Crossroads News

Bike Week Gets Crossroads in Gear

Fun campus activities promote health, environmental sustainability.
Sixth-grade student Meaza Light-Orr rode for miles, conquering steep inclines and speeding across downhill passes—all from her perch atop a stationary bicycle under a tent in the Alley at Crossroads.
 
Meaza had joined fellow students as well as faculty and staff for a lunchtime bike workout with experienced spin instructor and Grade 7 Academic Dean Josh Adler, just one of many activities on the 21st Street Campus to celebrate Bike Week in and around Santa Monica.
 
“It was fun,” Meaza says, feeling satisfyingly tired after the half-hour session. “And with biking, there’s less pollution and it’s healthy for you to be active. And it’s enjoyable.”
 
Crossroads has participated in Bike Week for nearly a decade, but this year’s edition was perhaps the most thorough celebration in School history. There were raffle drawings and giveaways for students and employees who biked to campus as well as workshops, classes, tune-ups and even bike-powered smoothie blending sessions for the entire Crossroads community.
 
Another highlight of the designated week came Thursday, when the School hosted a cycling pit stop on 21st Street—complete with drinks and snacks as well as T-shirts for the first 100 students and employees—in honor of Bike to Work Day.
 
Crossroads offers year-round incentives to employees who ride their bikes to work.
 
“We need people to do things other than drive cars and to think about other modes of transportation,” Director of Facilities Gayle Taylor says. “This is all supporting the City’s efforts, and it has just exploded this year. It’s part of our mission.”
 
Gayle attributes the success of this year’s Bike Week to the efforts of Josh, who led high-energy spin classes each day, and Facilities Assistant Ramses Brazao. Physical Education teacher John Climaco emphasized sustainability, putting beautiful bamboo bikes on display.
 
“It’s been an amazing opportunity for community-building,” Josh says. “This has been a major rallying point for the School, and the energy has been awesome.”
 
Adds Meaza: “I really liked Bike Week because it brought everyone together.”
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