The genesis of “Beyond Empire” comes from a personal place. As a first-generation American of Trinidadian immigrants, who came to the US amidst Trinidad’s independence from the UK, Stephen Bailey finds that it is imperative to trace these stories. The central questions of the course ask, “What is it to move beyond empire? How do people understand themselves in a new context? How do you reacquire or reinvent yourself?” What underlies the curriculum is the belief that through investing in the literary worlds of other cultures, students can be world scholars and compassionate readers.
Stephen emphasizes reading a breadth of literary styles like poetry, fiction, non-fiction, etc. to think critically about how language is used. With challenging material from authors and playwrights like Tayeb Salih and Lynn Nottage, Stephen asks for courage from both his students and himself; the courage to ask hard questions and to listen to different voices and opinions. “That is where true inquiry begins!”
Upper School Discusses Immigration in America
Emily Sclafani, Dean for the Class of 2026 and Faculty Advisor for the D-E Political Discussions (D-EPD) Club, recently held an informational session in Hajjar Auditorium on immigration policy in America, attended by Upper School students and D-E faculty/staff. Ms....
D-E Spirit Week Kicks Off
In the run-up to Spirit Week, D-E’s Upper School (US) students showed their school spirit by gathering at the Senior Lot to march together to Solomon Field for the Boys Varsity Soccer game ahead of Homecoming 2025. The theme was Pink Out, in honor of Breast Cancer...
Legacy Families Breakfast Highlights
This past weekend, which was dedicated to Reunion 2025, officially kicked-off with a beloved D-E tradition: the annual Legacy Families Breakfast. Legacy families are those D-E alumni families with children currently attending the School. This year D-E has more than...
The D-E Community Shines a Light on Meaningful Community Service Opportunities
The topic of the Upper School (US) Assembly on Thursday, Oct. 23, was “Meaningful Service at D-E.” Ms. Debbie Rivera Murphy ’11, Dean of Student Life, began the program by asking students to reflect on a quote by Euphemia Creighton, founding Co-Principal of the Dwight...
Innovation In Action: D-E Faculty/Staff Attend EdTechWeek
D-E faculty and staff from all three divisions attended EdTechWeek, a three-day conference in New York that brings together some of the brightest minds in technology and education to tackle some of the most pressing challenges that educators are currently facing,...
D-E Hosts the Model UN Conference
D-E’s Model UN Club (D-EMUN) recently hosted six high schools for the annual D-EMUN conference, a two-day event that simulates the research, negotiations, and resolution writing that occur during United Nations summits. Max Koppelman ’26 and Gabriel Rhodes ’26 were...
South Asian Lower School Students Observe Diwali
Happy Festival of Lights! This week South Asian Lower School (LS) students observed Diwali by dressing in traditional attire. Primarily a Hindu festival, Diwali symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness and is celebrated by illuminating one’s home with...
D-E Parents Discuss ‘Never Enough’
A group of highly engaged parents recently gathered in Hulst House with members of D-E’s Counseling Team to discuss Jennifer Wallace’s book, “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic—and What We Can Do About It.” The book asks readers to consider the...
D-E Juniors Get Immersed in the History of New York City
Mr. Swirbul’s History of New York City class, consisting entirely of juniors, recently took a field trip to Lower Manhattan, where they went on a two-hour tour called “Revolutionary New York.” On the tour, the class learned about important events, people, and places...
Upper School Celebrates Hispanic Heritage
The Upper School concluded Hispanic Heritage Month, celebrated from Sept. 15 through Oct. 15, with an assembly and afternoon food tasting organized by the Latin American Student Affinity Club (LASA). Faculty Advisor and Dean of Student Life Ms. Murphy opened the...
