Why All Students Should Participate in the One Acts

By Johnathan Hernandez’24

Each year, the St. Mark’s Theater Department holds the 24-hour Student-Directed One-Acts Festival. During the festival, actors and directors must learn and rehearse their scripts given to them twenty-four hours before their performances. This year’s performances took place on May 13th and 14th, with the performance on the 14th meaning to honor Les Baird. Les Baird, a former director and faculty member at St. Mark’s, started the tradition of the student-directed one-acts, and sadly passed away in the summer of 2021. This year’s student directors were Kendall Sommers, Michael Ferlisi, Sydni Williams, and Sophie Ledonio, who all directed a variety of plays such as Macbeth, Service with a Smile, many more. 

This year, I had the pleasure to participate by acting in two of this year’s one-acts. On the Thursday before the first performances, directors were given their plays and actors at random selection. From there, me and my fellow actors had twenty-four hours to learn our lines for our upcoming performances. Having never acted before, this was a new experience for me; I felt like a fish out of water. The two plays that I was cast in were in Macbeth as the Announcer/Narrator and in The Lower Depths as Jeff, a character who finds themselves having an existential crisis when they begin a conversation by simply saying “Hi.” 

In being a first-time actor, I had much to learn as I began to participate in this year’s one-acts. I had to learn about the different parts of acting, such as the different stage directions and how to project. I was also able to learn more about theater culture and how much work goes into making a production happen. As a shy person, I found it very helpful in being in a production because of the way it helped me overcome part of my fear in public speaking. Through the nature of the one-acts, these natural hiccups that come with a twenty-four hour preparation production help those participating, such as myself, become more content with messing up. At St. Mark’s, it is evident that many students fear messing up or receiving bad grades. This fear of failing or getting bad grades prevents us from trying new things and failing. 

Rather, students should take advantage of these opportunities to participate in activities such as the one-acts and try new things out of their comfort zone and be more comfortable with failing. Moreover, being in one-acts allows students to practice an art that improves their articulation. I feel that by participating in this year’s one-acts, I was not only able to learn so much more about the theater and acting, but also able to become more confident in my speaking. This is an opportunity that I hope all students would participate in at least once during their career at St. Mark’s for both their personal growth and enjoyment.   

Is St. Mark's adressing Roe Vs Wade well?

By Grace Lee’23

St. Mark’s is a closed community, where we sometimes feel like we are in our own corner of the world. Though, no matter how tight knit of a community we are, we will always be part of larger communities - such as women, men, Christians, Atheists, Americans, immigrants. No matter which groups a St. Marker identifies with, the overturning of Roe vs. Wade is sure to impact each community differently. Multiple St. Mark’s communities each had their own approach to processing and discussing the issue, so I interviewed multiple members of our school to learn about their thoughts on how the St. Mark’s communities are addressing the overturn of Roe vs. Wade. 

Disclaimer: St. Mark’s is one student and faculty body, so I did not want to separate this article by pro-choice and pro-life sections. However, it became apparent that students on opposing sides of the spectrum had very different beliefs about the questions asked, and it became clear that each group had different needs and experiences - therefore, it is illogical to describe their thoughts together. Please understand that there is no intention to create division amongst students.

Question: How effectively do you feel that the St. Mark’s community - both faculty or student groups - have addressed the overturn of Roe vs. Wade? What has been done effectively or ineffectively? 

Starting with students who lean towards pro-choice beliefs: some felt as though St Mark’s - school and faculty - had not done enough to address the issue. Some felt that school-led discussions were held and emails were sent just to check the box of “addressing” an issue, and that this is not the first time that the school has not performed up to par with handling social justice work, as student affinity groups and clubs were the ones who had taken on the most duties. An anonymous 6th former feels as though the school has failed to educate men and allies about periods and pregnancy, which are crucial details to know about when discussing abortion rights. Additionally, many students were bothered by others who did not take the discussions of Roe vs. Wade seriously during debates and in the school day. As Charlie Poulin, 5th former, stated, “No matter what side you are on, this is an issue that involves people’s rights - so it’s wrong to make jokes about this issue.” On the topic of division in the student community, Diane Kwon, a 4th former, felt as though discussions were a much better idea than debates, as the division was especially furthered in some debates that required students to identify a clear side to argue for, which isn’t conducive to progress as there is no clear winner of these debates. 

Another issue that was very bothersome to students was the faculty decision to remove some posters in the dining hall, as St. Mark’s represents a diverse community of students in which their opinions should not be silenced. Diane thinks that this is silencing student voices, and that the overturn is an issue that is especially painful in a small community, as it causes students to become more divided than they already are - which is why it is important to respect others’ expressions of their opinions, even when emotions are running high. 

