Anacapa Wraps Up Breakfast Club Talks for 2015-16 School Year
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The beginning of summer means the end of the Breakfast Club at Anacapa School for the 2015-16 year. The Breakfast Club is a signature program here at Anacapa and is an important part of the experiential learning opportunities our school is well-known for.
Contrary to what the program’s name suggests, our Breakfast Clubs do not involve food, at least not food for the stomach. What they do involve is food for the mind, providing … Read more
Kate Voss and Kelsey Bisson Discuss Water: From Summit to Sea
As a part of Geography Awareness Week, both speakers commented on the role of water within our ecosystems and all life on earth. They remarked on the importance of water, not only as a source of hydration, but also … Read more
Fred Davis Discusses How to Win on the Campaign Trail
Acclaimed political advertising consultant (and Anacapa alum dad) Fred Davis stopped by to discuss his work. Dubbed by Time Magazine as “the GOP’s Hottest Mad Man,” Fred Davis and his team boast an A-list of political clients including President George W. Bush, Vice President Dan Quayle, Senators John McCain, Elizabeth Dole and Lamar Alexander as well as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. In the 2012 election, Fred’s company represented a number of Republican candidates, all but one of whom won their bids … Read more
Razia Jan Speaks on Girls’ Education in the Middle East
Razia Jan, one of CNN’s top 10 Heroes in 2012, UN recognized woman of leadership, and founder of Razia’s Ray of Hope Foundation, came to speak at Anacapa’s Breakfast Club about educating girls in the Middle East.
The talk was a perfect follow up to last year’s Synthesis Unit on the Middle East. Razia began by first telling the students about herself. She then went on to talk about how she started an all-girl school in Deh’Subz, Afghanistan, a crucial … Read more
Jeff Meyer Talks Earth Science
Assistant Professor in SBCC’s department of Earth and Planetary Sciences Jeff Meyer, along with Eiko Kitao, gave the students at Anacapa a fascinating synopsis of earth science in Breakfast Club. Mr. Meyer spoke about plate tectonics and how earthquakes happen, as well as Santa Barbara’s relationship with the Pacific Plate and the San Andreas Fault, and the history of earthquakes in Santa Barbara. He also talked about earthquake preparedness and gave some tips on what to do if and when … Read more
Record-Breaking Balloonist Shares His Passion for Adventure
As Alan Eustace parachuted from a helium balloon at 135,890 feet above the Earth’s surface, it was the engineering prowess of Julian Nott that he was relying on. Eustace’s team, including Julian as senior balloon consultant, broke the world altitude record on October 24, 2014.
Julian returned to Breakfast Club to share this latest adventure and some other insights with Anacapa. Julian’s personal journey includes a lifelong passion for adventure, thrill and challenge.
“It is a real joy to come … Read more
A Feast for the Ears – Middle Eastern Music makes for a Rousing Breakfast Club!
It was an ear-perking, toe-tapping, mind-opening morning as the sound of Middle Eastern music filled the campus of Anacapa. A special Breakfast Club visit from Scott Marcus, a professor of music at UCSB, made for a unique experience for students and faculty alike. Middle Eastern music is very different from what our western-tuned ears are used to hearing, as the students learned, in that it uses very different scales and intervals. The students were delighted when Scott Marcus performed several … Read more
Helen Morales – Ancient Greek Religion
Helen Morales, Anacapa parent and professor of the classics at UCSB, shared the dynamic world of the Ancient Greeks. Helen compared and contrasted the key distinctions between the ancient Greek religion and many of the religions of today. Firstly, the ancient Greek religion was polytheistic with many gods and goddesses, each with their individual domains and roles. Secondly, gods were subject to human emotions and personalities, often resulting in vengeance, infidelity, or jealousy – characteristics that many modern religions would … Read more
Howard Schiffer – Finding Purpose Through Vitamin Angels
Howard Schiffer, founder of the non-profit Vitamin Angels, uses his organization to deliver life-saving vitamins to chronically malnourished populations, particularly following natural disasters. In his presentation, Howard stressed that every life has a heroic purpose and to not find your purpose is equivalent to sacrificing your own life. Howard found his purpose when he was able to combine his knowledge of nutrition, particularly childhood nutrition, and industry connections in the world of vitamins. He was able to obtain needed vitamins … Read more
Chris Hamman – Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Climbing
Chris Hamman, Program Director at Santa Barbara Rock Gym and climbing coach for the Anacapa climbing class, explained the appeal of the sport, various types of climbing and his personal experiences as a climber. Chris, who has been climbing for 10 years, said that it drives his life, including fitness, nutrition and vacations. The sport develops mental toughness, he says, as climbers persist in challenging situations. This has helped him in his professional life as well. Chris described the three … Read more
Julian Nott – Intellectual Courage and Its Role in Discovery
Julian Nott, known worldwide as the founder of the modern ballooning movement, spoke about his belief that “intellectual courage” drives advancements in every field as much as brilliant minds. Julian began his career as a balloonist as many men do, to impress a lady. Once he started, he kept flying higher, setting 79 world ballooning record. Today, he is working on a project with NASA to develop a balloon that could deploy above Titan, Saturn’s moon. Much like technological and … Read more
Beatrix Ost – About Life
Beatrix Ost, author, filmmaker and Anacapa grandparent, visited Breakfast Club to discuss her experiences in life. Beatrix grew up in Germany during World War II, which she credits as a boost to her own creativity. “There was nothing to be bought,” explained Beatrix, meaning that everything was either found, created or invented. Beatrix decided at 65 years old to become an author. She took 2 ½ years to write her first book, a story about her family in war-torn Germany, … Read more
Fred Kass – Addressing Cancer: Frequently Asked Questions Explained!
