My first project week I wanted to do two things: write a short film and make sushi. Of course making sushi didn’t seem feasible. I didn’t know who would sponsor a project like that, and back then you had to connect your projects with one of your activities, and sadly we do not offer a sushi making class (yet). I then remembered talking to one of my Long Fall leaders back in the beginning of the year about how her husband also likes making sushi. He was my creative writing teacher at the time, so I approached him about the project. He told me he would be happy to sponsor me and that I should just write that it connects to creative writing and not to worry about it.

Sure enough, my project got approved and for two weeks we made sushi every night over at his faculty apartment, learning and practicing for a whopping six course sushi meal we were planning for six attendees. Courses included a special roll we made up and lemon sorbet with beet glass. In retrospect, the dessert was the hardest thing to make, even though it had zero connections to sushi.

Fast forward a bit over two years, and we just had our fourth sushi dinner this past fall. We now upgraded to over twelve courses, but kept the six person limitation. Now we have more than one special rolls and more than one overly complicated desserts that take up way too much time. I wouldn’t have thought this was possible back then and I’m still not sure how it all worked out now.

Read more about life at Putney through the eyes of our students.