Empowering Survivors of Genocide
Rebecca Tinsley has spent her career campaigning for human rights in some of the world’s most vulnerable regions. She is the founder of the Waging Peace and Network for Africa charities. She was at Anacapa for a special Open Breakfast Club to share her passion for affecting change in Africa. She brought her novel, “When The Stars Fall To Earth,” which is based on her interviews with survivors of Genocide in Darfur.
After an eye-opening Breakfast Club presentation, Rebecca turned … Read more
Sculpting ‘Dolphin Family’
Famed local artist James “Bud” Bottoms stopped in to Anacapa’s season finale First Thursday Breakfast Club to share his life journey from World War II soldier to commercial artists to revered bronze sculptor. Bottoms is a native Californian with a lifetime of experience swimming and diving in the
Santa Barbara Channel.
He is the creator of the Stearns Wharf centerpiece “Dolphin Family” sculpture as well as countless other sculptures and monuments around the world honoring marine mammals. His admiration for … Read more
The Secrets of Sleep Architecture
Dr. Glenn Miller, who visited Anacapa earlier this year to discuss today’s generation of multitaskers, returned today to describe the nuts and bolts of healthy sleep. According to Dr. Miller, sleep comes in cycles. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep, light sleep and deep sleep occur at different stages throughout the night. Each of these cycles has a unique, restorative purpose. The human brain develops and grows during deep sleep well into a person’s 20s, emphasized Dr. Miller, with key developments … Read more
DAWG Helping Dogs
Emily came to speak to the school about an organization in Santa Barbara called DAWG (Dog Adoption Welfare Group). DAWG is an adoption service for dogs needing homes. The organization has placed many dogs in the Santa Barbara area who have come directly to them or have come through the Santa Barbara County Animal Shelter. DAWG has a “no-kill” policy and they keep dogs until they are placed. One dog in particular at the facility has special needs and has … Read more
Lessons for Riding Through Life
Champion surfer Shaun Tomson was on hand for April’s First Thursday Open Breakfast Club to share his powerful message of courage and perseverance with Anacapa. His powerful and enlightening presentation focused on the influence of positive values on success in life, based on his own experiences of overcoming challenges both in and out of the ocean.
Shaun is the best-selling author of “Surfer’s Code: 12 Simple Lessons for Riding through Life” and award-winning documentary filmmaker of “Bustin’ Down the Door.”… Read more
Living Voices: Our Revolution
Jermaine Small, an actor in the mobile theater company Living Voices, helped Anacapa students imagine the American Revolution through the eyes of Peter Freeman, a young, black soldier. The piece – a combination of recorded audio, video and live acting – expressed the confusion of the black community fighting for American independence by raising the question: Whose freedom were they dying for, all men’s or just black men’s?… Read more
Sounds of the World’s Smallest Guitar: Experiments with Graphene
Benjamin Alaman, a post doctoral student at UCSB, spoke about his research in the applications of nano-scale chemistry. Benjamin’s work focuses on the potential uses of a world that operates under different laws than our own, in which objects have the ability to be in multiple places at once. For example, graphene, a sheet of carbon atoms only a single atom thick, can serve as an archival memory system that would last for billions of years or be rolled into … Read more
Art Career Day
Dug Uyesaka, art teacher at Laguna Blanca School, presented an opportunity for the artists of Anacapa. Art Career Day is a chance for students interested in pursuing careers in art-related fields, such as graphic design, film, painting, and theater, to interact with industry professionals. Students can participate in question and answer breakout sessions with professionals in their desired field to find out how to make it in these tough fields. These sessions, combined with food and live music, make for … Read more
Finding Goodness of Fit
Robin Mize, a marital and couples therapist, shared her path to a career in therapy with students and staff. She encouraged students to think about what happiness is, which she defined as a “goodness of fit.” She says it is when what you think, what you say and what you do are all in sync. She found her passion for helping people find their fit through her love of theater. She originally studied acting, but did not enjoy being on … Read more
Mindfulness and the Art of Non-Distraction
Mike Mrazek, a friend of Anacapa’s calculus teacher, Rachid, and PhD student in experimental psychology at UCSB, visited Anacapa to discuss his studies in “mindfulness” and “mind-wandering.” Mike took 50 UCSB undergraduate students and gave them mindfulness training in order to improve their focus. The students who received the training saw an increase in a GRE-like test scores as compared to students who received the “control” training in nutrition. Mike even shared some mindfulness exercises with students and staff to … Read more
Behind the Scenes With a Film Director
Academy Award-winning film director and Anacapa parent Joe Johnston is probably best known for his directing work on such effects-driven hits as “Jumanji,” “Jurassic Park III,” and “Captain America: The First Avenger” as well as the critically acclaimed drama “October Sky.” Joe took time out of his busy schedule to speak at the First Thursday Open Breakfast Club in March with his director’s reel in hand. After seeing his work, students seized the opportunity to ask Joe all about the … Read more
Rustic Pathways
Harry and Maggie, representatives for the Rustic Pathways program, spoke about the opportunities available for Anacapa students through Rustic Pathways trips. The company offers a range of programs for domestic and international travel, focusing on service projects. Participants engage in a range of programs, from conservation projects with Pandas in China to education projects with orphans in Thailand. They also offer some skills-based programs in soccer, surfing and language-immersion. Anacapa student, Ila, spent part of the summer of 2011 in … Read more
Ingredients of a Democracy
Paul Chappel, author and spokesman for the Nuclear World Peace Foundation, challenged students and faculty to consider what a successful democracy needs. He brought up instances such as WikiLeaks, in which the government was not portrayed as honest and posed the question: What do citizens have a right to know? He also made students aware of an upcoming opportunity to meet Daniel Ellsberg and hear about his experiences as a U.S. military analyst who leaked government information regarding the Vietnam … Read more
World Healers in Santa Barbara
Jennifer, Carissa and Larisa, representatives from UCSB’s chapter of the World Healers Organization, discussed opportunities for young people in Santa Barbara to get involved with global issues. Their local chapter, called the Global Awareness Club, organizes and conducts seminars in local elementary and middle schools to help raise awareness about global issues. High school students can also be involved in mentorships that allow them to conduct their own seminars on issues about which they are passionate.… Read more
Stars: Life, Death and the Origin of Elements
Renowned Italian physicist Matteo Cantiello gave a thrilling First Thursday Breakfast Club presentation entitled “Stars: Life, death and the origin of elements” before an audience of Anacapa students, faculty and guests. His talk was aimed at breaking down the cosmic scale of the universe and relating it to our own existence and life on Earth.
