On Feb. 13-14, Stevenson hosted Odyssey, a two-day event that invites students to experience unique activities in the fine arts, ranging from card tricks to wood turning. Students are given a schedule with five periods per day, with 40 minutes for each class.

Through a wide assortment of classes, Odyssey celebrates Fine Arts, a field that has largely been on the decline over the past few years. During Odyssey, students play a role in preserving cultures. 

In Kalamkari Painting, they are shown a form of art dating back to 3000 B.C. in India. Through this class, they are effectively preserving Indian culture, as after they learn those skills in this class, they may carry on or spread the word about Kalamkari Art to others. 

“We are trying to pass it [Kalamkari Art] to the next generation for people from different backgrounds,” Instructor Piyas Bhattacharjee said. “Today we have an opportunity to speak on such a big platform with different types of people, especially youngsters.

In another class, wood turning, students can utilize the skills they learn in the class to build various objects, like pens and rings. As a result, the classes introduce them to newer and more unique hobbies. 

“There’s almost nothing you can’t do with wood turning as far as shaping wood,” said Clint Stevens, an instructor of the wood turning class.  

Furthermore, students get to have unique experiences on topics they likely have never encountered before. From Stand Up Comedy to Chalk Calligraphy, students are pushed out of their comfort zones and encouraged to express themselves in a different way compared to their regular academic schedules.

“My first class was a chalk calligraphy class, and it was something I never imagined myself doing before,” Lucia Gutierrez ’27 said. “But once I tried it out for the first time, I found it was really interesting.”

As a result of providing these experiences in replacement of a school day, Guttierrez believes that Odyssey has allowed students to take a step back from the mental stresses of school. By doing so, she believes it makes the Stevenson community more socially connected as a school.

“It lets us connect with new people and maybe see our friends we haven’t seen in a while,” said Gutierrez. “And we get to experience things outside our comfort zone.”