Students on the pro-life side of the spectrum had mixed beliefs on the work of the faculty during this situation. Michael Ferlisi, a 6th former, thought that many in-class debates run by left-leaning teachers caused the debate to be one-sided. He says that productivity is lost when the authority figure of the class favors one belief, but understands that New England has a tendency towards left-leaning politics so it makes sense that teachers and students have pro-choice views. Contrarily, Ezio Salimbeni, a 4th former, thinks that the faculty have done a good job with handling negative reactions towards pro-life beliefs. He also got support from the chaplins, as it is difficult to argue from a religious standpoint. 

It is very clear that our school has a majority that leans towards pro-choice, so I talked to pro-life students about how they have been treated after the overturn has been released. Some students believe that there is much work to be done in terms of tolerance in the student body. Michael knows that it is tough to be a student outside of the “liberal norm”, as he lost friends on the day of the pro-choice protest as he refused to join. Many conservative students need to evaluate - which do you value more, your beliefs or your friendships? Ezio, on the other hand, feels very involved in politics, so he does not find it difficult to stand out in the student body, and looks forward to starting a conservative club. Overall, students felt that the school makes it clear that students will not be punished for their ideas, and that the entire community should see this issue as a learning experience.

I talked to the heads of Southborough Society - Suha Choi and Kelly Yang. They received mixed opinions from the student body and faculty about their open meeting, however, it is to note that Suha - a 6th former - ran and organized the meeting all by herself. She notes that it was mentally challenging to navigate the influx of information about Roe vs. Wade, but she wants people to know that this is an issue within the Supreme Court. It is infuriating yet refreshing to know that we, average people, do not have control over their decision. Suha says that we should take breaks accordingly, and while debates are important, it is much more therapeutic to support your stance with practical actions, such as emailing governors and donating to organizations. 

Kelly reminds us that other countries have different laws on abortion and different feminist movements, which is why we must not compare different ideas and people’s cultural beliefs that influence their idea on abortion.

Suha and Kelly both believe that it is important to re-evaluate our curriculum. Kelly believes that classes should have focus on women’s history, which place more emphasis on the actual women rather than the political scene as this would create more healthy conversation. Suha thinks that it is not only upon pathways groups to hold conversations, but there is equal responsibility on students to know how to discuss civilly when their opinions are different - which is why there should be a change in curriculum with more debates involved, so teachers can give proper guidance. To conclude, both heads agreed that this issue showcased a large area of growth for the school community.

Then, I interviewed faculty. Ms. Martin found the timing of debates to be very difficult, as it’s hard to plan a sufficient chunk of time to share ideas. We need a more reactive space as well as the opportunities to discuss with our forms or in a closed space, as many students did not get to process their emotions correctly. Additionally, hearing a range of voices outside of the school community is important as well. Dr. Worrell suggested to Ms. Martin that we read quotes from people outside of our community from a range of opinions, and then to sit and reflect, as empathy is more important than proving yourself right. I interviewed Ms. Starry, who believes that students have largely bore the burden to hold difficult discussions - which should be faculty’s work. A few anonymous teachers also believed that it would be great to hear a statement from higher administration, specifically acknowledging that our school is part of a larger community that will be affected by this issue, and that the school acknowledges that tensions are running high.

Ms. Starry states that teachers also need to be aware of biases in their classrooms as students need a safe space. An anonymous teacher felt very strongly about pro-choice, and did not attend any debates as it would have a clear impact on her view of the student. 

The teachers that had a say in the removal of certain posters in the dining hall - a decision that received backlash from the students - decided so as some children are not familiar with certain slang words with negative connotations. A teacher that stated her discomfort states that she is very happy to see posters on both sides of the belief spectrum, but believes we should stick with more appropriate slogans like “hands off my body” or use biological terms, like uterus or vagina instead of slang.

Finally, talking with the Pathways prefects was crucial, as they have many ideas on how the school and faculty can improve themselves. They too agree with the heads of Southborough society in thinking that courses need foundations to hold conversations. They state that the school is scared to approach students’ opinions on the issue and that the school must be more comfortable with sharing perspectives, as growth occurs when students share opinions openly. They also believe that the faculty acted disappointingly, as they should have taken more steps to be involved in addressing the issue - which is due to the fact that faculty are not receiving enough training to properly involve themselves. Faculty need to do a better job at arranging opportunities to attend protest events or to call representatives of the states, as students have been asking for these things to happen but there has been no initiative. The faculty simply react rather than fixing the issues in our community. Faculty ask, what can they do to support the student body - but they should not have to ask that question. 