During his talk, gasps could be heard from the audience as stunning visuals of our cosmic neighbors swirled on the screen … Read more
Law and Society: Participate In The World Around You
Ben Bycel, lawyer extraordinaire, visited Breakfast Club to introduce a new afternoon elective to Anacapa, “Law and Society.” Ben’s class will cover law in Santa Barbara, with hopes of drafting new local legislation. Ben hopes for active students eager to participate in the world around them.… Read more
Class of 2011 Alumni on Life Post-Anacapa
Three well-loved Anacapa alumni, Libby Tuomi, Joshua Figueroa and Alyssa Gregory, returned to share their experiences of life post-Anacapa. Libby and Joshua are both currently in their freshman year at Boise State and Lewis and Clark University respectively. Alyssa is preparing to start a program in Enology (wine making) at Fresno State, one of the top programs in the nation. Did they feel prepared for life after Anacapa? Of course! All three mentioned the personal and social skills they honed … Read more
Redemption, Inc.
Brian O’Dea, a television producer and Anacapa Dad, visited Breakfast Club to discuss Redemption, Inc., his new TV project in Canada. Brian opened up about his past in the world of drug dealing and his personal redemption, which led to his work on the TV show. The show, which aired in Canada this year, gives 10 former offenders a chance to start a business and turn their life around. His goal in making the show is to change the world’s … Read more
Everyday Etiquette
John Daly, an event planner and founder of the Key class on the etiquette of our everyday lives, spoke at Breakfast Club about what proper etiquette can bring Anacapa students. John teaches high school students about how to get and survive a job interview, dress professionally, fill out an application to best show off your skills, and dine in a semi formal environment. With these “soft skills,” John says students are better prepared to succeed in the professional world.… Read more
Global Studies and Why We Should Care
Dr. Andrea Haupt, a professor of International Politics and Global Studies at Santa Barbara City College, spoke at Breakfast Club to share her insights on the importance of global politics. According to Andrea, in our increasingly connected world, international affairs are more related to our everyday lives. We now easily communicate through the Internet, import products from around the globe and face issues that span borders such as climate change. Andrea encouraged us all to see the many ways that … Read more
Echoes of Molokai e Luz de Esperanza
Dr. Tom Sichi, son of Gordon and Suzie, kicked off this year’s First Thursday Breakfast Club with an engaging discussion about the connections between poverty, infectious disease and their stigmas in developing nations. Tom worked for a month in Ecuador with people suffering from Hansen’s Disease (previously known as Leoprosy). He shared his experiences with outreach, treatment and recovery from Hansen’s, ultimately concluding that with proper treatment and education, victims of the disease could recover and integrate back into society. … Read more
Finding Your Passions
Helen Ma, an advocate for the organization Free the Children, visited Anacapa’s Elliot Hall to discuss the power of an individual with passion. Free the Children seeks to provide food, water, education and income to impoverished children around the world. It was started by a 12-year-old boy after reading an article about child slavery. It is now, after 16 years, an international organization that has built 650 schools and medical clinics in 45 different countries. Helen challenged Anacapa students and … Read more
Honoring our Veterans
Anacapa has a long history of honoring veterans. John Blakenship, Art Peterson and Johnathon Church, veterans from Vietnam, World War II and the Gulf War respectively, spoke to Anacapa students about their experiences in the war and what service has done for them. In return, the three heroes presented Anacapa with a donation in recognition of the school’s continued support of veterans.… Read more
Art 24/7: An Introduction to CalArts
Andrew Ahn, an admissions counselor at California Institute of the Arts, presented Anacapa students with information about CalArts’ many programs and degrees. The college, which was founded by Roy and Walt Disney, offers degrees in film, theater, graphic arts, music and dance. They have a 24-hour campus where students can work whenever and wherever they feel most creative. Students have even made art in the parking lots and bathrooms. To creative Anacapa students, CalArts is calling!… Read more