CSW Celebrates Diversity Day 2018
CSW students, faculty, and staff joined together on Thursday, January 25 for CSW’s annual Diversity Day celebration, a full day of performances, community discussions, and student-generated workshops dedicated to the topic of diversity. Led each year by the student Diversity Committee, Diversity Day is a beloved CSW tradition that allows participants to share personal experiences and engage in exercises promoting awareness, equity, and inclusion.
CSW students, faculty, and staff joined together on Thursday, January 25 for CSW’s annual Diversity Day celebration, a full day of performances, community discussions, and student-generated workshops dedicated to the topic of diversity. Led each year by the student Diversity Committee, Diversity Day is a beloved CSW tradition that allows participants to share personal experiences and engage in exercises promoting awareness, equity, and inclusion.
The day kicked off with a rousing, all-school round of Rock, Paper, Scissors led by members of the Diversity Committee in the fit. Later, community members branched out into smaller groups to engage in the first of two workshop sessions. This year’s workshop catalog was particularly robust, with 37 different activities on offer, ranging from “Queer T-Shirt Making,” and “Dragon Beard Candy,” to “Up Close and Personal with the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict,” and “Examining Ideas of Cultural Appropriation in Media.” Each community member got to choose one discussion-based workshop and hands-on art or culinary-themed activity.
The day kicked off with a rousing, all-school round of Rock, Paper, Scissors led by members of the Diversity Committee in the fit. Later, community members branched out into smaller groups to engage in the first of two workshop sessions. This year’s workshop catalog was particularly robust, with 37 different activities on offer, ranging from “Queer T-Shirt Making,” and “Dragon Beard Candy,” to “Up Close and Personal with the Israeli/Palestinian Conflict,” and “Examining Ideas of Cultural Appropriation in Media.” Each community member got to choose one discussion-based workshop and hands-on art or culinary-themed activity.
In between workshops, the community gathered in the Robin Wood Theatre for a Keynote talk delivered by activist Lisa Wong, former mayor of Fitchburg. Wong shared her personal background with the community, detailing her experience growing up as the child of Chinese immigrants in North Andover, MA, and eventually going on to become the first Asian American female mayor in the state of Massachusetts.
“But I’m more than just a superlative,” Wong told the audience. “One of the most important rules of politics is to identify yourself before others can define you.”
She went on to offer advice on how to overcome other people's’ assumptions, encouraging students to find an issue they care about, that is worth fighting for, and to shape their identity around that. “Identity is a process, not a destination,” she said.
Students were able to ask additional questions before breaking for lunch in the Cheeck Dining Hall.
Students were able to ask additional questions before breaking for lunch in the Cheeck Dining Hall.
CSW congratulates the Diversity Committee and the entire school community on a fantastic day!
The Cambridge School of Weston is a progressive high school for day and boarding students in grades 9–12 and PG. CSW's mission is to provide a progressive education that emphasizes deep learning, meaningful relationships, and a dynamic program that inspires students to discover who they are and what their contribution is to their school, their community and the world.