They also have ideas on improving the preparedness of the student body to have these conversations. The world is always changing, and if the school wants hard and difficult conversations to take place, then they need to better prepare the student body. The school currently has low expectations for those who attend the meeting versus high expectations for pathways leaders. Louise shared that, when she moderated the philosophy club debates on abortion, it was too much pressure on her as she facilitated these debates alone. There is still time left in the year for faculty to do their best.

However, they must hope that teachers are at least doing the bare minimum, as this is some of the most faculty involvement they have seen. Many faculty want to get involved, but do not have the proper training to do so. This is why the next level up is in the administration: teachers do not get extra compensation for taking time to help events, which creates a growing gap of approaching issues.

Question 2: How should debates around this topic be moderated? How should closed/open meetings work?

Even with all the different beliefs, one idea was unanimous amongst every single group that I interviewed. This idea is that closed meetings must be held PRIOR TO open meetings in order to properly process feelings in a safe, productive manner, so that open meetings can have reduced hostility. There must also be space for unmoderated discussion as well as teacher-moderated meetings. Some students revealed that they felt most comfortable after debates ended, as a small group have stayed back and had a cooled conversation where they were free to discuss on their own. However, for a large scale debate, heavy moderation by teachers is absolutely necessary.

Not a single person I interviewed disagreed with this. 

Author’s note: After I interviewed at least ten people to write this article and attended meetings that I otherwise would not even consider, I feel extremely knowledgeable and informed. I once thought that there was a half-and-half split down our community on the issue of Roe vs, Wade, but it is clear to me now that there is common ground on wanted change. Thank you to all the interviewees for sharing your ideas. 

A piece of advice I can give to others is to talk to people you disagree with. Set up a conversation with people that you think are stupid. Discuss with new people you’ve never spoken to before. That is how you become well-informed. 

In the end, our student body is one small, tight knit community. However, every single one of us is just as affected by the issues of our larger country. We have no choice but to adapt our community and revise the way that we handle ourselves.

St. Julie's: Renovations at St. Mark’s

By Julie He ‘23

Founded in 1865, St. Mark’s school boasts an impressive history as one of the oldest private boarding schools in New England. As a highly reputed institute, St. Mark’s aims to encourage students to develop their particular analytic and creative capabilities by both inspiring their academic and spiritual curiosity and kindling their passion for discovery. However, is the current administration doing its job, or is it time for change? In our current rapidly growing society, there have been many changes aimed to improve our world, so why shouldn’t St. Mark’s follow the trend? Therefore, I propose a series of developments that can be implemented at SM to foster growth and development. *Scroll to bottom for list*

First and foremost, St. Mark’s as a name is highly outdated and deserves revampment. St. Julie’s is not only chic and pleasing to the ear, but also remains inclusive and retains parts of the school’s history. According to scientific research from highly reputable sources, the proposed name will attract many more prospective students and donors as shown in the graph below. 

In addition to the name change, St. Julie’s should also update its school colors from blue and white to pink and white. All buildings, equipment, flags, windows, walls, and more should transition to this bright and lovely color. The color blue can symbolize and portray coldness, aloofness, unfriendliness and sadness. These feelings do not accurately represent JM or its students and can give off a negative connotation of our jovial and connected campus atmosphere. Pink, on the other hand, is associated with positive thoughts of youth, good health, and loveliness. Pink symbolizes passion, kindness, and understanding; embodying all that is good in the world and the students of St. Julie’s. Which attributes more correctly describe our school: coldness and sadness, or passion and understanding? This will also help SJ stand out from all the other basic and lackadaisical schools who stick with boring blue and white. Based on the same highly scientific research, statistics show some of the benefits using pink will bring to SJ. 

Transportation is often a complication at boarding schools, and St. Julie’s has a practical and fun solution to provide an efficient and safe way of travel. Students have often complained about the 10 min period in between classes due to not having enough passing time. St. Julie’s should install slides and trampolines to decrease the walking time. In case of fire, students will be able to evacuate faster and more efficiently. Students will also not have to climb 5 flights of stairs everyday and the leap will wake students up in the morning. Of course, elevators will still be available for people who are unable to use such devices. The journey between West and Main is often treacherous with dangers of drowning in West Lake, being attacked by a bear from the forest, or getting hit by a fast moving vehicle. To help prevent these problems, a zip line and ski lift should be installed. While being safe, this system will help with students running late in the morning and provide equity to west boarders who often complain about the main-campus boarder privileges. These systems provide a fast and fun way to travel, saving time and increasing student happiness.

