“The unexamined life is not worth living.” –Socrates (via Mr. Gordon)
Over the past two weeks I have had the pleasure of sitting in on Burt Gordon’s (’86) third form history class. I had heard Mr. Gordon was introducing his students to the Humanities curriculum with a brief survey of our own history: that of Asheville School. I was interested to observe just how attentive our students were to this topic. Would they care? What would the takeaway be? Would they have a new perspective on their place in school history?
Using Amid Rugged Mountains by Steve Levin ‘73 as their text, the class learned about the early history of the School, from its founding to the tenure of Head of School Jack Tyrer. Class activities included a trip to Boyd Chapel and a visit with Archivist Diana Sanderson in the Class of 1923 Memorial Archives, as well as construction of a timeline of school history and discussions based on reading assignments.
As the students learned more about their predecessors and the distinguished names that surround them on our campus, they were also learning valuable skills to assist them in the classroom throughout the years ahead. Mr. Gordon reviewed the importance of taking notes, recording assignments, active reading techniques, and citing textual evidence – skills needed in all curricula at A.S.
I found this particular group of third formers to be engaged and enthusiastic about this subject which is so relevant to their lives. I am looking forward to seeing their contributions to our school as students, athletes, performers, leaders, and more. Mr. Gordon concluded the unit with “Plaque Projects,” a creative assignment aimed to get students thinking about the impact they will make on this campus over the next four years – and beyond. Look out for some of these future developments from the Class of 2016:
- “No Teen Left Behind” program
- Greenhouse
- Fencing center
- Soccer stadium
- New girls dormitory
- Indoor tennis center
- Student Center with roof deck
- Restored Lake Ashnoca
Meredith Bryson
Co-Director of the Cody Annual Fund
