DEI Cornerstone Conversation

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let me see what else and people want numbers. They love numbers so I'm gonna open up with a few numbers and then also give them some highlights about admission and we have started this is great.

Good evening, family friends, folks from abroad and East Coast time zones. West Coast time zones. If you're calling in from your iPhone, your laptop or iPad, we welcome you to our DI Cornerstone. Conversation on equity and inclusion at The Lawrenceville School as we wait for our participants to log in and just check in for the evening, I just wanna say thank you so much.

Once again, for spending your Sunday nights with us.

Our chat is open for questions that you can pose as we move into the discussion this evening, but we are very excited to have a four amazing.

Colleagues and current students, colleague and current students who are well versed and answer your questions tonight about equity and inclusion. But before we get started, I just wanted to go through a few housekeeping rules before as far as it pertains to the application process. First and foremost, my name is Dana Brown, director of admission. I'm very excited in the next week and a half to receive all of your applications. Hopefully by January 15th on January 15th, we expect the following.

Items to be in our inbox, which include apparent statement, essay questions, as well as your test scores.

Letters of recommendation. We give teachers yet another week or so to get all of that in, but I just wanted these were just housekeeping notes for the other participants that are joining us because we have focused so much on bringing you a content about our school the month of December. So that way in January it's a quiet period for us. We are still going to offer some interviews during January on a limited basis, so for those of you who have not scheduled your interview, we encourage you to take a look at our calendar later.

On this week we have finally gotten to a point where we will release more interview dates beginning this week. So if you haven't done so already, we will have more interviews for you. But all of you have tuned in. I am quite sure you are halfway done with your application or at least started it and I am 100% sure I have seen you on other chats too, so it's really great to see some other families who have joined us for a second and third and fourth time Perry family out in Denver.

Always great to see you Ling family. Thank you so much for seeing you the laceys. Also another Lacey family. Great to see you as well and many more so we appreciate the repeat viewers who've come to see us all always to bring us great content. Alright, now let's begin. I'm going to turn it now over to Dean Brick House and then the students will begin. And then we'll start with a few of our questions. So thank you so much and welcome to the DEI Cornerstone conversation segment.

With the most amazing panel group of panelists I can find on campus tonight.

Good evening, thanks Dana for bringing us all together and I'm really excited to be in conversation with you all and to be in conversation with Zoha Jack and Eli. I'm Cameron Brookhouse. I'm the new Dean of Diversity, equity, inclusion and community engagement. This is my fourth month at Lawrenceville, so Eli and I are brand new. We are both sort of second formers on campus. Before that I was at Exeter and Andover and in the History Department and working.

And their office of Multicultural Affairs and Diversity. I completed graduate work at the University of Pennsylvania and Africana Studies and at Lawrenceville. I teach EU S history survey and I also am a dorm affiliate in Dolls House. So I have I try to keep my finger on the pulse and really understand the daily life of the students as well as how I can support that on an institutional level.

So thank you. Looking forward to being conversation.

So how have you go next? And then we'll go Jack and then Eli please.

Alright, hi everyone, my name is Zoe con. I'm a current fifth former. I'm a day soon from Princeton, NJ and a few things I do on campus. I'm the diversity representative on the student Council. The President of the Muslim Students Organization, the editor in chief of the Diversity Magazine on campus, and the margins and a member of the Religious Life Council. So Jack, you can go ahead.

Great, thank you. So my name is Jack Patel. I'm currently afford former so a junior at Lawrenceville from Dothan, AL. I'm affiliated with the Cleave House in a couple of things that I do around campus. Are the a member of the explorations counsel, the president of the Cleve House. I'm also a ropes course instructor and a hutch and scholar on campus, so that's some of the things that I do you if you want to go next.

Hello everyone, my name is Eli Lacey. I'm from Illinois and I am a second former so that's a freshman. And because I'm a freshman, I haven't really gotten the opportunity yet. To, you know, do all the clubs and everything, but I definitely look forward to doing enjoying a bunch of different clubs and groups in the future.

Thank you very much.

So we're going to start with Dean Brick House and and have her sort of set the tone for the the overarching part of what we do with her office does with the DEI work here and the Brick house. Many questions I get even from the chat, but also while we're on the road and even during interviews as you families want to know, you know about, you know your position, but also, what are your offices? Sort of three main goals as it pertains to students, faculty, and.

Parents are to serve can put condense that for us, tell us about the the purpose and mission of the office that you are running on campus this year.

Just to make sure I have that question. So main goals for parents students.

Exactly.

And faculty would be lovely to hear about that as well.

Alright, so I'll go ahead and frame what I do. My mission statement. What my office does and then I'll go into our priorities. So in my role as a Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, Community engagement, I am charged with implementing the strategic plan of belonging building and becoming, which is a multi pronged plan that I have to partner with numerous folks across the institution to implement.

Those prongs of the strategic plan are retention recruitment in terms of faculty curriculum and education, school leadership, communication, accountability and transparency and professional development.

