicole Brodeur (Brooks Donohue ’11) in the Seattle Times.

Tom’s sustainable town house project site lidnk

Altura Review

I am16 going on 17: A review of one of Seattle’s elite restaurants, Altura  I used to think that turning 17 would be like winning the National Invitational Tournament (College Basketball’s Losers Bracket). Yeah, I survived a year of driving, and yeah, I can buy my own ticket to an R rated movie, but I’m still legally a child. Not good enough to play with the big boys. The best I can do is to partake in some 17-year-old shenanigans and hope I don’t feel the ramifications too much the next morning. C’est la vie. Yet, after feasting at Altura Restaurant tonight, 17 might just be my best birthday yet.

I shared this meal with my preferred dining partner, my father. Whether it’s pulling together a dinner party at home or venturing into the depths of the International District, there’s no one I’d rather share a meal with.

When you walk in to Altura, the first thing you see is a beautiful Renaissance style statue of an angel, shining lantern in hand. The light green walls are adorned with old school Italian Renaissance scenes including a golden embroidered tapestry fit for a castle in the Italian countryside.

The wait staff is like the attractive family you wish you were a part of, while still somehow remaining down to earth and warm. Before we ordered, we were presented with two amuse bouches (small one- or two-bite teasers that hint at the brilliance to come). The first was a shot of pear juice infused with tonic oil and citrus, a smooth, sweet, and deliciously tart palate cleanser. The second was a silky smooth asparagus panna cotta in a tiny espresso cup, finished with a generous dollop of golden trout roe.

Altura’s menu is arranged in four sections: small plates, pasta, entrée, and dessert. Ordering is done in courses. Either three courses for $49 a person, four for $59, five for $69, or, what I would imagine is a heavenly chef’s tasting menu with wine pairings for $123 (Look forward to reading about that experience in my 21^st birthday dinner article). We chose the four-course option. Altura then blessed us with the ability to choose any four items off the menu each. Meaning that even with a party of two, it is possible to indulge in nearly every dish on the menu.

Our first plate consisted of sweetbreads, gulf prawns, nettles, pine nuts, kumquat, and herbs. Now, my love affair with sweetbreads began at the scandalously young age of 11 when my parents tricked me into eating the luscious thymus gland at the Inn at Langley on Whidbey Island. So when I took my first bite, I was engulfed with not only my nostalgic lover, but the oh-so-pleasant surprise of a new partner, the citrus tang of kumquat. The braised nettles and pine nuts provided some serious depth of flavor. The prawns, however, unfortunately ended up getting lost in what was an otherwise brilliant opener to the meal. Also, look for the porchetta, green garlic, hot mustard, spring onion, and radish. The dish is a spicy, springy, porky success and highlights the ability of Altura to pair old favorites like porchetta with new style, presentation, and flavors.

The pastas, stinging nettle gnudi, rabbit ragu, wild mushroom, fried sage, and parmesan and pappardelle, oxtail and tripe ragu, Calabrian chili, and breadcrumbs, were simply extraordinary. The gnudi are akin to the pillowy innards of ravioli and had warm notes of nutmeg. They were matched brilliantly with wild mushrooms and a savory rabbit ragu. The pappardelle was an exhibition in comfort. The oxtail and tripe ragu just melted with the subtle heat of the chili.

The highlight of the meal was tail and trotters pork shank, spring greens, artichoke fritti, and sizzled quail egg. The beautiful cake of salty pork parts was just plain sexy. Rendered fat and sautéed spring greens are hard to beat and a sizzled quail egg topped off a truly incredible dish. We finished our entrees with rabbit shoulder in savoy cabbage, parsley salt crusted rack with hot mustard, saddle and sausage with braised radish and cabbage. The dish was akin to Peter Rabbit’s Garden in the best possible way. The rabbit shoulder sat braised in a bed of savoy cabbage, parsley salted rack adorned with hot mustard, and saddle wrapped with a rabbit sausage and cooked to tender perfection amid pastel pink braised radishes.

The mascarpone gelato, olio verde, roasted strawberry, tellicherry pepper fuille, black pepper, and carmel almond crumble would be our final dish. A plate was passed to the pantry/dessert station with the words “Happy Birthday” scrawled along the rim in rich ganache. It seems like a simple gesture but in that moment I felt cared for. The dessert, more savory then sweet was a combination of deep green olive oil, sweet soft strawberry, and spicy black pepper – a delicious end to a marvelous meal.

Now, 17 might seem a mundane birthday, but I have discovered the path to birthday bliss is a five-month-old establishment that will someday become a cherished institution. Chef Nathan Lockwood, leader of the kitchen brigade, states that Altura’s menu is, "The freshest seasonal foods, simply prepared and perfectly presented." I could not agree more. Every aspect from service to presentation to décor and of course flavor has been meticulously refined at Altura, and I hope that when the time comes for you or someone you know to begin his or her 17^th rotation of the sun, they start amidst the green-gold glow of Altura.

Altura is located at 617 Broadway E., Seattle, WA, 98102 (between Roy and Mercer Streets). Contact them by phone at 206.402.6749 or email at info@alturarestaurant.com. Reservations are available by phone and online through Open Table.

Playlist of the Week: Sarah Hughes '13

Playlist of the Week is a 5-10 song playlist of songs that you, the Seattle Academy student, are listening to. Each week a new student’s playlist will be featured. If you’d like to be featured, send me, Alice Flood, an email (aliceflood@seattleacademy.org), and we’ll discuss from there. Playlist of the Week knows no limits as to the genres of music; we want to know what YOU like! I want this feature to help us all discover new music as well as learn what kind of stuff our friends are listening to. This issue features the playlist of Sarah Hughes ’14.  