Our classrooms and buildings also deserve renovation. Research demonstrates that students produce their best work when they are in a safe and comfortable setting. Instead of hard old chairs, we should replace them with more flexible and colorful furniture. For example, bean bags, swings, pillows are all good alternatives. Walls should be painted by students, completely whiteboards, or all glass to increase overall productivity. There should also be rooms that are with anti gravity, underwater, jungle themed, or beach themed classrooms. St. Julie’s will also revive the tradition of having dog-friendly hallways and classrooms where any dog (that is potty trained) is allowed to roam freely throughout the campus. Dogs can help lower the stress level of students and add to the school aesthetic. In addition to being practical, these equipments will also liven up the school and add spice to everyone’s lives. Not to mention, these renovations are very fun and enjoyable.

St. Julie’s should also make changes to its classes and curriculum to best fit the needs of students and the current world. More courses should be added to meet the demand of students. Some course propositions are The Art Of Procrastination; The Sociology of Taylor Swift: Race, Class, Gender, And Media; Sleeping 101; The Philosophy of Phallicism; and The Science of Maple Syrup. These courses allow students to further explore interests outside the core curriculum and develop life skills that will help them beyond the classroom. In consideration of the student's wellbeing and health, St. Julie’s would run from 10am to 5pm each day with only 2 hours of homework (or 30 min per course) allowed each night. The color blocks will also be re-designed so 80 min blocks are abolished as they are too long and humans were not evolved to sit and listen for such long periods. End of year and unit evaluations would be completed as student-chosen projects whether it be a test, presentation, creative project, or discussion. Teachers should be able to adeptly evaluate the students they have been teaching and interacting with for weeks using these methods. This will allow the student to showcase their knowledge without having to worry about time pressure and multiple choice statistics. This provides equity to students who do not perform as well under pressure but still understand the curriculum. Grades will also be replaced with the Saint Julie grading standard: F=fantastic, D=delightful, C= cool, B=bad, & A=awful. Detentions will be replaced with BC Calculus/Math classes and students will have to solve 10 problems successfully in order to get out of detention. This will lower percentage of rule-breaking by 99% according to recent statistics (done by students in detention so not sure on accuracy). 

While the 10-5 schedule may seem to affect sports-life, SJ can add more indoor sports and a variety of sports to utilize the time wisely. Nighttime sports will also be added so students can use facilities after the sun goes down. Students will be able to petition to create their own sport group provided that it does not already exist. For example, sports that can be introduced to SJ are Competitive Napping, Squirrel Racing, Quidditch, Zorbing, and Varsity Yoga. These sports will allow all students to stay fit while enjoying a hobby of their choice.

The food at SM should also change to serve potatoes 24/7. Potatoes can be made in a variety of healthy ways that all students can enjoy. Furthermore, Ice cream and Cake will be served everyday to keep students cool. A pink lemonade fountain can be installed in the cafeteria, or the main quad to make sure students are hydrated. These food choices will keep students happy and healthy. 

While SM has many celebrated traditions, SJ should provide more celebrations to be more diverse and inclusive. One that SJ can do that is inclusive and fun is the Homework Ritual. The homework ritual would be an annual day where students all tear up their homework and recycle them into more useful stuff. This is environmentally friendly for the Earth and mentally friendly for students. This will help the school students bond together as a community because of the shared burden of homework. 

With all these new changes, St. Julie’s will ensure that the students at the school are happy and healthy. It will also become a more positive community which will attract many outsiders and prospective students. Therefore, I plead that St. Mark’s takes all of the suggestions seriously and implements some of them. With these changes, St. Mark’s will become an elite institution.

Complete List of Proposed Renovations

• St. Marks->St. Julie’s

• Blue->Pink

• Trampolines and Slides to replace stairs

• Ski Lift and Zipline from west to main

• Bean Bags, pillows and swings classroom

• Painted by students, whiteboards, or all glass walls

• Anti gravity, underwater, jungle themed, or beach themed classrooms

• Dogs be allowed to roam throughout campus

• Course Propositions: The Art Of Procrastination; The Sociology of Taylor Swift: Race, Class, Gender, And Media; Sleeping 101; The Philosophy of Phallicism; and The Science of Maple Syrup

• 10am-5pm classes (no more 80min blocks)

• Under 2hr HW per day

• Students can choose whether to do a test, presentation, creative project, or discussion instead of mandatory standardized testing

• Saint Julie grading standard: F=fantastic, D=delightful, C= cool, B=bad, & A=awful.

