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!”
Crew
“All three of our D-E Crew levels – JV, Freshman, and Development – had an excellent year. Highlights included the Mercer Lake Sprints, during which Anna Ibarguen ‘25 and Georgia Unger ‘25 rowed in two events, beating several boats in each, and “hot seating”...
Boys & Girls Golf
“What a terrific 2024 season for D-E Golf! We started the first ever Girls Golf Team in D-E history! The Girls Golf Team finished with a record of 1-4-1 but is a young team (all Freshman) and will continue to improve with more competitive experience. The Boys Golf...
Girls Lacrosse
“We finished the 2024 season with a record of 6-12 [4-3 in league for 4th place]. Co-Captain Alexa Kobre ‘24 had one of her best seasons for us, leading the way in terms of maturity, general teamwork and energy. Junior Co-Captains Dani Weis ‘25 and Presley...
Varsity Ultimate
“This was without question the most successful season that D-E Ultimate has ever had. The team peaked at the right time, going 2-1 in pool play at the NJ State Tournament to earn a bye into the quarterfinals. The Bulldogs crushed their rivals from Columbia 13-5 in the...
Boys’ Track & Field Team
“Our captains Noah Thomas ‘24, Andersen Thompson ‘25, and Jack Park ‘25 helped to lead Boys’ Track & Field to some outstanding results, both for the entire team and individual athletes. Notable highlights from the past season included the following: 3rd place...
Girls’ Track & Field Team
“The Girls’ Track & Field Team was capably and enthusiastically led by our captains, Emma Hsu ‘25, Sydney Mallow ‘25, Razil Fernandes ‘24, and Uma Rajan ‘24. These athletes were the backbone of the girls’ program, setting the example for the younger...
Varsity Boys Tennis
“The Boys Varsity Tennis Team finished the season with a 21-3 won-loss record, after being eliminated from the state tournament at the hands of a tough Delbarton team by a score of 4 to 1. The team went 14-0 in league play to win their (at least) 17th consecutive...
MS Boys Tennis
“We had a great season! We were lucky enough to have over 30 boys try out for the team, and although it is always a difficult heart wrenching decision, it is great to see the passion young people have for tennis. After tryouts, we were able to winnow the number down...
MS Girls Lacrosse
“During this season, the girls improved a great deal and they were lots of fun to coach! We had 16 girls on the roster, two (2) of whom were willing to play goalie. All the girls were willing to try playing several positions, which was so helpful. Best of all,...
MS Softball
“What a great winning season for MS Softball! We had a team of all 7th graders and 6th graders. Thanks in part to pitching by Lilly Katz ‘29 and catching by Emma Macmeikan ‘29, we had some memorable moments including a comeback win over Passaic with a grand slam...
