The Business Leaders at Dwight-Englewood (BLADE) student organization hosted its annual Career Assembly this week for the entire Upper School. Building on feedback from last year’s event, which included a single panel of guests from a variety of professions in Schenck Auditorium, club leaders Krishnav Tapuriah ’26, Bella Mayer ’26, Sam Cain ’26, Finn Benveniste ’26, and Max Schorr ’27 organized this year’s assembly by field of interest (specifically, finance, entrepreneurship, marketing, technology, law, medicine, and career coaching). Students could select a specialty they were most interested in and were assigned to different locations around campus to listen to a student-moderated panel.   Krishnav opened the assembly in Schenck by noting that even within industries there are many options to consider as well as many different pathways to achieve a specific role. Furthermore, he said, “In high school, your career goal is subject to change… this is a time to explore.” Guest speakers provided ample nuggets of wisdom. For example, Dr. Richie Karaburun aka “Dr. K,” Clinical Associate Professor of Hospitality and Tourism at New York University and author of “The Power of Perseverance,” shared, “When you find your calling, that’s where you’ll find your passion.” Adam Brown, Sircle Media Founder and President, advised, “Do without being asked” and “Be endlessly curious.” When the conversation in her session turned to AI, Dr. Ami Vaidya ’91, P ’24, ’26, an oncologist and Chair, D-E Board of Trustees, said “AI will be part of every conversation imaginable… but there’s always a human there… that’s never going away.” Thanks to BLADE, Student Activities, and all our guest speakers for helping our students discover their passions!

In a culmination of the Sixth Grade Food & Identity Unit that began two weeks ago, students presented their hard work across their MESH (Math, English, Science, and History) classes to D-E families in Hajjar Auditorium, followed by a food-tasting celebration facilitated by parent volunteers. The presentations included essays and slideshows about meals that are culturally significant to individual students, data graphs based on their respective food logs, and infographics representing the origin of ingredients. The unit showed how foods can serve as a bridge between different cultures. This was further demonstrated during the festival in the Wharton Lessin Dining Hall, which featured multicultural bites and beverages. English Teacher Ms. Macone, who leads the unit, encouraged students to try new recipes, learn more about different traditions, and appreciate one another. In a full-circle moment, after having introduced the program with meals that represented their own traditions, members of Chef Alex’s catering staff were invited to sample the offerings along with students and families. Congrats to our Middle School for celebrating diversity through cuisine!

The Swartley Gallery Series’ latest exhibit is the traditional “AP Art Gallery Wall,” featuring the work of AP Studio Art students, on view now through Thursday, Feb. 5. A variety of mediums are represented from Emma Baumgarten ’26, Lily Berger ’26, Celia Binn ’26, Lilah Carroll ’27, Sarah Chun ’27, Grace Dalgetty ’26, Eliza Herman ’27, Joshua Kim ’26, Sarah Jafri ’26, Crystal Gonzalez-Lawand ’26, Maleah Liao ’27, Mara Gualtieri-Horowitz ’26, and Alex Lewis ’26. The works are based on the artists’ lines of inquiry, such as Lilah’s piece about “the conflicting entities of guilt and pleasure,” Lily’s 3-D art about “the ways in which adolescents experience pressure and fragmentation,” and Maleah’s drawing about “how emotional attachments can lead you to forget to be present in life.” During a Meet & Greet Lunch Reception this week, delayed by a day due to the snowstorm, Dwight-Englewood Writers (DEW) club members read poems inspired by the works, and snacks were provided by Chef Alex and his team.