• Detentions=Math Classes

• Sports: Competitive Napping, Squirrel Racing, Quidditch, Zorbing, and Varsity Yoga

• Potatoes and Ice cream food

• Pink lemonade fountain

• St. Mark’s Homework Ritual

A New Sustainability Campaign

By Andrea Xu ‘25

It was a dreary mid-January dawn. “Raisin showers”, slimy and purplish debris from outer space, intruded on Southborough at 6:04 AM the morning. Once these raisin-shaped fragments hit the surface, their collisions resembled the ribbit of pond frogs. The shower only increased in strength, by and by, staining the sky to a darker shade. 

First, the rain roused Ally, an early bird who liked to shower in the morning. She got off her bed from a frozen shrill, bolting down to the bathroom. The hot water supply halted and impatience grew in her. Ally blanketed herself in a bathrobe, angrily slamming the bathroom door. Her tantrum ended with Ava’s attempt to prepare her porridge. Ava calmly poured some oatmeal into her bowl, turning the faucet handle to her left. Without noticing the imminent frustration, she gulped a spoonful of oatmeals, yet, the combined taste of raw oats and unusually cold water thrusted her into a nausea. It was a chaotic morning in the Gaccon hallway. Everyone sneezed an “acho” and gathered closer only to steal some heat. One girl moaned because she couldn’t brew her lavish tea. 

Then, an email alert broke the gratuitous groans. It was an urgent letter sent from the headmaster, reading:

“Dear St. Mark’s Community,

As many of you are aware, the fragmented heating supply has become a rife grievance across our community. In an effort to dispel rumors, there is a major readjustment in the school budget in the philanthropy and reconstruction sectors. Due to the recent inland flooding in Massachusetts, I believe it is our priority to rebuild the hockey rink and the robotics labs, both sites mark the school’s prized legacies. I understand the ephemeral electricity shortage brings us many inconveniences. However, I want all of you to be aware of the environmental crisis in this mid-21st century: our nation is undergoing an unprecedented decline in natural oil, thereby causing the meteoric inflation of electricity bills, to a $1.2/kWh. Our effort to prioritize this sustainability campaign could be very powerful. Evaluating our large demand for electrical infrastructures from all respect, the board of trustees removed the hot water supply in the bathrooms… Our solution is to replace every bed with a comfy electric heating pad.

Sincerely,

Mr. Greedy”

Celebration of Black History Month

Yoonjeong Yang’ 24

February marks Black History Month, a nationwide celebration honoring the triumphs and struggles of African-Americans throughout U.S. history. This annual observation was commenced in 1926 with the establishment of "Negro History Week" by historian Carter G. Woodson to raise awareness of black history and culture. Initially, Negro History Week was observed during the second week of the month because it coincides with the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass, both of whom were influential in the abolishment of slavery. During 1960s, however, as acceptance of this commemoration grew, Negro History Week evolved into what is now Black History Month.

While it is important to remember the rich history of African Americans in the United States, Black History Month is also time to recognize that much more work needs to be done to guarantee equal rights for African Americans in modern society. To effectively combat systemic racism, we must endeavor to be “anti-racist” in every aspect of our lives, and in order to accomplish this, it is vital that we understand history-particularly, the history of how people of different races have struggled to shape our world today. One of the best ways to do this is by reading books. Reading should serve as a step ladder leading to the ultimate goal of anti-racism, with each rung addressing a different way to eradicate racism’s insidious hold on all of us. We must educate ourselves, but we should not stop there. We must also take tangible action to constantly move forward by engaging in conversations on racism and leaning into topics that may be uncomfortable. To celebrate Blank History Month, dive into some of the books recommended by St. Mark's school library to deepen your appreciation and understanding of African American history. And remember: Every month is Black History Month.

Be Free or Die: the Amazing Story of Robert Smalls' Escape from Slavery to Union Hero by Cate Lineberry

“Cate Lineberry's Be Free or Die is a compelling narrative that illuminates Robert Smalls’ amazing journey from slave to Union hero and ultimately United States Congressman. This captivating tale of a valuable figure in American history gives fascinating insight into the country's first efforts to help newly freed slaves while also illustrating the many struggles and achievements of African Americans during the Civil War.”

The Last Slave Ship by Cate Lineberry

“The incredible true story of the last ship to carry enslaved people to America, the remarkable town its survivors founded after emancipation, and the complicated legacy their descendants carry with them to this day--by the journalist who discovered the ship's remains. The Last Slave Ship remains optimistic - an epic tale of one community's triumphs over great adversity and a celebration of the power of human curiosity to uncover the truth about our past and heal its wounds.”

