Hammer, Bell, Song

The confluence of two annual winter celebrations at Thacher—Martin Luther King, Jr. Day and Cultural Weekend—meant for a mighty river of activities over the course of three power-packed days. The buzz on the street (a.k.a. the various pathways around campus) was positively enthusiastic, reflecting the kind of intellectual and emotional energizing that a weekend like this can provide. “It was,” said Spanish teacher Cecilia Ortiz, “an ‘academic pause’ that emphasized the reality that we as individuals can do something about wrong in the world.”

 

Officially launching the weekend was a Friday evening talk by Border Angels founder and activist Enrique Morones—this year’s Judge William H. Orrick Lecture, a series aimed at “raising awareness of political, social, and economic issues.” Recounting the journey that landed him in a position of national repute as a dedicated, if controversial, figure in the complex arena of immigration policy and immigration reform, Mr. Morones urged his audience to become involved in whatever human rights issue speaks loudly and insistently to them: “Ask yourself, ‘Am I going to do something about this, or am I going to act as if I don’t see it?’ The truth is, you never know which action will tip the balance.”

 

During Saturday and Sunday, many students snagged the chance to go on Cultural Weekend trips orchestrated by faculty members. Off they went in small groups—to art museums (the Getty for a bit of Rembrandt and his pupils; the Pasadena Museum of Art for a taste of realist Wayne Theibaud’s work; the Bowers Museum for a look at several Latin American Masters; the Los Angeles County Museum of Art for (from Peter Robinson) “a couple of good exhibitions on a recent photography collection acquisition, a couple of very famous and rarely seen Persian rugs, and comic books from India. The museum also houses a great permanent collection of European and American art, with some of the seminal pieces of 20^th century art, the largest collection of Korean art outside of Korea and Japan, and one of the two best collections of Oceanic art in the United States, not to mention some very important pieces from Rembrandt to the Impressionists." “Exploring Los Angeles' food and art with P Rob—” wrote senior Lauren Zakarian-Cogswell. “What else could anyone want to do on Cultural Weekend?” Echoed Christina Hartman '11, “What a fun day out, a great group of people, and what better person to lead you on a trip like this?” (Mr. Robinson’s unique expertise in these fields provokes rhetorical questions, it seems.)

 

—to the Skirball Cultural Center (for two photography exhibits on the Civil Rights Movement), to El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park and Casa de la Guerra, and to the California African American Museum for an event called One Dream, A Region of Influence, A World of People, which featured film screenings of Dr. King’s speeches and a host of performances from different communities.

 

—to a variety of electrifying performances—the Peking Acrobats in Santa Barbara (noshing first on Dim Sum), Riverdance at the Pantages Theatre, the Broadway show Rent, and the always-popular House of Blues Sunset Strip World Famous Gospel Brunch, where recent fare included gospel ballads of the Civil Rights era and a tribute to Dr. King. Of that excursion, Trevor Mulchay said, "The gospel singing was incredible and definitely a new experience. It was not the kind of music I've heard live before, and the energy throughout the room was amazing. During the last song, as they invited people up on stage; half of my group and I marched up and danced along. It was a fantastically fun experience which will definitely be a highlight of my junior year."

 

“Cultural” also took in the Great Outdoors: students-cum-hikers explored and picnicked in nearby Rose Valley, a part of the Sespe Wilderness, where the last free-flowing river in California wends its way to the sea and offers up several magnificent waterfalls.

 

On campus, teachers showed films linked thematically to the weekend’s focus on activism and diversity—Spike Lee’s seminal Do the Right Thing and The Laramie Project (a film version of the Moisés Kaufman/Tectonic Theater Project play about community and national reaction to the 1998 murder of University of Wyoming gay student Matthew Shepard in Laramie. Sienna Courter '11 attended the first of these, and reported, "It was a fascinating take on racial hatred, and it definitely broadened my perspective on cultural diversity and violence."