So that's what I do at an institutional level. However, on the ground, the office that I supervise is very connected to the student and student worlds and supporting their good work on campus and making sure that they're living. They're having life enhancing possibilities on campus, so the office of Multicultural Affairs is a group of folks come overseen by me, and there is the director of.

Equity inclusion Dr. Nori, Friedlander and four diversity coordinators who have different areas of interest. Those diversity coordinators are kellywise, who's in the athletic department and head of Upper House. We have Beth folk who's in college counseling we have Victoria Stitt who is new on our team and Napoleon Sykes who are also new kellywise focuses on athletes, student athletes and LGBT QA.

Plus experiences and students. Beth Folk focuses on 1st generation students and Victoria State. Napoleon Sykes are still figuring out the areas, but Victoria has been very instrumental and programming with US and Napoleon is helping to implement some residential life curriculum this year.

Uhm, so our work is very much uhm?

Looking at programming this year, that's one of our first priorities in our initiatives. We're very invested in making sure that students see themselves in the programming that we bring to campus, and that it supplements what they're seeing in terms of the classroom and in the dorm space and in their Co curriculars. So, for example, the Office of Multicultural Affairs did an extensive set of programming for Hispanic Hispanic Heritage Month.

You brought the poet Willie Perdomo to campus. He gave a school meeting talk. He then had lunch with LAUR Latin ex student association. He then gave a poetry talk in the Hutchins Gallery that evening. We also supported UM.

A day of the dead. For Hispanic students association. I'm sorry Latin X Students association and we're also working with them too.

Attend a conference next month, so that's the type of work that my office does, and one of the priorities like I just stated for students, is programming our priority for faculty is professional development. Right now we have implemented a series of three.

Professional Development Workshop series. It's a series with three. Excuse me with Bryant marks who's working with the faculty on implicit bias. We have also run a training this year for our faculty. New faculty on microaggressions and introduce them to the literature. New thoughts about microaggressions and tools to help prevent them and help when when they face.

Them in their classroom or on campus.

For parents, our priority is to communicate clearly this year what our office is doing and the programming that we are implementing and encouraging our parents to become a part of the Multicultural Parents Association. So that's one of our priorities for our parents. We really want to keep them informed so that they can help push their students towards our office and towards our programming initiative.

So that that's our priorities for the year, and we're trying to keep it as close to the ground as possible. 'cause as I stated, this is my 4th month in, so I'm still very much on a listening and learning tour and trying to understand the cultural landscape of Lawrenceville.

Dana, I think you're muted.

Thank you Dean Brick house. It's very important for our viewers in our perspective families to hear how you are laying out that groundwork. And even in month four, you've done a tremendous job of of steering us through some very turbulent times, but also have a lot of exciting. There's a lot of excitement around campus, I know is particularly from the faculty side of things for the professional development and how key that is. And certainly that doesn't always send doesn't necessarily have to center around a certain holiday.

But here at Lawrenceville is you could have heard that Dean Brick house is looking to stretch that out throughout the year, and and then also partnering partnering with either other departments or other centers we have on campus to ensure that our faculty are well versed, trained and informed on how to build more inclusive classrooms. Now I want to turn it over to our students, and many of you have logged on because you want to hear their student perspective. How were they involved? How do they manage the day-to-day and so for zoha?

And Jack, I know that you were leaders of specific organizations on campus, so why don't you start out by giving us a little background on the organizations that you are involved in that have to do with DI work?

I can I can start with this one. I think something that I really appreciate about Lawrenceville in terms of DI is our strong affinity groups and just the role that affinity groups play in fostering a sense of belonging for our students. Personally. As a freshman, I was coming from a Catholic school and didn't really have a lot of connection with my identity as a Muslim, but I was welcomed with open arms into the Muslim students organization where we had a really.

You know, ripen, colorful, dynamic. It was like a second family to me. Uhm, so joining that organization really strengthen these Muslim and connected me with a lot of students who shared the same values as me and also just gave me a really good foundation to make a lot of friends from many different grades and a lot of diverse backgrounds. Now I'm the president of the Muslim student organization, so a lot of my focus right now is just kind of fostering that same sense of belonging.

For the younger students, and give them the same support that I got from the organization when I was a freshman. I also mentioned our Schools Diversity magazine in the margins. It was started, I think three years ago by Asia actor who is the former diversity representative on student council, and I think it's probably my favorite thing I do on campus because we use a lot of art and very creative mediums to kind of foster social justice and facilitate.

Diversity is about identity on campus. So for example, we we make a lot of Spotify playlists that reflect cultural backgrounds and during COVID we did a series of day in the lives from students from across the world. 'cause, you know, we're really blessed to go to a very culturally diverse school, so we showcase that through these videos. When we were remote. So I think that's another way that social justice work and just having conversations about identity and culture is very.

Easily accessible to our student body through art, so that's just two of the things that I majorly do, but I'll pass it on to Jack now.

Awesome, so to have two of my own things. I think one thing to start off is is being able to explore on campus. We actually have a program called the exploration program here which is a super unique opportunity where you get to participate in various experiences, whether they be religious or explorations and diversity, equity and inclusion. But I've been a member of this Council now for about two years and I've really had the opportunity to not only design my own explorations.

