This week the art supplies were out, the new slack line was up in the courtyard, and it was a picturesque preview of spring at SD, rich in colors, flavors, conversations, and connections to each other in the changing of seasons.
This week also marks the end of winter and the beginning of the Lunar New Year, the Year of the Snake. The vibes have been celebratory, resolute with joy with red decorations, singing anthems old and new, attending the parade in San Francisco’s Chinatown, and waking up early to watch the Spring Ball in Mercedes.
Before Monday’s Community Dinner, students from SD’s Asian Student Association framed the significance of gathering together, sharing a presentation with the Upper School community and welcoming speeches with poetry, fashion, and history.
The snake is a sign of transformation; the story of how the snake made its place in the Chinese zodiac is a story of the power of anger and control. Professor of Asian American Studies at SF State Jonathan Lee says this year of the snake is “about shedding the ego, letting go of the past, letting go of anger, letting go of love lost. This is the year where that kind of growth, personal and macro, internal and external, is very much possible.”
Gōngxǐ Fācái 恭喜发财 Panther Nation! In our community, in many ways, we are so fortunate.
– Rachel Greenmyer, Resident Faculty
Photo Credit: Crystal Jimenez, Sally Haskins, Derek Yiu, Melissa Taylor, Adam "Rosie" Rosenthal