- DISCUSSING PLANS: Lo-Lo Lomax and Sam Willis discuss Peace and Diversity Day. Photo Courtesy of Julia Thompson ’16
Grant Plotkin ’16, Christina Chambers ’16: The Episcopal Academy Upper School is set to hold its first Peace and Diversity day on February 20th, to promote greater awareness and discussion about diversity. The organization for the day is entirely student-driven, involving groups such as Diversity Awareness Club and Affinity Tables.
When asked about the new program, Lo-Lo Lomax ’14, the main leader and proponent for the Peace and Diversity Day, explained, “Diversity Day isjustadayforustomake students more aware about diversity in the school and in the world, and also to make students more comfortable.”
Sam Willis, Upper School Diversity Coordinator and dean of the freshman class, stressed
the importance of understanding diversity past the high school level and its relevance in life. “Part of the hope and intention is to better prepare students for when they go on to college, or careers after that, to develop a better sense of empathy, and to foster an understanding of what makes people diverse,” he stated. The teachers are truly letting the students make it their own because they are the people that understand their peers’ intentions the most.
“I want people to have some understanding of different cultural backgrounds and what is actually going on around them,” Lomax expressed with excitement, “and I think this is an effective way to get the message across.”
“My goals for the day are that folks engage, that they want to have a conversation,” said Courtney Portlock, Director of Diversity and Community Life. She explained that the student planning committee desires to make the day a memorable experience that will influence the community, not just during the eight hours that they are in school, but rather throughout their daily lives. It is also an effort towards trying to make school a more comfortable environment so students can enjoy open discussions. Diversity can be defined as the presence of difference, but according to Portlock it is much more than that.
“I really believe that diversity is a part of everything we do and everything we say,” said Portlock.
The first student-run meeting for Peace and Diversity Day took place late September. Groups in attendance included Diversity Awareness Club, Affinity Tables, Gender Equality, Prism, Student Council, EQV, and the Vestry.
So far in the planning process, Peace and Diversity Day consists of three main components. “In the beginning of the day, we’d be in the theater. We have a main speaker, Rodney Glasgow, [who] is the head coordinator of The Student Diversity Leadership Conference,” said Lomax. “Next we’d have activities in the athletic center. It would give people an idea of where everyone is as a group in the upper school.”
One of the activities planned for the day is called Silent Movement. Lomax explained, “We announce out loud, [for example] ‘if you are a boy stand up’, ‘if you have blue eyes and curly hair stand up’. And in the middle of the crowd you see all these perspectives and backgrounds.”
However, because of privacy concerns, students may potentially fill out “check sheets” with characteristics of diversity, which will be redistributed randomly. Students then stand up when a characteristic on their check sheet is called.
“You’ll see the numbers, you just won’t see the actual people,” said Lomax. “We just don’t want people to be uncomfortable, but we also want them to see, these are the kids that you have at your school.”
Afterwards, students will break up into smaller groups for workshops in classrooms in the Upper School, before moving to the Connelly Courtyard for arts performances.
“[One] main thing we were talking about was trying to add an arts component, since we’re not really sure about Arts- fest this year,” said Lomax. “It could be cultural dances, and people could sing inspirational songs. I was thinking about Music Collaboration club… Improv club can also do something, kind of like a funny little skit acting out different circumstances or scenarios.”
The day concludes with final statements in the theater, and some dessert such as ice-cream or water ice. “And that will top off the day, because at the end of the day is also Arts on the Move,”
said Lomax. “That’s not part of the Peace Day, but it’s happening the same day, and people won’t have homework as an excuse for why they can’t go the Arts on the Move. It’s a really good day, full of activities and people don’t have to worry about academic stuff for once. I’m hoping that it’s going to be a good day that people will try to enjoy and learn from.”
While this upcoming February will be the first year of Peace and Diversity Day, everyone involved is hoping that this will just be the beginning. Lomax concluded, “I hope it will be a prerequisite for further years to come… there are always new things happening and new people to keep informed.”