 

Sunday evening gathered the Thacher community in the Milligan Center for the Performing Arts to hear a folk ensemble (representing every class in the school, senior to freshman, plus faculty and alums): Sam Meyer, Grace Lowe, Eva Batalla-Mann, Nan Macmillan, Director of Music Greg Haggard, and Ellen Adams CdeP 2005) sing Marley, Seeger & Hays, Dylan, and Holler classics from the 60s—Redemption Song, Blowin’ in the Wind, Abraham, Martin and John, and If I had a Hammer. Derick Perry CdeP 1983 then introduced The Murder of Emmett Till, a documentary in the PBS series American Experience—a potent work that, through interviews with many of those present at the time, chronicles the events leading to the murder, the crime itself, the ensuing trial, and the influence of the events on the decades to come. Junior Scott Lee’s reaction wasn’t atypical: “Although I was drenched in bitterness and sympathy [by] the story of Emmett Till, I’ve [now] learned a crucial part of American history.” Three freshmen weighed in: “The film made me think about just how hard it was for African Americans at that time,” said Alex Duncan. Gracie Farese wrote, “I was very affected by the movie. I'd heard his story before, the seeing the film and listening to the interviews of those close to him opened my eyes to the real horror of the entire situation. It also helped me to realize how much this murder really sparked in the [Civil Rights] movement in the 50's/60's.” After noting that “it was so quiet in the PAC, you could hear a pin drop,” Brisha Howe went on to say, “The scary part is that it wasn't that long ago.” For Chance Rodriguez, the Till documentary “stirred up anger and sadness and a newfound longing for justice. I will remember it for a long, long time.”

 

The Essential Blue-Eye was Monday morning’s first screening—the story of how third-grade teacher Jane Elliott’s late-1960s attempt to help her students understand racism from the inside out rocked her school, brought reactionary anger to her doorstep and her family’s, drew national attention, and soon became a groundbreaking exercise in the world of diversity training. Sophomore Sarah Cresto felt that it balanced well “the historical movies we watched, because it gave us insight as to how racism plays out and affects people today.” Her comments tied to Brisha’s, Olivia Stonehouse was “shocked at how recently [the events in Blue-Eye] took place. At Thacher, I've seen no blatant racism, and I haven't be that exposed to it in my lifetime. It made me wonder more about what kinds of negative, racist things are still happening in America today that I just don’t see.” Mathematics teacher Gallia Vickery’s comment reflected what several other faculty mentioned in passing: “I wish I'd had Mrs. Elliott for third grade. I was just about that age and what a thought-provoking, revealing exercise that would have been!” For Science teacher Peter Sawyer, the film contained “the best line of the day: We must get past tolerance and on to acceptance."

 

During mid-morning Assembly, Head of School Michael Mulligan spoke about the privilege of honoring a leader like Dr. King in this time when “race remains a powerful and loaded topic for us as a nation, and there remains much for us to understand and contend with,” going on to speak about his own moment of awakening to the necessity for change. Next up, the Thacher Chamber Choir with three pieces, one featuring soloist Sam Meyer doing more than mere justice to Patty Griffin’s Up to the Mountain and the others Dreams (words by Langston Hughes and music by Rollo Dillworth) and Moses Hogan’s I WIll Make a Difference.

 

The morning concluded with a screening of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “remarks” of August 28, 1963—as organizers for the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom called the address that immediately became the iconic “I Have a Dream” speech. For several in the audience, seeing the speech in its entirety was a first.

 

With the aim of post-film discussion, lunch mixed classes and faculty deconstructing together what they’d seen and heard. For Thacher Fellow Erica Jones, this seated meal was a “favorite part. I loved having the opportunity to sit and talk with students, (some of whom I had never really talked to before) about race, class, equality, inequality . . . I think we should have these discussions more often at Thacher, even if it's not about race.” In full agreement was Noelani Nasser '11, who said, “The discussions were insightful, and I learned a lot about my peers' experiences with racism and other ‘isms’.” Freshman Amy Feldman felt the same: “The lunch discussions on MLK day really rounded out my view of Thacher and its community, along with helping me to understand the perspectives of my peers.”