1. Song: “Maliblue”

Artist: Darius

Album: Velour

Comments: Nothing like some good ol’ French electro. This song is so chill you’ll have to put on a sweater.

2. Song: “Beach Dr.”

Artist: Oddisee

Album: Rock Creek Park

Comments: Anyone else smell that? – Fresh air! This guy puts more heart and soul into his work than anyone out there!

3. Song: “Baby I’m Yours”

Artist: BreakBot

Album: Baby I’m Yours

Comments: BreakBot is a French DJ/Producer who makes songs that just make you want to dance!

4. Song: “Darkest Dim”

Artist: Tokimonsta

Album: Creature Dreams

Comments: Whenever I think there couldn’t be a cooler beat, I’m proven wrong time and time again. Tokimonsta is an amazing female DJ from L.A., and her songs never fail to put me in a good mood.

5. Song: “Yesterday”

Artist: StewRat

Album: Comfort

Comments: StewRat is a rising hip-hop producer from Springfield, Ohio. “Yesterday” has an old soul sample and an excellent bass line.

6. Song: “Sleepless”

Artist: Flume

Comments: Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Flume is only 19 years of age. For some reason, I have a strange craving to listen to this song on a boat in the summer. Ah bliss.

7. Song: “Beautiful”

Artist: Snoop Dog Featuring Pharrell

Album: Paid tha Cost to Be da Boss

Comments: The title sums it up nicely. A true hit. A classic song.

8. Song: “Feel it all Around”

Artist: Washed Out

Album: Life of Leisure

Comments: This is one of the many great songs from Washed Out’s album of 2010. Some might recognize this from the title sequence of the TV comedy series, “Portlandia.”

9. Song: “Massage Situation”

Artist: Flying Lotus

Album: Reset

Comments: This song has a great beat and overall is a really relaxed song.

Student Spotlight: Rebecca Wexler '12

“Being a dancer is not something you plan on,” says Rebecca Wexler, currently a senior. School is a place for learning and friends, but so many of our peers partake in interesting activities outside of SAAS. For Rebecca Wexler, currently a senior, there is much more to life than school. On weekdays, Rebecca spends about three and a half hours dancing after school and another five hours on the weekends, when she doesn’t have rehearsals. When she does have rehearsals, Rebecca is at the studio from 9-6 on Saturdays, with another six hours on Sunday. Like most young girls, Rebecca’s parents encouraged her pursuit of ballet from a young age. So she started at a tiny studio at her house, where her passion for dance began to grow. After a year, Rebecca and her mother went to see the Nutcracker, and she loved it. She was so enthralled with the stage that she stayed in her seat through intermission. Soon enough Rebecca was enrolled in Pacific Northwest Ballet, the top dance program in Seattle, where she has danced for most of her life. “I take modern and ballet there, and the two dances go hand in hand. It’s choreographed by the teachers, and it’s very classical ballet, with tutus,” says Rebecca. “But we also do contemporary ballet without buns and with long skirts. I do ballet more than modern. We only have one modern class a week, but a lot of are dances are more focused towards modern because that’s the kind of style we work on.”

When she was 15, Rebecca was given an offer from the Joffrey Ballet School to move to New York and study dance there. At the time she passed up on the offer, “because I was so young,” Rebecca recalls. During her senior year, Melanie Reed gave her a list of schools with great dance programs. So Rebecca went to New York, Los Angeles, and Seattle to audition for college dance programs. But soon she realized that she hadn’t auditioned for any summer dance intensives. An intensive is a super intense, seven-eight week program during the summer. So Rebecca auditioned for a Joffrey summer program, which is generally super expensive, and she didn’t plan on going, even if she got in. But Rebecca was accepted with a fifty percent scholarship, which was followed by a letter in the mail, offering Rebecca a spot at the year-long training program, the same one she was offered when she was fifteen.

When Rebecca was younger, she also participated in gymnastics and swimming, both of which she excelled at. When she was eleven, Rebecca had to pick between the swim team and ballet, and she chose dance. Rebecca also does a lot of visual art, and recently she has had some offers on her pieces. She wants to focus most of her time and studies on ballet and sociology, and while she thinks she will always participate in visual art, “I don’t think it will ever be my career.”

“Sociology is something I’m passionate about,” says Rebecca. “I volunteer a lot, and I belong to a charity group called NCL.” The National Charity League is a mother-daughter organization that encourages community service work all over the country. Additionally, Rebecca is focusing her senior project on psychology. In the beginning, Rebecca was interested in “The Prison Project,” where she would help teach dance to prison inmates. This project would have been a way to incorporate sociology and dance, but that idea ended up falling through. So instead, she is going to work at the Jubilee Women’s Center, a shelter for women to help them get back on their feet.

At the end of the school year Rebecca will be taking off for eight weeks. After her summer intensive, she has a month before she goes back to Joffrey for her year-long training program. Rebecca’s day will start at eight in the morning, and she’ll be taking classes until six at night. Along with dancing, she’ll be taking classes such as nutrition and dance history, which will eventually count as college credits.

Right now, Rebecca is interested in four different arts colleges: Cornish, Columbia College of the Arts, Old Dominion, and Marymount. She plans on double majoring in dance as well as sociology. She is passionate about both and very realistic about dance as a career. “Dancing doesn’t last forever” says Rebecca. “An average dancer’s career ends around 35, and they probably aren’t at a place where they can retire.” With a major in dance, Rebecca can also choose to become a choreographer, a dance history teacher, or even a dance teacher. No matter what, Rebecca will be able to incorporate what she loves into the career that she chooses to pursue.