Twisted by Emma Dabiri

“Emma Dabiri explores the ways in which black hair has been appropriated and stigmatized throughout history, with ruminations on body politics, race, pop culture, and Dabiri’s own journey to loving her hair. Deeply researched and powerfully resonant, Twisted proves that far from being only hair, black hairstyling culture can be understood as an allegory for black oppression and, ultimately, liberation.”

Black Brother, Black Brother by Jewell Parker Rhodes

“From Jewell Parker Rhodes comes a powerful coming-of-age story about two brothers, one who presents as white, the other as black, and the complex ways in which they are forced to navigate the world, all while training for a fencing competition. Powerful and emotionally gripping, Black Brother, Black Brother is a careful examination of the school-to-prison pipeline and follows one boy’s fight against racism and his empowering path to find his voice.”

Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

“Tomi Adeyemi conjures a stunning world of dark magic and danger in her West African-inspired fantasy debut, perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Sabaa Tahir. The book follows heroine Zélie Adebola as she attempts to restore magic to the kingdom of Orïsha, following the ruling class kosidáns' brutal suppression of the class of magic practitioners Zélie belongs to, the maji.”

You can check out the recommended books from St. Mark's school library here: https://stmarksschool-ma.libguides.com/c.php?g=1215424&p=8890192 

Works Cited

“Black History Month.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 14 Jan. 2010, https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/black-history-month.

“Celebrating Black History Month.” LibGuides, https://stmarksschool-ma.libguides.com/c.php?g=1215424&p=8890192.

A Call for More C&E Work

By Sophie Chiang ‘23 and Mandy Hui ‘23

On January 24th, 2022,  St. Mark’s students and faculty enjoyed a day off from classes to attend two workshops led by professional speakers for Community and Equity day. This year, the school worked to make the workshops smaller, which proved to be more interactive and engaging. Some of these workshops included Disrupting Racial Bias and Micro Indignities, How to be Gender Aware, Detangling the Model Minority Myth: How MMM is used as a racial wedge between Asian and Black Communities, Understanding Power Dynamics and Personal Agency, and many more. A full list of workshops can be found here.

Dr. Daves reflected in an all-school email that “Leading Lives of Consequence Journeys for [him] means witnessing and learning how to speak confidently about yourself and others with a sense of purpose and heart; it means that you possess the ability to coordinate learning experiences about your social identities and others in a sustained and meaningful way; it means that you are at ease with embracing differences because you recognize the value of building understanding from differences and valuing empathy.” 

C&E day truly was a day of self-reflection about one’s own identity and an opportunity to learn about and embrace others’ differences. It was about opening our eyes up to issues that may have never crossed our minds and taking a stance to address them. 

After C&E day, a lot of dialogue surrounding it was about the shallowness of C&E work. Although the keynote and workshop speakers were outstanding and spoke extremely impactfully, one day a year with just two workshops seemed very performative to many. It is absolutely the right step in the right direction, but perhaps it is not enough just yet. Lots of students called for more C&E work to fully open up student and faculty eyes to embracing diversity and inclusion and being prepared enough to hold discussions surrounding it. One student shared his opinions, stating he believed that “the way to continue to make progress is to be engaged in C&E work on a persistent basis. We are never going to solve racism or discrimination. However, by learning more about one another and our identities, we can know how to respond and break down the pillars that uphold systemic racism and oppression.” 

Many students share the same beliefs, thinking that St. Mark’s should continue doing more C&E work to enhance the voices of those that feel underrepresented, allow everyone to self-reflect on their own actions, and to help us all move forward to create a more inclusive and diverse community. Darius Wagner ‘23 perfectly encapsulates the goal of C&E day by saying, “change mustn’t only come from the hands or voices of a few, but a collection of diverse voices and ideas that are provided with routes to turn these ideas into tangible action steps.”

However, there were also sentiments that this year’s C&E day was more successful than the years prior. Louise He ‘23, a pathways prefect who helped with planning, proudly stated that “I feel that the workshops this year were more successful because they were led by professionals and the school was right to implement that.” In these small changes, students can see that St. Mark’s has made a visible effort to advance towards a more inclusive and understanding community with new initiatives, through taking accountability and striving to do better. However, we mustn’t stop now, but instead forge ahead into a future where all voices, no matter how small, feel heard. As students, we are thrilled to see the school implement such changes.

Are We Really Inclusive?

