Seeing Seattle

We spent our first full day in Seattle getting to know the neighborhood, registering for the conference and taking a 4-hour bus tour of the city with 100 other conference participants. Last night the students attended their first event, a performance of The Wrestling Season, a play that examines issues of identity and that was put on by students from Miami Country Day School. At the same time, our Peer Leader Brittanye trained with fellow leaders in preparation to lead the 1030 students from around the country who are here to take part in the Student Diversity Leadership Conference.

The most eventful part of the day was certainly the unscheduled stop out tour bus made in Chinatown (renamed "the International District" to more accurately reflect the breadth of the resident population, we were told.) Though Bus 1 succeeded in making the turn up a steep hill toward Skid Road, Bus 2 got hung up - literally - at the sharpest angle of the incline, leaving the back bumper stuck in the asphalt and the middle wheels in the air. After much deliberation we evacuated the bus and stood on the sidewalk, watching veteran driver Richard mulling his options while tour guide Nicki tried to distracted her charges from the calamity.

Eventually we got a first-hand example of Seattle friendliness as a team of 5 mechanics appeared out of nowhere with truck jacks and managed to raise the back end and free the vehicle. Though we enjoyed seeing the various Seattle neighborhoods, this moment of excitement (and chance to buy unusual snacks from the Chinese grocery on the corner) was certainly the most invigorating of the day.

The tour ended at the Needle, which we had the chance to ascend at dusk for a lovely view of the city, the sound and the mountains beyond. A great first day of the trip!

On Thursday we begin our conferencing in earnest, and will be at the center from 8 a.m. until 10:30 p.m. The students have already met many of their fellow conferees, and are excited to get into the various workshops, as well as spend social time with students at schools like Brooks around the country.