07/27/2026
Summer is in full swing in the Cape and Islands region, marked at Gull by a return to the Gull Summer Term. Over four weeks in May and June, we welcomed 10 students to Chilmark, MA to labor, study, and practice student self-governance in place and answer a central question: what makes a place habitable, and what does it mean to inhabit it well?
Transferring the Gull Summer Term to a new location came with new questions. What does it mean to labor well on an island dominated by a tourist and leisure economy? What constitutes an island-based food system, and how might food access be linked to understandings of place and justice?
In new labor partnerships with Dan Martino of Cottage City Oysters, students labored on an aquaculture barge in Vineyard Haven. With Ben Robinson, they worked in a vegetable garden, and in the kitchen, students repurposed gleaned foods from across the island, including local nettle, venison, quahog, and of course, oysters. Students also learned from Betsy Carnie and the team at MVPCS who have designed socially and environmentally responsible food supply systems.
We were thrilled to have visiting faculty members in seminar from across the natural sciences, social sciences, humanities, and arts. Many thanks to our 2026 GST faculty: Amy Alemu, Amity Wilczek, Nitana Greendeer, Hannah Mark, Juli Vanderhoop, Zach Fine, Bo-Mi Choi, and Dan Schillinger.
In year four, some elements of the Gull Summer Term have cemented into tradition. Students hosted a group reading of The Tempest, organized a public speaking night, and deliberated on student self-governance over evening walks.
And yet, each new cohort brings fresh ideas to the GST. Students hosted a conversation with alumni on the value of a Nunnian education, introduced evening song and dance, and enthusiastically churned out buckwheat pastries. Students also engaged with community partners through visits and work parties at: Orange Peel Bakery, Mermaid Farms, Native Earth Teaching Farm, and Martha’s Vineyard Shellfish Group Hatcheries.
Stay tuned for more dispatches and reflections on the critical role of liberal arts education in our current political and ecological moment!
