As part of its growing program to engage students, faculty-staff, and parents in learning and reflection, this year D-E extended invitations to educators, scholars, writers, journalists and some students to offer conversations in our community. Faculty-staff began the year with the leaders of Making Caring Common at Harvard University, and were engaged in a series of conversations designed to help them reflect upon the historical impact of race and racism as part of professional learning for diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. In the fall, students across the divisions were offered a series of “Election Reflection” conversations in advance of the 2020 Presidential election. After the election, the DEfining series continued with guest speakers and panel discussions across a range of engaging topics.
In anticipation of the 2020 Presidential Election, D-E sought to prepare our students by presenting them with a variety of election-related topics and conversations intended to engage them in critical thinking and respectful conversation. In the Lower School, teachers facilitated multimedia lessons and conversations in their classroom spaces teaching younger students about leadership, voting, elections, and the importance of honoring different perspectives. Knowing that the election would be fraught, as a school, we wanted to encourage our Middle and Upper School students to be in civil dialogue with each other across their diverse political beliefs while presenting them with perspectives from scholars, journalists, public figures, and their own history teachers to inspire intellectual reflection. The Election-Reflection events in the Middle and Upper Schools were as follows.
September 23, 2020
“A Bulldog’s Guide to Ideology”
PRESENTED/FACILITATED BY DR. SHAWN CLYBOR & MR. ALEX RUSSELL-WALKER
Doesn’t it seem like we can’t talk about anything these days without it getting political? Everything is so fraught. You’re either on our side or their side. You’re either liberal or you’re conservative. Democrat or Republican. Black lives or Blue lives. These either/or categories trap our minds — once we accept them, we lose our ability to see anything else. But what if we zoomed out for a moment and considered the larger arc of history?
September 30, 2020
“The Cost of Free Speech”
Presented/facilitated by Dr. Marcia Chatelain, Georgetown University
During the fraught election season and in our historical moment of contention and inconsistency, we were asked to think about the true treasure of free speech—not dogma, not certainty, but the product of an engaged, intellectual process that emerges when conflict is not avoided but understood as the price of truly free speech.
Dr. Marcia Chatelain
Dr. Marcia Chatelain is a Professor of History and African American Studies at Georgetown University. She is the author of the book, South Side Girls: Growing up in the Great Migration and hosts Office Hours: A Podcast.
October 1, 2020
“The 2020 Presidential Election Compared to Other Important Elections in American History”
presented by Mr. James Aitken and Mr. Jonathan Davis
Many adults were proclaiming that the 2020 election would be the most important in American history. Have we had contentious elections before? How do they compare to this one? What makes an election more significant than other elections?
Middle School Principal Jonathan Davis and 7th Grade Dean James Aitken presented a joint lecture using a comparative historical lens on the U.S.’s electoral system.
Jonathan Davis
Jonathan Davis attended Washington University in St. Louis, where he majored in History and focused on the early American time period. His senior thesis examined Constitutional ratification in North Carolina and the political issues of the early United States. He began his educational career in St. Louis teaching history at Whitfield School to students in both Middle and High School. He also has taught history and English in St. Petersburg at Shorecrest Preparatory School, before moving into school administration. He is the Middle School Principal.
James Aitken
James Aitken graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Political Science. While there he wrote his thesis on Campaign Finance Reform. James also has a Master’s in history from Simmons College and an Ed. Specialist degree from Northern Colorado University. James has taught history in Massachusetts, New York, and at Dwight-Englewood. He is currently 7th grade Dean and teaches a Media Studies & Current Events course.
October 7, 2020
“Antisocial: How Social Media is Hijacking Modern Conversation”
Presented by Mr. Andrew Marantz, The New Yorker
How much of your life is online? Not just your social life, but your news, entertainment, and how you form your worldview? New Yorker staff writer and the author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation, Andrew Marantz, traced how the unthinkable becomes reality: social media has hijacked the global conversation. With clarity and courage, Marantz shared how we got into this mess—and how we can get out.
Mr. Andrew Marantz
New Yorker staff writer and the author of Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation
October 13, 2020
“Election-Reflection, Upper School 1/2 Day of Learning & Discussion”
Christine Todd Whitman
Governor Whitman served in the cabinet of President George W. Bush as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency from January of 2001 until June of 2003. She was the 50th Governor of the State of New Jersey, serving as its first woman governor from 1994 until 2001.
