SSP Reflections

Midpoint

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My SSP is off to a great start! Everything I’m doing is a new type of fun in a different way, and I feel that I’m being stretched in a very productive way to accomplish all these activities. There are a few parts of my SSP that will need specific work to get in order—namely, D&D planning and our band—but I think that with consistent effort, we will make things function. Also, I need to catch up with my GOA workload, which has been hanging over my head (especially after debate Worlds). I don’t think these are insurmountable problems, though.

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If I had to do the SSP planning process again, I would spread out a lot of the heavy-load activities across the week. For example, D&D is on Fridays and Saturdays, which not only means that I have to do a lot of work in a short period, but also that the group as a whole only gets to enjoy D&D for one small part of the week. A similar thing happened with flight lessons, which were originally planned for Saturdays, Sundays, and Mondays. I got rid of the Sunday lesson, because it was too much flying to do in a row, and also because I needed to spend some time doing ground school to complement my actual flight lessons in the air.

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On that note, flying has been absolutely ecstatic for me. I have wanted to fly for most of my life, and finally getting the chance to take the controls and fly over Massachusetts is amazing. There’s a ton to learn, but thankfully, flying lessons have a very “jump in the deep end” mentality, and I have already been entrusted with radio commands, takeoffs, turns, ascents and descents, and basically all of the necessary flight maneuvers. I appreciate this method of teaching a lot: I am so eager to learn that I absorb this huge amount of information quickly. My next lesson this Saturday will see me practicing landings so that I can then do a full flight to another airport! Flying has also shown me how to craft flexible schedules. Because weather concerns often cancel or move lessons, I have been shifting other things around flight lessons to make room.

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I have also enjoyed Greek deeply. It is a natural continuation of Latin for me, which has kept me anchored in an SSP where a lot is new. Greek script is quite cool, and I feel like it’s a different way of seeing the classics which is enriching my experience. I chose to join the Greek seminar for that exact reason.

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I chose to continue Orchestra and Chamber because, as year-long creative activities, it’s important that all the members of the ensemble remain committed and stay in the game so that they can bring their vision to fruition. I’m super happy to be a part of that creative process one last time.

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D&D has been wild and a really fun experience for everyone involved. I have to manage a lot more stuff than I was initially expecting, especially because I’m “homebrewing” the campaign (building the narrative and world as we go instead of using a pre-written story). After just one session of acting in character, I really felt tired. However, my party is a riot in the best way possible, and everyone is truly invested in the world that I’ve created. I’m really grateful for that, and I am very much looking forward to what exciting and terrifying situations I can put my players in next…

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My book, the last creative experience on the docket, has been deeply cathartic. I am finally putting ideas and narratives I have thought about for years onto the page. Ms. Mac has been incredibly supportive, and I feel so much more confident in where I’m going when I’m able to talk with her about our next steps. Cool things are in the works!

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I’m a significant portion into The Left Hand of Darkness, and I have to say, it’s blown even my highest expectations out of the water. The central idea of the story is just so compelling, and Le Guin has taken it to its furthest extent to display a society that genuinely feels alien without feeling inhuman. The idea of the story is that a male human missionary is sent to establish diplomatic relations with a planet of aliens that is entirely genderless—they only choose a gender when they have to mate. They thus have never created social norms, constrictions, or violence based on gender. Their entire society is completely devoid of the type of assumptions and thoughts that the diplomat subconsciously makes as a man. As a result, he cannot bring himself to understand what goes on in the heart and mind of his alien companion, Lord Estraven (yet…?). That cultural distance produces genuine intrigue and has hooked me into Le Guin’s world. The book is fascinating and deeply relevant—perhaps even more so than when it was written sixty years ago.

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In terms of what might be exciting for class meetings, I would enjoy a few interactive activities sprinkled in from time to time. We have mainly only gotten talks or filled out surveys, both of which are important tasks, but I think those aren’t very exciting. If we got to play a Kahoot (for example) as well, that would bring everyone’s spirits up.

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Overall, my SSP has been a lot in the best way possible. I’m loving every second of it—every second of chaos, laughter, and fun. Thank you to the SSP team and everyone involved for making this possible!