By Diana Oh & Vanessa Leung 

What is inclusivity? According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, being inclusive is the act of including everyone, where no one is excluded. One could say that St. Mark’s is a diverse, inclusive school: After all, its student body does come from a variety of lush backgrounds and variegated cultures. However, could we actually claim that our school community is in fact inclusive when students of different races are sitting at different tables, segregating themselves from students of different backgrounds? 

Walking into the dining hall, it is normal for one to see students sitting with their peers and friends. However, upon closer investigation of these groups sitting together, you could clearly see that there isn’t much diversity in the group of students. Students tend to sit together with people of similar race while eating. But this is not just for the dining hall. There are many friend groups in St Mark’s School, and it seems like race plays the most significant role in determining the formation of these cliques. Most students only make friends with people of their same race and culture. 

This isn’t because students aren’t willing to interact with students of different races. Instead, it is more of a societal tendency that people have towards being together with people that are similar to them. St. Marks has a diverse community, which means the student body will be composed of people with different cultural backgrounds. While that means that there would be more cultures and thus more diversity, there is a disadvantage to this. Some cultures may view some things as normal, while others may disapprove of them, and small differences in beliefs and habits like this create differences amongst people. People tend to be around people of the same culture or origin because they share similar beliefs and have similar mindsets. They share the same interests, and are more reluctant to the same topics, so it is easy for them to get along and be around each other. However, if two people share completely different views and beliefs, it is only natural for them to not get along as well. 

Perhaps one solution that is the most plausible is to force the intermingling of different races by assigning students of different races as roommates. This way, students of different backgrounds will have to inevitably communicate with each other, which may lead to more comfort in terms of knowing each other's cultures. 

Another feasible solution is to create an alternate version of seated lunch back in pre-covid times, where students will be seated next to people they usually don’t sit with. That way students have more chances of socializing with students of different backgrounds and races. While the beginning of these interactions may be filled with awkwardness and silence, it is hoped that students will develop better relationships with the people sitting around them, and notice the diverse community that they are in. 

There is clearly nothing wrong with alike people socializing with alike peers. However, is this really inclusivity? If our school is an advocate for social diversity, and social inclusivity, students should feel like they belong, and that they are actually ‘included’. There is a huge difference between being a part of a community, and belonging to a community. And currently, many students feel a tangible racial barrier between them and the ‘intentionally small school’ community, when students should really feel at home. If there is no belonging, the full 500 students and faculty members in our school are not part of the community. If there is no belonging,  there is no diversity. Thus, we should collectively work to break down this barrier, and defeat the exclusivity. 

How the Model Minority Myth Plays the Hinge Separating Blacks and Asian Americans

Steven Zhang ‘24

Stereotypes live with us. We walk forward, and they cling to the back of our legs like a desperate shadow self. Every move we make is followed by our stereotype, waiting for a moment to be noticed and pinned onto us. As an Asian American, it’s quite common to get smacked with an unpleasant word or… “question”: a teacher or student calling you by another Asian name or a random 10 year old in your summer camp asking if you eat dogs (cats too if they feel smart enough), all of it leaves the utmost dryness on my tongue. But rarely, rarely does a stereotype feel nice. Being labeled as an intelligent, studious, and assiduous worker brings a smile to my face. Even being perceived to be smart as I walk into a classroom while forgetting to finish the 50 point assignment is quite a spectacle. 

What is this awesome, oddly terrific stereotype that no one really finds out until it’s actually separating two racial groups and silently causing mass division among students and teachers? Well, to give it to you in its most basic form: the model minority myth. The model minority myth sounds great because it says we are all smart. But the model minority myth actually has detrimental effects on Asian students, especially when it comes to separating them from other minority groups.

The model minority myth loves to put us in small compact two dimensional squares outlined by just a few salient characteristics: shy, meek, studious, complacent, compliant, and you know the rest. Whenever we would like to show other qualities, confidence, athleticism, or something other than “Stem smarts”, we the myth urges, “oh no no no, you need to go back into your corner”-like a parent says to a child who accidentally pulls a lego from his friend’s box. My generation is doing a phenomenal job at expressing our three dimensional personalities and making sure people know we have depth in our character. However, although we have been fighting against how the model minority myth treats us, we must also tackle the problem of how it treats other racial groups.