Mr. Andrew Langer
Mr. Langer is the President of the Institute for Liberty, an aggressive defender of the rights of individuals to pursue the American dream, and whose goal is to be the preeminent organization pushing back against the expansion of the state, putting a stop to policies that will undermine that which has made this nation great.
Ms. Carla Gutierrez
Carla Gutierrez is an Emmy and ACE Eddie nominated documentary editor. She cut the Oscar nominated film “RBG”, about the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her fight for gender equality. “RBG” premiered at Sundance and was released theatrically worldwide. It won the National Board of Review Award for Best Documentary, the Critics Choice Award for Best Political Documentary, and a DuPont-Columbia Award. She is a member of the Academy of Motion Pictures and the American Cinema Editors. Carla received a Masters in Documentary Film from Stanford University.
Professor Bryan Fair
Professor Fair earned his law degree from UCLA, worked as an associate with Bryan, Cave, McPheeters & McRoberts in Los Angeles. In 1987, he later joined the UCLA law faculty. Professor Fair joined the Alabama law faculty in 1991 and was named the Thomas E. Skinner Professor of Law in 2000. Professor Fair has held several administrative posts at the Law School and the University. He is the author of “Notes of a Racial Caste Baby: Colorblindness and the End of Affirmative Action”.
October 22, 2020
“The Power of a Vote: With Power Comes Responsibility”
America’s system and history of voting
MS assembly presented by Mr. Bryan Kessler
Eighth grade history teacher and Middle School History Curriculum Coordinator Bryan Kessler presented the Middle School community with an overview and investigation into the U.S.’s history on voting and voting rights.
Bryan Kessler
Bryan Kessler earned his undergraduate degree in Art History from Rutgers College, his Master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Virginia, and his teaching credential in History from the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Prior to teaching, he worked in curation and publications at the Museum of Modern Art and the Museum of Jewish Heritage: A Living Memorial to the Holocaust as well as designing museum exhibitions for James Madison’s Montpelier and the Fredericksburg Historical Museum. He has been fortunate to teach to all age ranges, from elementary through college through adult education. Prior to joining Dwight-Englewood, he served for 5 years as a member of the Nevada Governor’s Advisory Council on Holocaust Education where he designed curriculum for the 3rd largest school district in the nation on utilizing the lessons of the Holocaust to frame Anti-Bias. He has worked with and been a consultant for the Anti-Defamation League, Yad Vashem, and Steven Spielberg’s Shoah Foundation where he was named a “Person of Impact.” He is currently an 8th grade history teacher and Middle School History Curriculum Coordinator at Dwight-Englewood School.
October 28, 2020
“The Presidency and the 2020 Election: A Primer for What’s Coming”
US assembly presented by Mr. Philip Swirbul
During this assembly, we explored the historical context necessary for understanding the importance, process, and possible outcomes of “the most important election of our lifetimes.” Upper School History teacher Philip Swirbul engaged us with a deepdive into electoral politics and the importance of the presidency. Among topics addressed were a broad overview of the office, how the Electoral College works, past controversial elections and possible lessons for today––– how identity impacts voting, and a few tips on how to stay informed and calm in a contentious period in our nation’s history.
Philip Swirbul
Phil Swirbul majored in U.S. History and French literature at Washington and Lee University before receiving a Masters degree in American History at UCLA. He has been teaching at Dwight-Englewood since the last year of the Reagan administration (look it up!), and is currently teaching AP US History, Industry and War, History Honors Seminar, and the American Presidency.
October 29, 2020
“Hindsight 2020: Media and Journalism in Weird Times”
A MS assembly Panel Discussion
Dr. Reniqua Allen
Dr. Reniqua Allen is a journalist who produces and writes for various outlets on issues of race, opportunity, politics and popular culture. Her first book, “It Was All A Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America”, about Black millennials and upward mobility is out now from Bold Type Books/Hachette. She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, The New Republic, Quartz, Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue, Glamour and more, and has produced a range of films, video, and radio for PBS, MSNBC, WYNC and HBO. Dr. Allen holds BA/MA in Journalism and Political Science from American University and a Ph.D in American Studies from Rutgers University. She is currently working on two new projects about Black popular culture and the American Dream and Black women and motherhood. She lives in the South Bronx.
