Lit Mag’s excellence official
Wednesday, March 10th, 2010
Even the most brilliant creative writers can often go unnoticed. Unless you have a class with them or ask to read something they write, there’s a good chance you won’t have any idea what sort of work they create. Creative writing just simply isn’t a flashy talent that leads to a lot of public accolades. That’s part of why CWA’s Middle and Upper School literary magazines are so important. Read the rest of this entry »
While other high schools suspend classes for midwinter break, every February CWA sends students and faculty out into the world to explore. Winterim is a five-day experiential program that allows students and faculty to share concentrated exploration of themes and activities outside the regular curriculum. Among this year’s offerings was a rock climbing trip to Joshua Tree National Park. Teacher Ryan Johnson reports back on the experience: 
Carnegie Mellon University is a school many people have never heard of, but it’s one of the nation’s top research universities and the alma mater of six Nobel Laureates. The computer science department alone can attract more than $100 million a year in research grants, many from the Department of Defense and National Science Foundation. It’s peer institutions include Cal Tech, Cornell, Duke, MIT, Princeton and Stanford. Like all those schools, Carnegie Mellon is extremely selective – fewer than one in three applicants are admitted – but CWA senior Rafael McCauley is one of the lucky ones. 
This morning 11 CWA sophomores were among 2,400 Western Washington high school students to attend a lecture by Pulitzer Prize-winning author Jared Diamond at Seattle’s Benaroya Hall. Diamond discussed the themes of his best-selling books Guns, Germs and Steel (1997) and Collapse (2005), as well as his current investigation of different cultures’ approaches to parenting. 
For more than five years, students at CWA have partnered with The Salvation Army to help local families in need. CWA students have worked with organization during Winterim experiences, senior internships and special events. On behalf of all those at CWA who have worked with The Salvation Army, senior Bura Mwangi, junior Rachael Williams, Service Learning Coordinator Carla Parker and Board of Trustees Chair Dwight Williams recently accepted one of the highest service awards presented by The Salvation Army. The Phyllis Bench Award was presented to the CWA delegation by Roberta McClintock, director of The Salvation Army’s Joyful Noise Child Care program, at the organization’s annual volunteer recognition dinner.
Ask CWA senior Max LaBerge what he likes about running and he won’t mention his state championship title in the 3200 meter or the challenge of competing against himself in pursuit of an elusive new personal best, although those are certainly part of running’s appeal. Instead, Max talks about the calm that comes when all you can hear is the sound of your own heartbeat and air rushing in and out of your lungs. “Sometimes you’re just there with your own thoughts,” he says. 
All winter CWA’s Jumping Jaguars have wowed the crowds at half-time during Upper School varsity basketball games with jump roping skill and their stage presence. This week they will make their last on-campus performance of the season on Friday during a Lower School Town Meeting. The Jaguars will be helping kick off the CWA Winter Olympics for the Lower School. The squad has 18 rope jumping members in this, their 14th season at CWA. 
Natalie Powell loves soccer. She has played at Charles Wright since she arrived on campus in sixth grade and competed outside of school on the elite Washington Premier 91 club team since she was 12 years old. She has long dreamed of playing the most competitive soccer of her life when she reached college. Her parents and coaches realized years ago that she is a gifted athlete with the potential to make that dream a reality. 
Willamette University is a strong liberal arts school that many Charles Wright students consider. Located in Salem, Oregon, it’s just a three hours drive from home. Willamette has an undergraduate study body of 1,800 and most classes have no more than 30 students. At the same time, the school offers a broad array of academic, athletic and social opportunities. All of this appealed to Tana Watanabe, a CWA student who applied to Willamette a few months ago and was accepted early into the class of 2014. 
Just over a month ago a 7.0 earthquake rocked Haiti devastating a country already overwhelmed by poverty and a long history of social and political challenges. Within days, CWA students, like so many people around the world, were pitching in to help. In all three divisions, students have come up with creative ways to raise money, awareness and needed supplies.