When we are the only racial group treated and stereotyped as “smart and meek,” what characteristics does that leave for other racial groups like Blacks, Latinos, Natives, and other minority groups? The fact that the model minority myth gives us this kind of upper hand has led many Asian people to become complacent and to stop fighting for equality for all. This reasoning is deeply rooted in the history of the model minority myth. The model minority myth originates from the early 1970’s, and has a deep history in immigration and the Japanese internment camps. Because many don’t actually know about Japanese internment camps or the rules and laws that benefited only rich/educated Asians to immigrate, people automatically assume we have purposefully become the way we are now. During and after the Japanese incarceration period, Japanese Americans had to take on the role of “whiteness” so as to not be labeled as an “enemy.” When whites observed  Asian workers conforming, they believed that we were always like that. So, they stamped us with a bunch of characteristics and packed us in a box. We have worked hard to fit in and earn our spot in the U.S., so why go back down to the other minority groups when we have this seat here at the dinner table? Well sadly in reality, we are sitting on a child’s toy chair. This model minority myth makes Asians feel good about themselves, but it is harming how we view other minority groups and especially harming the connection between us. We are fighting a war alone when there are clearly other people willing to fight with us. This war is one on racism, and we just so happen to be fighting against each other.

So what’s the point of me saying this? Well, it’s quite simple. I just want to raise awareness about this harmful stereotype and reveal something to the public’s eyes. Obviously this is such a complex topic that can be debated and talked about for more than our lifespans (though I hope this is not true). Then again, don’t come after me with a stick saying you never do any of this. And yes, you might be right, our generation is indeed making a huge difference when it comes to the model minority myth, but it doesn’t mean that everybody is just like you. If you're stepping over that invisible line, great, tell other people to do it too. And no matter how cheesy this is, a war can never be won if it’s fought alone.

We Are Erased By The World

Hannah Cha’25

As  a Korean-American, I’ve always felt that parts of myself were getting erased and restricted by the biases of the world. Forced to be better at math, going through harsh education to match my parents’ expectations, and always trying my best to be the “perfect student” that people want me to be. I always needed to be successful in school, without actually acknowledging that the expectations towards me were abnormally high as a normal high school student. I soon realized that my whole life was covered up with the biases and contorted thoughts of the people towards me, and to go further, my race. It didn’t take me long to find out the concept of “Modern Minority Myth” which explained all the things I have gone through. 

What is Model Minority Myth?

For some of the readers who might have never heard of this concept, the myth of the model minority is based on the stereotypes that are created by society. In America it has been used to characterize Asians and Asian-Americans as very successful by the common preconceptions that people have.  It might not sound that realistic when it comes to definitions, but racism based on modern minority myth happens pretty frequently in real life. Some examples of it are standardized roles that Asians act on TV shows or movies, Asians always being treated smart and getting high grades, and being expected to be better on STEM. Model minority myth is an implicit racism, and also a huge bias that is deeply ingrained in people’s minds. Even many Asians themselves implicitly have these kinds of thoughts, generating biases towards each other. It may not seem that severe compared to other kinds of racism that people get to face in the world, but the model minority myth contains some of its own problems.

What is the Problem With It?

First, the model minority myth erases diversity among individuals. Similar to other racial biases that categorize all people with the same race as the same, the stereotypes of the model minority myth end up creating an image of a “typical” person of one race, which is quite absurd to say. It forces people to match the same expectations, act identically, and do something in the same way also. The preconceptions spread through the whole society snatches away an individual’s characteristics slowly, but forcefully.

Second, life as a “model minority” student is a great pressure for all Asians. Even though there are also some people who oppose the idea of the model minority myth, a majority of Asians choose to just live with all the biases. Various students endure all the harsh education and pressure towards them only to become an actual model minority. High expectations towards the students suppress them to always seek for better accomplishments, and push them towards their limit. The large amount of academic pressure of the Asian students generate higher suicidal rates of students due to academics. 

Third, the idea of the modern minority myth also reinforces the idea that Asian-Americans are perennial foreigners. Have you ever had a closer observation on what roles an Asian character plays in an American TV show or a movie? You would be able to realize that they are mostly one of those smart, nerdy characters. Racism even occurs in the smallest situations that you might not even realize. Even though stereotypes in the media have improved a lot throughout the past years, It is not easy to change a stereotype that was stuck in people's minds once. The idea that all of these stereotypes point out is only one thing: it is that Asian-Americans are not viewed the same as all of the other Americans. The Asian American stereotype always makes them viewed as foreigners and perpetual outsiders of this country.

So, what should we do about this?

The way you should deal with this is actually quite simple. Just be aware of it. Try thinking about the attitudes, and words of yourself one more. Check your stereotypes and presumptions you hold. If you are made aware that some of your words towards others were biased, that’s great, since now you know what to do to be on the right track. I honestly believe that there is no better way to dismantle the myth of model minorities than raising awareness by ourselves. If we start with each making a small change in our own lives, soon the world would also begin to change slowly with all the small efforts of people in daily life.