Ms. Susie Banikarim
Ms. Susie Banikarim joined VICE News in January 2020 as EVP and Global Head of Newsgathering. Based in VICE’s Brooklyn headquarters, Ms. Banikarim oversees newsgathering functions and daily newsroom operations for all of VICE News’ bureaus working across New York, Washington DC, London and LA as well as the news organization’s multi-award winning digital and social divisions. An award-winning journalist, director and producer, Banikarim most recently was the Editorial Director and Executive Vice President of Gizmodo Media Group where she set editorial strategy and oversaw Deadspin, Gizmodo, Jalopnik, Jezebel, Kotaku, Lifehacker, Splinter and The Root. She has received the Edward R. Murrow Award for feature reporting and five Emmy® Award nominations. Ms. Banikarim is a cum laude graduate of Barnard College and has a master’s degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism.
Ms. Juju Chang
Ms. Juju Chang is an Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America” and “20/20.” She has covered major breaking news for decades for ABC News, including the extensive COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout on hospital ICUs, health care and essential workers. Ms. Chang covered Superstorm Sandy, the Orlando nightclub massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Northern California, Ms. Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a B.A. in political science and communication.
Ms. Zahra Mamdani
Ms. Zahra Mamdani was a journalist for 12 years before joining the D-E Library team. Most recently, she worked as a Field Producer for HBO’s “Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel,” where she won an Emmy and a duPont award for her investigative reporting. She is a graduate of Columbia’s School of Journalism. She likes old books, new movies and cycling around the neighborhood with her son.
November 2, 2020
“Election Day and Beyond: Staying Connected as a Community”
with Dr. De Jarnett, Soham Bafana ’25, Sofia Bella Huie-Pasigan ’23, Aidan Hunter ’21, Jack Kobre ’21, and Georgia Unger ’25
A student-moderated Roundtable Assembly for the Middle and Upper Schools
Rodney De Jarnett
Head of School
November 18, 2020
“Jon Meacham, Pulitzer-winning Historian and Writer”
A Middle and Upper School Zoom Assembly
We were happy to host Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Jon Meacham who offered the D-E community some learning and reflection in a post-election “Election-Reflection” gathering. Mr. Meacham is one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. Known as a skilled orator with a depth of knowledge about politics, religion, and current affairs, Meacham brought historical context to the issues and events impacting our daily lives.
Jon Meacham
We are happy to host Presidential historian and Pulitzer Prize-winning Author Jon Meacham who will offer the D-E community some learning and reflection in a post-election “Election-Reflection” gathering. Mr. Meacham is one of America’s most prominent public intellectuals. Known as a skilled orator with a depth of knowledge about politics, religion, and current affairs, Meacham brings historical context to the issues and events impacting our daily lives. His latest #1 New York Times bestseller, The Soul of America: The Battle for Our Better Angels, examines the present moment in American politics and life by looking back at critical times in U.S. history when hope overcame division and fear. HBO has produced a documentary film based on Mr. Meacham’s book. Named a “Global Leader for Tomorrow” by the World Economic Forum, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, a fellow of the Society of American Historians, and chairs the National Advisory Board of the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University. Meacham is a Distinguished Visiting Professor of History at The University of the South and a Visiting Distinguished Professor at Vanderbilt. He is currently at work on a biography of James and Dolley Madison.
Our school’s speaker series program DEFining Community through Conversation, sought to bring experts from a range of fields and experiences to engage with our students, faculty and staff. The series was designed to open conversation about academic endeavors and perspectives across disciplines, to engage students in critical thinking about pressing local, national and global issues, and to inspire social-emotional connection, self- and community-care. Some presentations were student-driven, others involved student moderators, and some were invited guests who presented to our community and answered questions. The following events were offered in the D-E community in the academic year 2020-2021.
January 20, 2021
“post Election Reflection”
An Upper School Assembly and panel discussion with Professors and members of Black Affinity and South Asian Culture Club
As the United States transitioned to a new Presidential administration, there was much celebration of and talk about President-Elect Kamala Harris as a “first” – the first Black VP, the first South Asian VP, the first woman VP, the first multiracial VP, etc. On Inauguration day, a panel of scholars and educators helped us learn about and contextualized the multiple identities that Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris embodies and the significance of her role as Vice President in our multicultural nation. We learned about some of the historical experiences of South Asian and Black folks in the USA, the complexities of racial-ethnic identities, relations between Black and South Asian communities, and matters of race and racism in 2021.