As part of Anacapa’s Breakfast Club series on health, Dr. Fred Kass took a break from his impressive medical research to discuss cancer with Anacapa students. Kass explained what it means to be a cancer researcher, calling his work a “functional classroom” in which he is constantly learning. Students asked many questions, including common causes of cancer, risk factors and the role of genetics in contracting cancer. Dr. Kass addressed all of the students’ questions and ended his presentation by … Read more
Larry Bascom – Coping with Anxiety and Depression
Psychologist Larry Bascom continued this school year’s series on health by discussing anxiety, depression and mental health issues that may often affect people in their teens. He started by explaining the process by which our body deals with stressful situations, including the balanced production of serotonin and dopamine. Then, he explained some ways that we can control our own biochemical reactions to situations, such as positive thinking, which can slow or reverse unhelpful reactions. In the end, he encouraged students … Read more
John Abrami “Coach AB” – Swimming For Life
John Abrami, known by Santa Barbara swimmers as Coach AB, spoke about the benefits of swimming as a life-long fitness tool. As AB said, swimming works on all aspects of fitness, including flexibility, power, and aerobic efficiency. He also stressed that it builds character due to the intensely competitive nature of swimming in the United States. In his own life, swimming powered AB through numerous personal challenges, including life in foster care, childhood illnesses and a ten-year battle with cancer … Read more
Olivia Chen – Opportunities with the University of California
Olivia Chen, a representative from the University of California, visited Anacapa to discuss opportunities at UC Riverside. Although she discussed the many positive aspects of UC Riverside, she emphasized that students should find their passion in life and find a way to pursue it. For example, Olivia’s passion is international relations and travel. She grew up in Panama, came to California for the weather and academics, and speaks several languages, including Cantonese, English, Spanish and Mandrin. Now, she travels around … Read more
Capt. Jim Kunkle – Honoring our Veterans
Captain Jim Kunkle, a veteran of World War II, visited Breakfast Club to help commemorate and honor the efforts of veterans. Capt. Kunkle signed up to be an army pilot at the age of 18. He fought hard to preserve freedom, which he says is the most important thing in America. Jim enthralled his Anacapa audience with tales of his wartime adventures, including an epic dogfight with several german fighter planes which resulted in a broken back and the premature … Read more
Wishiah Roper – Anacapans in the Real World
Wishiah Roper, alumna from the class of 2011, visited Elliott Hall to share her life journey and how Anacapa has affected her. Wishiah came to Anacapa in 9th grade with some anger and attitude in tow. Wishiah explained how helped her to mature into a much happier, more productive person. Now, she works three jobs in addition to attending school, but feels like she appreciates it because she works so hard to continue her education. She encouraged current students to … Read more
Mike Vergeer – Bike Safety in Santa Barbara
Mike Vergeer of the Santa Barbara Bike Coalition met with Anacapa students to discuss the values of safe bike riding techniques. He encouraged students and faculty to use their bikes more often as a mode of transportation and promised that safe riding will make us all more confident riders around town. The keys, explained Mike, are to be ready, be alert and be predictable. This encompasses crucial tips like wearing a helmet, equipping your bike with ample lights, signalling your … Read more
Riley Arntz – The Life of a Fashionisto Cowboy
Riley Arntz, an original member of the Anacapa Adobes, came to Anacapa for high school in 2003. In college he studied hospitality but wasn’t excited about the field for a career. Instead, he tried his luck as a ranch hand at Lazy B Ranch in New Mexico, where he learned a variety of skills, such as roping and branding, along with some tough life lessons such as “sometimes its best not to argue and just get the work done.” After … Read more
Henry Johnston – Anacapa Alumni in the World
Henry Johnston, recent Anacapa graduate from the class of 2013, is currently a student at Brooks Institute in Ventura where he is studying film. Henry spoke about his current classes, including Film History, in which he has been continually grateful for Anacapa’s history classes, which gave him a solid framework in which to contextualize historical films. While his schedule is currently pretty flexible, with one class per day, he soon will start shooting his own film projects making him much … Read more
Mayor Helene Schneider – Santa Barbara Politics
Mayor Helene Schneider visited Breakfast Club to discuss her role as Santa Barbara Mayor and the upcoming election. After being mayor for four years, Helene spoke of her proudest moments in office such as getting a bike lane implemented on Cliff Drive and opening a new detox and addiction program. While these past years have been difficult, especially in the face of government shut downs and diminished budgets, Helene continues to look forward and hopes to continue to incorporate sustainable … Read more
Dr. Bob Wilcher – Fitness for Life
Bob Wilcher, owner of Killer Bee Fitness, emphasized healthy lifestyles for Anacapa students during his Breakfast Club presentation. Bob described Anacapa’s fitness opportunities, including a second semester elective course in which students work on personal fitness, strength and the mechanics of exercise. Bob stressed the importance of working out with good technique, and ended his talk with a school-wide squat session!… Read more
Haley Yuhasz – Life After Anacapa: College, Adulthood and Other Scary Things
Haley Yuhasz, Anacapa alumna extraordinaire from the class of 2012, returned to Elloitt Hall to reflect on her experiences while at Anacapa and how they have affected her life in college. Haley is now a sophomore at Northern Arizona University, majoring in Visual Communications with an emphasis in Graphic Design and a minor in Theater. She admitted to being super nervous about college, but now loves college life and even plans to rush for a sorority this coming.… Read more