Meredith (“Mimi”) Garcia had the unique challenge of teaching “Apocalyptic Lit” amidst the COVID-19 hybrid year. Still, the central questions of the course remained, “Will the apocalypse bring total annihilation, transcendence, bloodthirsty zombies, or all of the above? Will it bring people together or tear them apart?” As a medium, fiction allows for distance from both the material and reality, enough to critically engage with the text. Despite the fantastical, sci-fi qualities to apocalyptic literature, Mimi stresses that each text, from The Walking Dead to Kazuo Ishiguro’s Never Let Me Go, speak to questions of human nature and of hope.
Mimi’s new course offering, “Globalization, Literature, & Film”, investigates how globalization and media have come to shape each other and our everyday lives. The course utilizes films like Akira Kurosawa’s Rashomon (1950) and Walter Salles’ Motorcycle Diaries (2004) to discuss how politics, history, and cross-cultural encounters come to manifest in film. Mimi notes that the entire film industry and how we have come to watch film also plays a role in how we analyze and reflect on the relationship between literature and media—to be both critical of the past and the present.
Grade 10 Honors English Classes Compare Notes on Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon
D-E’s Grade 10 Honors English classes gathered in Hajjar Auditorium to analyze Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon, a coming-of-age novel about a Black man that blends elements of fantasy and reality. The activity was led by Grade 10 Dean Stephanie “Tuc” Tucker, English...
Critical Mass US Robotics Team Now Headed to State
On Sunday, our Upper School (US) Robotics Teams, Critical Mass (Varsity) and Absolute Zero (JV), competed in the Bergen County League Tournament in Emerson, NJ. According to US Robotics Coach Chris Fleischl, in qualification matches, Critical Mass held a record of 4-1...
D-E Students Exemplify ‘Innovation in Action’ During the Engineering Challenge
Last week, the Upper School’s 3D-Engineering (3D-E) Club and the Imperatore Library co-hosted the annual Science Buddies Engineering Challenge at D-E in recognition of National Engineers Week. US/MS students participated in the project, which consisted of building a landing pad for a paper rocket, meant to emulate the design of a “rocket catcher” in the real world. Jackson Chang ’25, a 3D-E student leader, said this project “gives people–in a kid-friendly way–the opportunity to dabble in engineering design.”
Innovation Coordinator Colleen Larionoff, who facilitated the challenge for the MS students, remarked that these activities are a great example of “innovation in action” because they aren’t tied to a class, and this gives students more freedom to explore and make mistakes. Seventh grader Ken Escobar ’30, said he participated in the challenge because “I feel like it’s an opportunity for collaboration… and now that I’m immersed in it, it seems fun.”
Bulldog Ice Hockey Clubs Ends its Season with a Stunning Win
Last Friday the Bulldog Ice Hockey Club Team competed in the Fieldston Cup Lightning Tournament, a 3-team hockey event consisting of 20-minute "lightning" games at the Riverbank State Park rink on Manhattan's West Side. Teams were D-E, host Fieldston, and Poly Prep....
Seniors “Countdown Coffee”: 100 Days Until Commencement 2025!
The Class of 2025 recently celebrated their official 100 days mark before Commencement, which will be held on Sunday, June 1, 2025. The seniors gathered in Hajjar Auditorium for coffee, hot chocolate, donuts and conversation...
D-E Reunion 2024 Distinguished Alumni
D-E Reunion 2024 Athletic Hall of Fame
D-E Reunion 2024 Sizzle Reel
D-E Reunion 2024 Faculty Classrooms
BackStage with Mean Girls US Winter Musical!
D-E Performing Arts is excited to present the Upper School production of “Mean Girls: High School Version” in Schenck Auditorium, starting next Thursday, Feb. 27! Come along with the D-E stage crew to take a backstage look at all the hard work that goes into building...