Myra Washington
Myra Washington is Associate professor in the Department of Communication and Journalism at the University of New Mexico. She has published articles in the Journal of Sport & Social Issues; Journal of Communication Inquiry; Communication, Culture & Critique; and the Howard Journal of Communications. Her work revolves around representations of race, mixed-race, gender, and sexuality within popular culture. Most recently her research has focused on non-White racially mixed people (specifically Blasians — Black + Asian).
Maya Gunaseharan ‘08
Maya Gunaseharan ‘08 is a proud lifer and graduate of the Dwight-Englewood School and a proud multi-racial, Black and Indian identifying woman. She is a graduate of Cornell’s School of Industrial & Labor Relations, and returned to D-E to serve as the Director of Student Activities for 4 years. In 2019, she received her master’s in educational leadership & societal change from Soka University of America, where she now serves as the Manager for Diversity Initiatives & Community Building.
Nitasha Sharma
Nitasha Sharma is an Associate Professor of African American Studies and Asian American Studies at Northwestern University, where she is the Director of the Asian American Studies Program. She has published books on Asian American hip hop artists, Asian and Black relations, and Black life in the Hawaiian Islands. Dr. Sharma teaches courses on Asian and Black relations in the US, Critical Mixed Race Studies, and Black Popular Culture.
February 3, 2021
“American History and You:
A Conversation with Professor
Erica Armstrong Dunbar”
A Middle and Upper School Black History Month Zoom Assembly
How do we learn history? Whose voices and experiences do we explore? In 2021, how can we think in expanded ways about U.S. history, to have a full reckoning with the complexity of our nation’s path from the past to the present? In this conversation with a renowned historian, the D-E community had the opportunity to reflect upon some of the incredible triumphs of survival and the beautiful history of resistance found in the stories of Americans of African descent.
Dr. Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Erica Armstrong Dunbar is the Charles & Mary Beard Professor of History at Rutgers University. She also served as the first Director of the Program in African American History at the Library Company of Philadelphia, and is currently the National Director of the Association of Black Women Historians.
February 24, 2021
Upper School
2nd Annual Connections Day, focused on wellness and well-being
Dr. Sayantani DasGupta
Originally trained in pediatrics and public health, Sayantani DasGupta, MD MPH, is Senior Lecturer in the Graduate Program in Narrative Medicine, The Center for the Study of Ethnicity and Race, and the Institute for Comparative Literature and Society, all at Columbia University. She is a New York Times-bestselling children’s fantasy author, and you can learn more about her work at www.sayantanidasgupta.com. Dr. Sayantani is also a proud D-E parent.
Ms. Julia D’Angelo Orlando ’83
Julia Orlando is the Director of the Bergen County Housing, Health and Human Services Center in Hackensack, NJ whose mission is to end homelessness in Bergen County. Ms. Orlando has over 25 years of clinical and managerial experience developing and providing social services in New York and New Jersey to individuals with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders, and others experiencing chronic homelessness, prisoner reentry or involved in jail diversion programs. She is a member of the Bergen County Human Services Advisory Council and the Mental Health Board Professional Advisory Committee and serves as a Board of Trustee member for New Bridge Medical Center and Habitat for Humanity of Bergen County as well as an advisor to the Alliance Against Homelessness and the NJ Coalition to End Homelessness.
Middle School
Building a Better Community: Engaging with Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
Dr. Chris Emdin
Dr. Emdin is a social critic, public intellectual and science advocate whose commentary on issues of race, culture, inequality and education have appeared in dozens of influential periodicals including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and the Washington Post. He is the creator of the #HipHopEd social media movement, and a much sought-after public speaker on a number of topics that include hip-hop education, STEM education, politics, race, class, diversity, and youth empowerment. He is also an advisor to numerous international organizations, school districts, and schools.
Mr. Sonny Singh
Sonny Singh earned his Master’s Degree in Social Justice Education at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst in 2003, where he studied and practiced the art of using education for equity and social justice. Sonny has worked as a workshop facilitator in a number of racial justice organizations, and he has been an advocate for youth in New York City. Along with being an accomplished social justice educator, Sonny is an original member of the acclaimed Brooklyn Bhangra band, Red Baraat, in which he plays trumpet and sings!
