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!”
Allison “Ally” Raphael ’21
Whenever I am at the track or in a race, I am the youngest. When I race professionally next year, I will be the sole teenage female professional sports car racer in North America. Being the youngest has always pushed me to do my best on and off the track. The more...
Madison Gagnon ’19
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Seeking excellence for me is about rowing. Ever since I fell in love with crew at Bergen County Rowing Academy in seventh grade, all I've wanted to do was row for my school. I wanted to share the strength, the escape,...
Linda Chen ’19
[vc_row][vc_column width="2/3"][vc_column_text] Of all the activity at D-E, I think volleyball has shaped my definition of excellence the most. Everyone on the team knows all too well how important the book Wooden is to us. Written by one of the most successful...
Ryan Rodgers ’19
Throughout my journey at D-E, I have been taught the strong meaning of community. The fall of ninth grade I joined a club on campus, Teens Connecting Communities (TCC). When I joined TCC, I immediately had a moment of realization that many communities aren’t as...
Jordan McKoy ’19
Ever since I was little, I was taught to try to achieve excellence in everything I do. For me, this turned into playing basketball and getting good grades in the classroom. The passion to succeed was instilled in me at a very young age by my mother. She always told me...
About the Village Project
Middle School Construction: September 2018 – March 2019
The Village Project: Middle School Building Construction Update (Beam Signing and Installation 4/12/2019)
BREAKING GROUND FOR THE NEW MIDDLE SCHOOL: PROGRESS TOWARD THE VISION OF THE VILLAGE PROJECT
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Shiny silver shovels were the tools used by participants at the ceremonial groundbreaking for Dwight-Englewood’s new Middle School on September 5. But the event’s true emphasis was on other tools—namely, how the new Middle...
A Message from “Dr. D.”
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Head of School "Dr. D" is seated alongside racer and Upper School student Ally Raphael '21. As I write this, the season is finally blooming and we are preparing for all our traditional spring events that define the close of the...
