“Only at Thacher” is a trademark catchphrase of Thacher students. We often find ourselves in moments that are unique to the Thacher experience. These moments range from Sunday morning trap shooting, collecting a silver dollar off the sandy floor of the gymkhana field, and my personal favorite, camping. By the end of our Thacher career, […]
Day Four of EDTs, and we’re hoofing it down from Pine Mountain Lodge (where there has not been a lodge since the 19th century)–windy and cold, but last night, we were warmed, belly and heart, by hot uber-stuffed quesadillas for supper and rousing campfire singing. Our team of troopers (Julia, Ben, David, Carrie, Faith, Sydney, Michael […]
At the beginning of this year, directly after preseason, I embarked on a trip to Sequoia with a group of students lead by Mr.Okpalugo and Dr.Delvecchio. Although I captained the trip, my duties were very limited because of the responsible, hard working students who were also on the trip. Our group was very cohesive, funny, […]
As juniors, we often forget how many underclassmen, faculty, and fellow classmates we do not know on a personal level. To start off another great year, I went camping with an unforgettable group of people in the John Muir wilderness. My faculty advisor, Mr. Sawyer, was the group leader, along with Mr. Jensen, a new […]
Being a senior at Thacher is something that students in all grades wait for with great anticipation. Seniors really help to lead the school in many ways including living in dorms with younger students, planning weekend events, overseeing the school newspaper and so many more. Probably because of this, the seniors always seemed to be […]
A week ago today I finished my last Thacher camping trip! It was a pretty ideal trip: smooth sailing the whole way, good food, and a perfect mix of old friends and new underclassmen to get to know. The hiking was easy and enjoyable, and we had plenty of free afternoons to swim in the […]
I just returned from a wonderful trip to Sequoia National Park. It was my first time there and planning an EDT in an unfamiliar location was a little nerve wracking. I wasn’t worried about safety or communication issues, but was more concerned about providing a positive experience for the students. However, as I found out, […]
You never really plan on Plan B. When I told Michael a couple of months ago that my idea of a perfect camping trip would be to backpack with only my own gear and food (OK, I’ll take the med kit, too) and some experienced packhorses schlepping the rest (stoves, tents, tarps, group food, cookware, […]
I grew up hearing about my dad’s boarding school exploits on a regular basis. It used to be a family joke that he’d “send us to boarding school” if we did wrong. Over the years, though, he began to talk more seriously about the boarding school experience that he had so enjoyed, and all of […]
Snow and sand — lots of Thacher students and faculty sped off to mountains or seashore (or points slightly closer by) this past Friday and Saturday for a night or two away. Thanks to the efforts principally of Joe Bell, School Chair 2011-12, it was a rare no-homework weekend given over to the thing we […]