March 3, 2021
“The Stories Behind the Stories”
A Student-Moderated Conversation with Journalists
An Upper School Assembly Panel Discussion
in Honor of Women’s History Month
Dr. Reniqua Allen
Dr. Reniqua Allen is a journalist who produces and writes for various outlets on issues of race, opportunity, politics and popular culture. Her first book, “It Was All A Dream: A New Generation Confronts the Broken Promise to Black America”, about Black millennials and upward mobility is out now from Bold Type Books/Hachette. She has written for the New York Times, Washington Post, Guardian, The New Republic, Quartz, Buzzfeed, Teen Vogue, Glamour and more, and has produced a range of films, video, and radio for PBS, MSNBC, WYNC and HBO. Dr. Allen holds BA/MA in Journalism and Political Science from American University and a Ph.D in American Studies from Rutgers University. She is currently working on two new projects about Black popular culture and the American Dream and Black women and motherhood. She lives in the South Bronx.
Ms. Juju Chang
Ms. Juju Chang is an Emmy Award-winning co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline.” She also reports regularly for “Good Morning America” and “20/20.” She has covered major breaking news for decades for ABC News, including the extensive COVID-19 pandemic and the fallout on hospital ICUs, health care and essential workers. Ms. Chang covered Superstorm Sandy, the Orlando nightclub massacre and the Boston Marathon bombing. Born in Seoul, South Korea, and raised in Northern California, Ms. Chang graduated with honors from Stanford University with a B.A. in political science and communication.
Ms. Chelsia Rose Marcius
Ms. Chelsia Rose Marcius is a criminal justice reporter at the New York Daily News who covers New York City jails, New York State prisons and problem-solving courts. She has traveled across the country to cover some of the biggest breaking national stories of the decade, including the mass shooting in Las Vegas; the marathon bombing in Boston; the Ariel Castro kidnappings in Cleveland; the Pulse shooting in Orlando; and the Sandy Hook school shooting in Newtown, CT. Ms. Marcius is also an adjunct journalism professor at New York University.
Sofia Bella Huie-Pasigan ’23
Sofia Bella Huie-Pasigan is a student of the Class of 2023. She is heavily involved in local social justice causes and politics, such as her work in Asian Youth for Civic Engagement. An active member of Latinx Affinity and Student Government, and a participant in the Upper School Equity & Diversity Engagement Leadership Program, Sofia Bella worked on the D-E Constructing Privilege Conference in April. She is on a continuous mission to bring community dialogue opportunities to D-E.
Serin Koh ’21
Serin Koh is a recent graduate of the Class of 2021. She was one of the editors-in-chief for Spectrum, the Upper School paper, and was also published in NYU Spectrum, an online publication for their high school summer journalism program. In Fall 2021, Serin will attend Washington University in St. Louis.
March 17, 2021
“Maria Smilios”
Educator and Author of The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis
LS assembly
We welcomed author Maria Smilios to our Lower School. Her book “Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped cure Tuberculosis” tells the true story of 300 Black nurses who helped prevent a public health crisis in New York. In 1929, when white nurses staged a walk-out at Staten Island’s 2000-bed TB sanatorium. Health officials made the decision to sanction a national call for “colored nurses”. We were thrilled to have Smilios share these untold stories of unsung heroes.
Maria Smilios
Maria Smilios is the author of the forthcoming book “The Black Angels: The Untold Stories of the Nurses who helped Cure Tuberculosis”. The book will be published in the United States by An Oprah Book, in Germany by Mohrbooks books, and in the United Kingdom by Virago Books. A New York City native, Maria has a Masters of Arts from Boston University in Religion & Literature where she was a Henry Luce Scholar and a Presidential Scholar and where she taught Essay & Research writing in the university’s writing program. In the past, Maria has written for Narratively, The Guardian, The Rumpus, Dame Magazine, The Jewish Daily Forward among others.
