April 14th, 2011, Hewitt upper school students and the eighth grade were excused from their classes to explore the cycle of oppression, learn how to challenge assumptions, and become empowered human beings. We were able to take part in this inspirational day of awareness and self-exploration through Hewitt’s annual Diversity Day.
The Diversity Day Planning Committee began tirelessly planning this event in November. This year’s goal was to have a student directed event to enlighten the student body through presentations, TED talks, and break out sessions. (The guidance of Ms. Amy Bowllan helped to make this year’s Diversity Day possible). The day’s theme arose from the 2010 Student Diversity Leadership Conference (SDLC) in San Diego, CA, which four of our very own Hewitt Students attended: Rosario Ramos, Mary Vu, Natalie Rivera, and Danique McGowan. The SDLC participants discussed the cycle of oppression and its core identifiers later in the day.
When asked how the committee hoped diversity day would impact the Hewitt upper school, Maria Sabater `13 explained: “We know that most of the student body knows a lot about many of the injustices in the world, but Diversity Day is made to push people out of their comfort zones. We force them to think about things that are uncomfortable and try to talk out the topics that are being discussed. We want to make sure that each individual formulates their own opinion. I hope that from the TED talks, speakers, and breakout sessions, we will be able to really get the gears in the minds of the student body turning about very important topics. We also hope to formulate some plans on how to move forward from where we end at the end of Diversity Day.”
The day started off with an inspirational presentation by speaker Bernard Krisher about his charity work in Cambodia. His interest in Cambodia sprung from his reporting on the Vietnam War for Newsweek in the 1960’s; he was inspired to help the victims of the Cambodian genocide. This lively 80-year-old spoke passionately about the programs and charities he has launched to aid Cambodians: the American Assistance for Cambodia, Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE, The Cambodian School Project, and Girls be Ambitious program. His goal through these programs is to provide Cambodians with the resources they need to succeed. Mr. Krisher then opened the floor to questions.
When asked how we, a group of high-school girls, could get involved in philanthropy, he answered, “You should become successful first and then give money.” Mr. Krisher’s honesty about the challenges involved in starting a charity prompted lively debate. Back in our advisory groups for a discussion of Mr. Krisher’s presentation, a few students objected to this notion that they supposedly could not begin to participate in philanthropic/activist work now. This sentiment was echoed at the end of the day by other upper school students at our final feedback meeting at the conclusion of the day. Personally, I understand philanthropy and charity work need to have great financial backing, but I feel that there are definitely ways to get involved in work like Mr. Krisher’s right now, despite our lack of income.
The next phase of the morning was our first round of break out sessions. These varied from classes about discrimination against the female sex, the value of age, and power of music. All meetings were student led and provoked serious discussion among the attendees. For example, the session “Do Gender Roles REALLY Matter?” explored stereotypical gender roles set up in society. “Across the Pond” looked at television censorship in the U.K. versus standard here in the U.S. and asked if kids are growing up too fast under the influence of these TV shows. The “Immigration Stereotypes” class watched a powerful video from The Tyra Show about racism and discussed the DREAM act, legislation proposed to help illegal immigrant minors attain citizenship. “Education: is the Pressure Worth it?” spoke about our current education system and how we can change it to cater to today’s youth. The professionalism of the girls teaching these well researched and planned break-out sessions was well appreciated by students attending their sessions.
TED talks were another component of Diversity Day. TED is an organization which seeks to spread “ideas worth spreading” through talks by speakers who have anything important to say about the world. We first listened to Adora Svitak, a truly remarkable girl, now 13 years old, wise beyond her years. She spoke assertively and eloquently about her belief that adults must listen to children. As a community we discussed some of the questions Adora sparked in our minds: is age just a number? How can adults listen to children? Do we have to wait until we’re older to make a difference or can we make changes in the world right now? (Check out Adora’s blog.)
The second TED talk we watched featured Sheryl Wudunn. Ms. Wudunn spoke about gender inequity and the ways in which women in countries such as Africa are stuck in a vicious cycle in which they are denied an education. Given an education, girls have the tools to succeed. She said, “Girls are the solution, not the problem”.
The feedback session at the end of Diversity Day showed its impact on the Hewitt Students involved. Student facilitators were commended for their genuine interest in the break out sessions they taught and the discussion-based format of the day was praised. Lily Landau `14 stated, “I am already looking forward to next year’s diversity day and hope to have a similarly positive experience in Hewitt’s future diversity days.”
With the bar set high after this year’s Diversity Day, I cannot wait to see what the diversity committee comes up with in 2012!