 

A wide variety of workshops after lunch found everyone in a spot they’d chosen to probe further: protest songs of the Civil Rights movement; race, ethnicity, and social policy since 1992; Hollywood’s representation of African Americans in film; the influence of his religion on Dr. King’s philosophy and work; sexual identity and “being an ally”; perspectives on race in boarding school; close analysis of Dr. King’s “A Letter from a Birmingham Jail” or his “I Have a Dream” address; Wounded Knee and Native American Civil Rights; gender bias in society and in school—to name just a few.

 

Of his time in Toby Elmore’s “I am” workshop, junior Robbie Yeagle wrote, “What an amazing experience! Participants were able to write who they believe they are, and then share it with our group. Exercises such as this one demonstrate how close and accepting Thacher's student body truly is and exemplify the core values of the Thacher's community.” Classmate Carson Land called the whole weekend “a great experience. I appreciated having the time to reflect on the adversity that many faced, and to some extent still do, just because of their race.”

 

A few days later, having absorbed the whole weekend's lectures, films, and workshops, Hannah Kent, a freshman, mused, “In [my] public school we would just get a day off, and no one [seemed to] really care why. Even though here we also didn't have classes [here at Thacher], we actually learned about Dr. King and what he was all about in different, really interesting ways.” At the end of his day, Scott Lee '11 wrote, “I understand better now the great revolution for social justice—and I feel happy to live in the present where different people of different backgrounds can live together and produce great communities like Thacher. It may be nice to have a day off from school, but it’s far more meaningful to acknowledge the true meaning of a national holiday.”

 

Huge credit goes to Dean of Faculty Molly Perry CdeP 1985 for organizing the celebration, as well as to the committee that worked to bring all the details together: Toby Elmore, Jennifer Finley, Greg Haggard, Erica Jones, Roger Klausler, Françoise Kasimirowski-Garcia, Richard Maxwell, Chris Mazzola, Alice Meyer, Aaron Mieszczanski, Cecilia Ortiz, Derick Perry CdeP 1983, and Aaron Snyder.

 

Thanks, too, to faculty members who offered Cultural Weekend trips or events in their homes (Jeannine & Stephen Carter, Pete Fagan, Heather Grant & Bill Omansiek, Kara Hooper, Erica Jones, Donna Jones & Peter Sawyer, Claire Kendrick CdeP 1999, Roger Klausler, Julie & Bo Manson, Mike McGowan--who also introduced Mr. Morones--Sabina McMahon, Cecilia Ortiz, Peter Robinson, and Chris Vyhnal); and to faculty and friends of Thacher who created and led informative and often inspiring workshops offered on Monday (Ellen Adams CdeP 2005, Jennifer Finley & Julianna Brannum, Jason Carney, Toby Elmore, Greg Haggard, Nicole Haggard CdeP 2000, Erica Jones, Chris Mazzola, Aaron Mieszczanski, Mike McGowan, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan, Cecilia Ortiz, Derick Perry, Molly Perry, Aaron Snyder, Richard Winters, Faculty Emeriti and teaching legends David and Phyllis Johnston, and Mouna Lawrence '11). And finally, gratitude deep to Claire Kendrick and her tech crew for their unflagging efforts and hours of work in the Milligan Center throughout the 3-day weekend.

 

 

Here’s to eyes wide open—and to minds and hands busy working. We’re not there yet.

 

 

 

Photography: Christina Hartman ’11, Lauren Zakarian-Cogswell ’10, Erica Jones, Kara Hooper, Christopher Land, Joy Sawyer-Mulligan

 

Photo of Martin Luther King, Jr. courtesy of www.mlkonline.net/images.html