by Jasmine Liu ‘25
Photo from January 23rd, 2023 Community and Equity Day in the Class of ‘45 Hall
Every year, St. Mark’s School devotes an entire day to an integral aspect of the St. Mark’s experience: community and equity. Community and Equity Day at St. Mark’s School is an annual day-long event dedicated to the exploration of topics related to community and culture. Instead of having classes, students would all gather in the Putnam Family Arts Center (PFAC) Class of ‘45 Hall in the morning to listen to a guest speaker deliver a speech related to the theme of community on C&E Day. The day then follows with house-based conversations throughout the campus, and after lunch, students go back to the PFAC to watch Umoja (Swahili for unity), a student talent show dedicated to sharing different cultures and identities in the St. Mark’s student body.
This year, the Community and Equity office worked hard to bring in “Fearless Inside” movement founder Darryl Bellamy for C&E Day. Darryl Bellamy is a leader who helps inspire “fearless moments” around the world by delivering speeches and presentations to schools across the nation. On January 23rd, 2023, Darryl Bellamy spreads his “Fearless” message to the St. Mark’s community. This presentation ended up being a well-loved aspect of C&E Day with around 60% of students and faculty voting it as their favorite event, according to the C&E day opinion survey sent out last week. “It was an AMAZING presentation,” One Vth Former exclaimed. “I especially liked the moments when Darryl dimmed the lights and created an atmosphere for us to think and reflect.” Another Vth Former remarked that they “learned a lot about overcoming my fears and anxieties by giving myself only a few seconds to react.” Yet despite the positive responses, some students were still skeptical of the presentation. One student commented that they wished “the Fearless talk would have made a stated connection to C&E work” instead of leaving it for students to interpret.
After the “Fearless” presentation, students were separated into their dorm/Burnett house groups to discuss their takeaways from the presentation as well as their personal opinions and experiences around the matter. Some students remarked on the enjoyment of the house-based discussions. “My group had a discussion that lasted the whole time slot,” one student mentioned. “It actually gave me some insights into the perspectives of my groupmates.” However, around 40% of respondents stated that they did not enjoy the house-based conversations as much as they wanted to. One Vth Former mentioned that the conversations “were not beneficial” while another IV Former stated that the house discussions were “unproductive, awkward, and boring.” “I believe third formers should have split up by houses as well to reflect on the topic and discuss amongst their peers instead of using the auditorium where we had spent all morning,” one faculty member asserted, “having the upper class (PDL) added for a power dynamic could have steered many from participating.”
Lastly, after the house-based conversations and lunch, everybody went back to the PFAC Class of ‘45 Hall for the annual student-led celebration, Umoja! During the Umoja celebration, students showcased a variety of their talents from K-pop (Korean pop) dancing to singing songs in their native languages and playing traditional pieces. Many students and faculty enjoyed the Umoja celebration, and one faculty member commented how it was amazing that the celebration was student-led. However, another faculty member did mention that they “wished more faculty were included in the Umoja celebration”.
Ultimately, C&E Day was mostly a success this year with students and faculty giving the event an average of 7.5 to 8 out of 10 ratings. Many students and faculty in the St. Mark’s community had valuable takeaways from the day. “I learned that I am not alone with my fears and that it’s okay for me to be scared,” one Vth Form student commented, “I just need to accept and understand my fears and know that it will be okay.” Another faculty member also stated that C&E day encouraged their self-confidence to “step out of their comfort zone”. “Cool things happen if you are willing to challenge your fears,” they added.
Yet, some students also have topics they want to see for the future of Community and Equity Day. “I think other topics to explore in the future can include mental health (stress, anxiety, competition (academic, leadership, etc.) among students and friends), gender, and sexuality,” One student remarked. “Gender will be a hard topic to keep people engaged in, but if there is a creative way or a unique perspective to share with the entire school, it would be great.” Another faculty member also wished to see some focus on diversity, the importance of representation, and the meaning behind thinking deeply.
In summary, according to the C&E opinions survey, the majority of students and faculty at St. Mark’s thought that this year was a “good example” of what C&E Day should be like. While some members of the St. Mark’s community still have some skepticism and doubts about this year’s C&E Day, the event generally seems to be following the right path to many more impactful topics for the future.