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Down the Rabbit Hole
“Take some more tea,” the March Hare said to Alice, very earnestly.
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “It’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
“I’ve had nothing yet,” Alice replied in an offended tone: “so I can’t take more.”
“You mean you can’t take less,” said the Hatter: “It’s very easy to take more than nothing.”
The discourse was certainly more civil than it was at the Mad Hatter’s tea party, but the ambience was no less wonderful at the Alice in Wonderland-themed Down the Rabbit Hole fundraising dinner last Saturday evening.
Following in the tradition of 2023’s Secret Garden dinner and 2024’s Great Gatsby dinner, the latest event took inspiration from another classic book that provided a wide range of ideas to work with.
“It’s so fun, unique, and different,” said Grade 12 student Gwenlili J., who organized the event as her capstone project. “There are so many different ways you can go with it.”
Gwenlili was inspired to take on the role of organizing the dinner this year after helping out as a server at the Great Gatsby dinner. “I felt like challenging myself this year,” she said. “I wanted to see what I could bring and see what I could make it into. It was a good experience.”
Gwenlili is a teaching assistant for the Entrepreneurship program, and students in those classes helped come up with the menu. Groups presented their ideas to Gwenlili, and she discussed the possibilities with the kitchen. In the end, they came up with a delectable Wonderland-inflected bill of fare including hors d’oeuvres (mushroom puff; confit tomato bruschetta; ham, fig and cheese tea sandwiches; and cucumber and tzatziki tea sandwiches), starters (Rabbit’s Delight carrot soup and Cheshire caprese) and main courses (The Queen’s Royal Cut steak frites or Enchanted Forest wild rice mushroom risotto).
Guests to the dinner entered the Main Building through a “rabbit hole” installed with the help of the gardening crew, and were greeted by a live rabbit inside. In addition to the food, they were treated to tarot card and tea leaf readings, and artwork and live music provided by students.
The dinner welcomed about 80 guests and raised around $4,000 for a scholarship. Being on a scholarship herself, Gwenlili knows how lucky she is and is happy to pay it forward to students of the future.
“It was busy,” she said. “There was a lot of effort put in. The last couple of days (before the dinner) was chaos, but it came through perfectly in the end. I was so grateful for the help; I couldn’t have done it without everyone’s help.”
The long list of people who helped make the dinner a reality included Entrepreneurship students, Gwenlili’s roommate, Audrey C., Ms. Mariel Solsberg, Mr. Blair Sturrock, Mr. Vince Hale, Mr. Liam Ashton, Mrs. Rainbow Bartlett, Mr. John Bomans, Mr. Rob Vandermeer, and Mr. Dustin Setso.
We acknowledge with respect the Coast Salish Peoples on whose traditional lands and waterways we live, learn and play. We are grateful for the opportunity to share in this beautiful region, and we aspire to healthy and respectful relationships with those who have lived on and cared for these lands for millennia.
Shawnigan Lake School is an independent co-educational boarding school for ages 13 –18 on Canada’s beautiful West Coast. Our diverse, interdisciplinary and innovative programming helps shape the next generation of global leaders.
