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.
‘Meet the Challenges and Make It Better’ Presentations
D-E families visited seventh-grade classrooms to listen to students’ “Meet the Challenges and Make It Better” presentations tied to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to address global issues such as climate change, environmental...
Eighth Graders Write Historical Children’s Books
For their American History class, eighth graders wrote and illustrated children’s books based on a historical event from the 1960s. According to Mr. Gautham Akula, Eighth Grade English/ History Teacher, this was a pilot project to teach students “how to create an...
Commencement 2025
The mood was joyous and bittersweet on June 1 as D-E’s graduating seniors, their families, faculty, and staff gathered on Leggett Field for the Commencement ceremony. This momentous event was called to order by Student Government President-Elect Max Koppelman ’26, and...
Kindergarten Zoo
A beloved annual tradition returned to the LS on May 30 when the Kindergarten Zoo was set up by LS teachers Ms. Tricia Fiore P’16,’19, Ms. Kristina Dellefave, Ms. Teresa Cali, and Ms. Meghna Mathur on Mr. Rocky’s Field. Enthusiastic kindergarteners, donning safari...
Sixth Grade Experimental Design Fair
Sixth graders unveiled the results of weeks of scientific research, experimentation, and data analysis for the Sixth Grade Experimental Design Fair, which took place on May 28 in Hajjar Auditorium. “Through hands-on experiments, students have learned to ask meaningful...
Eighth Grade Living Wax Museum
This year’s Eighth Grade Living Wax Museum, facilitated by English Department Faculty Mr. Gautham Akula and Ms. Amanda Burnett, showcased historical figures selected by students. Each student dressed the part and gave a well-rehearsed presentation to families and...
Magic 2025
On May 22, D-E’s school spirit was on full display at the Myrna B. Sherman Gym, where MAGIC happened! Rain kept the annual intramural competition indoors, but it didn’t dampen the sense of community beaming from the rafters. Juniors (Class of 2026) took an early lead...
Senior Selectives & Senior Class Trip
D-E’s Class of 2025 had an active couple of weeks leading up to Commencement on June 1 as part of their Senior Selectives, elective activities organized by US faculty and staff. These included spring roll making, Indian cooking, swing dancing, dog training, and soccer...
Service Learning in Action
Service-learning is an integral aspect of meeting our D-E mission, and as aptly described by Debbie Rivera Murphy ’11, Dean of Student Life, “address[es] compelling societal needs and teach[es] our students why social issues matter for all of us, especially in an...