April 7, 2021
Richard Blanco Poet-in-Residence (Virtual)
WE WERE HONORED TO BE IN CONVERSATION WITH THIS ESTEEMED POET WHO WAS PRESENT WITH THE D-E COMMUNITY ALL DAY FOR THE FOLLOWING EVENTS:
The son of Cuban-exiles, Richard Blanco is known for his astounding poetry and prose. President Barack Obama selected Blanco in 2012 to serve as the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history––the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve in such a role. We were honored to have such a decorated poet, writing fellow, and educator, come speak with all our divisions and community members with the:
- Middle and Upper School Assembly
- Upper School Creative Writing Classes
- Lower School Assembly with 4th and 5th Graders
- A professional development conversation for all faculty and staff,”Engaging Poetry Across the Disciplines”
- A student gathering in the early evening hosted by Latinx Affinity and the GSA”
Richard Blanco
Richard Blanco is the fifth presidential inaugural poet in U.S. history—the youngest, first Latino, immigrant, and gay person to serve in such a role. Born in Madrid to Cuban exile parents and raised in Miami, the negotiation of cultural identity and place characterize his body of work. He is the author of the poetry collections Looking for the Gulf Motel, Directions to the Beach of the Dead, and City of a Hundred Fires; the poetry chapbooks Matters of the Sea, One Today, and Boston Strong; a children’s book of his inaugural poem, “One Today,” illustrated by Dav Pilkey; and Boundaries, a collaboration with photographer Jacob Hessler. His latest book of poems, How to Love a Country (Beacon Press, 2019), both interrogates the American narrative, past and present, and celebrates the still unkept promise of its ideals. He has also authored the memoirs The Prince of Los Cocuyos: A Miami Childhood and For All of Us, One Today: An Inaugural Poet’s Journey. Blanco’s many honors include the Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize from the University of Pittsburgh Press, the PEN/Beyond Margins Award, the Paterson Poetry Prize, a Lambda Literary Award, and two Maine Literary Awards. He has been a Woodrow Wilson Visiting Fellow and received honorary doctorates from Macalester College, Colby College, and the University of Rhode Island. He has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and NPR’s Fresh Air. The Academy of American Poets named him its first Education Ambassador in 2015. Blanco has continued to write occasional poems for organizations and events such as the re-opening of the U.S. embassy in Havana. He lives with his partner in Bethel, ME.
April 15, 2021
“Marilyn Nelson”
Award-Winning Poet
A Middle School Assembly in celebration of National Poetry Month
For National Poetry Month, we were honored to host poet, children’s book author, and professor, Marilyn Nelson. A former poet laureate of Connecticut and a winner of the Frost Medal and several other accolades, She is the author or translator of over twenty books and five chapbooks of poetry for adults and children. While most of her work deals with historical subjects, in 2014 she published a memoir, named one of NPR’s Best Books of 2014, entitled How I Discovered Poetry.
Marilyn Nelson
Marilyn Nelson is the author or translator of seventeen poetry books and the memoir “How I Discovered Poetry”. She is also the author of “The Fields Of Praise: New And Selected Poems”, which won the 1998 Poets’ Prize, Carver: “A Life In Poems”, which won the 2001 Boston Globe/Hornbook Award and the Flora Stieglitz Straus Award, and Fortune’s Bones, which was a Coretta Scott King Honor Book and won the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry. Nelson’s honors include two NEA creative writing fellowships, the 1990 Connecticut Arts Award, a Fulbright Teaching Fellowship, a fellowship from the J.S. Guggenheim Memorial Foundation, and the Frost Medal. She was the Poet Laureate of the State of Connecticut from 2001-2006.
April 15, 2021
“Joseph Bruchac“
Writer & Storyteller
Two Lower School Assemblies
We were delighted to host storyteller, Joseph Bruchac, to our Lower School. For over forty years, Joseph Bruchac has been creating literature and music that reflect his indigenous heritage and traditions. He is a proud Nulhegan Abenaki citizen and respected elder among his people. His best selling “Keepers of the Earth: Native American Stories and Environmental Activities for Children” series, with its remarkable integration of science and folklore, continue to receive critical acclaim and to be used in classrooms throughout the country.
Joseph Bruchac
Joseph Bruchac is a writer and traditional storyteller from the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. He is the founder and Executive Director of the Greenfield Review Literary Center and The Greenfield Review Press. Author of over 170 books in several genres for young readers and adults, much of his writing draws on his Native ancestry. His most recent books include “Peacemaker”, a novel taking place during the founding of the Iroquois League, “One Real American”, a biography of Ely Parker, Seneca Chief and Civil War general, and “Rez Dogs”, a novel in verse.
April 21, 2021
Hanna Wechsler:
A Survivor Speaks
An Upper School Assembly in Commemoration of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance
We had the privilege of hearing from author and Holocaust survivor, Hanna Wechsler. Weschler is the author of her biography “In Spite of it All”. Born in a small town in Poland in 1936, Wechsler and her family fled Poland when Hitler invaded the nation in 1939. They escaped to Hungary with false papers, living in Hungary until she and her family were captured and imprisoned in Auschwitz. She survived Auschwitz, reuniting with her father in Krakow. She now has spent the last 45 years educating the youth on the horrors of the Holocaust, preaching that with resilience and hope, one can prevail.
Hannah Weschler
Hannah was born in a small town in Poland in 1936. Her happy childhood was disrupted in 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland, and Hanna’s family went into hiding. Hanna and her mother were eventually deported to Auschwitz where they witnessed terrible abuse, starvation, disease and death. She and her mother miraculously survived, and they were eventually reunited with Hanna’s father after the war. Ms. Wechsler has dedicated the last 45 years to educating youth about the horrors of the Holocaust. She is the author of the book In “Spite of it All”.
April 29, 2021
“Paisley Rekdal and Danez Smith”
An Upper School Assembly in Celebration of National Poetry Month
Hosted by the English Department and Imperatore Library
We had the pleasure of conversing with two astounding poets, Paisley Rekdaal and Danez Smith.Through Zoom, they shared their poetry and the histories and stories that are interwoven in them. Poetry remains a crucial medium of hope, discovery, and collective and self reflection.
Paisley Rekdal
Paisley Rekdal is the author of a book of essays and five books of poetry. Her newest work of nonfiction is a book-length essay, The Broken Country: On Trauma, a Crime, and the Continuing Legacy of Vietnam. A new collection of poems, Nightingale, which rewrites many of the myths in Ovid’s The Metamorphoses, was published spring 2019. Her work has received a Guggenheim Fellowship, the Amy Lowell Poetry Traveling Fellowship, a Fulbright Fellowship, a Civitella Ranieri Residency, a National Endowment for the Arts Fellowship, Pushcart Prizes (2009, 2013), Narrative’s Poetry Prize, the AWP Creative Nonfiction Prize, and various state arts council awards. She is a Distinguished Professor at the University of Utah, where she is also the creator and editor of West: A Translation, as well as the community web projects Mapping Literary Utah and Mapping Salt Lake City. In May 2017, she was named Utah’s Poet Laureate and received a 2019 Academy of American Poets’ Poets Laureate Fellowship.
Danez Smith
Danez Smith is a Black, Queer, Poz writer & performer from St. Paul, MN. Danez is the author and winner of the Forward Prize for Best Collection, the Midwest Booksellers Choice Award, and a finalist for the National Book Award, and “[insert] boy” (YesYes Books, 2014), winner of the Kate Tufts Discovery Award and the Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry. They are the recipient of fellowships from the Poetry Foundation, the McKnight Foundation, the Montalvo Arts Center, Cave Canem, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Danez’s work has been featured widely including on Buzzfeed, The New York Times, PBS NewsHour, Best American Poetry, Poetry Magazine, and on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Danez has been featured as part of Forbes’ annual 30 Under 30 list and is the winner of a Pushcart Prize. They are a member of the Dark Noise Collective and is the co-host of VS with Franny Choi, a podcast sponsored by the Poetry Foundation and Postloudness.
May 15, 2021
“NJ Attorney General Gurbir Grewal”
with student moderators Sarah Chun, Diya Daryanni, and Gabe Perez
An Assembly for the 4th & 5th Grade and the Middle School
In Celebration of Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month
We were incredibly grateful to have NJ Attorney Gurbir S. Grewal speak with us for Asian Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Grewal was confirmed by the State Senate and assumed the office of New Jersey Attorney General on January 16, 2018. An accomplished attorney and Prosecutor, Mr. Grewal has had a wide range of experience in law enforcement, strengthening police-community relations, reducing violent crime and fighting corruption, terrorism, and the opioid epidemic.
Attorney General Gurbir Grewal
Gurbir S. Grewal was confirmed by the State Senate and assumed the office of New Jersey Attorney General on January 16, 2018. An accomplished attorney and Prosecutor, Mr. Grewal has had a wide range of experience in law enforcement, strengthening police-community relations, reducing violent crime and fighting corruption, terrorism, and the opioid epidemic. Attorney General Grewal graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Foreign Service from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service in 1995. He obtained his law degree from the College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law in 1999. The Attorney General also happens to be South Asian American and a member of the Sikh religion, experiences that have informed his life and work.