I also had the opportunity to participate in so many of them and learn about so many different cultures in my time at Lawrenceville.

Another thing is, it was formally known as the Diversity Council, and in order to make it more inclusive for all students on campus, it's been opened up to a club that all students can join. But in my previous years I Lawrenceville. I also really enjoyed making projects and finding opportunities to improve life for students on campus. One huge thing that I've spent a lot of time on was trying to find a way to help students ask questions in situations where they're not entirely sure.

Uhm, what to do or what to say? And so I've been working on a project called the Diversity Learning Tool where students will be able to hopefully one day submit submissions to the Office of Multicultural Affairs as well as some student leaders on campus and to be able to to get responses and get feedback without feeling sort of a sense of pressure to go up to somebody face to face and ask those questions. So yeah, those are two of the things that I've been able to do in terms of diversity.

Work on campus.

Well, I think he might be muted again, sorry.

I am I got it. I'm gonna stop doing that mute thing. Alright, so here's where we we wanted to get a little bit more insight to something. The explorations program. I know we're going to have some separate talk for admissions on that another segment admissions will feature on explorations, but that sounds very interesting. And when you say Jack that you've had a chance to learn more through explorations, can you give us an example of something that you had done in either taking that class? Or maybe be participating in that?

Organization altogether.

Most definitely yes. So I think that one thing I've found in my time at Lawrenceville is, I think that one of the most special parts about this campus is the fact that we have this program I talked with Miss Laubach, a lot, who runs the program. There's really never going to be another time in your life where you're so welcome to be in an experience of a religion or culture that's not your own. While at Lawrenceville and it's or once you've left Lawrenceville. But while you're here, you know doors are open to jummah prayers in the morning, just as.

Last week I went to a Hanukkah service with my friend personally. I'm a Christian so that you know this is an experience that I've never really had the opportunity to participate in. But being able to you know any given day show up to a service that you wouldn't necessarily participate in within your own culture. You really get to explore and learn about different parts of the world and different cultures and religions, and I think it's a really powerful program that you know if you get the chance to to come to Lawrenceville. It's it's really something that I would hope that everybody takes the time to.

To really engage and participate in, UM, so yeah, that's what that's where I'd leave that at.

And you found that people who come to those meetings or they just people who look like the folks on this panel? Or are they part of the majority culture too? Because the other question I get a lot on the road too is do you have to be a person of color and do you have to be of a certain affinity part of affinity group to participate in these things? Is this something that you find even kids who may not know actually not know? I may never had experience like this before they come to stuff like this.

Absolutely it you. The program is really open to anyone in the entire school, including faculty members. UM, the hope is really that, you know, if you have something that you really love or want to share with the community, that's a part of yourself. The explorations program is sort of a way for you to share that with, you know, any student that's the school. You know whether they be from Alabama like myself or from Princeton. Like Zoha, you know you were really getting the opportunity to sort of. It's on your own initiative to immerse yourself in these.

Different experiences, but they are open for anybody to to take the time to come and participate in and learn from.

Both.

And Eli Lacey, thank you for that. And Eli Lacey, I'm gonna call you in on this one is in invites you to respond based on what I recall from interviewing you about a year and some change ago. The work that you did at your middle school to draw people into making you know there was something he had done specifically to bring to the attention of your. I think your principle and you had taken that initiative pretty much the same initiative that Jack just spoke of to make changes.

But my question for you is as a first year student, how have you found your way through all the options of diversity, equity, inclusion or even yes. So let's start with that question first, and then I'll do a follow up after that.

So one way I found like I decided to like kind of immerse thought the students at my previous school into kind of like opening ideas of you know, diversity and equity and inclusion into their minds. I started this thing called so I go to Barrington Middle School. That was my name in the old school. And so I started this thing called the Barrington Middle School Showcase. And so basically what it would do. It was very quite simple.

So, like once a week, I'll make a slide about UM, like a certain prominent figure in like African American history that they never taught us at school I remember.

I used to do slides on James Baldwin and like riders like him and I did it once a week. It was just a quick slide and it got sent out to all the students online and so one way I think that really helped was I feel like it gave kind of students more.

If you, if you know what I mean like I feel like it really opened them up to kind of things outside of what they're being taught.

And I really, I really think it was really helpful, because over quarantine I felt like everyone started seeing those like divisions and kind of the aftermath of like the George Floyd situation and all that. And I really wanted to kind of showcase African American history to my school and I think that that's the way I did it. And I really, really successful. And so people really started like liking it like they started telling me things about it. And so people. The main comment I got was wow, I never knew.

I never knew about this and so that really interests me and that was like away and giving people involved and letting people know.

And so you started with with that just by giving us a framework on how you started out, and now that you're here at Lawrenceville, can you talk about some of the things that you have either participated in by way of Affinity Group? Or maybe it's just something as fun as you gathering with a couple of guys to get your haircut? Like? What are some of the other things that you have done to sort of recenter yourself around race and and inherited in general?

Uhm, so this one is actually really interesting and like this is something I never imagined and never really thought of. But when I came to school, one thing I was questioning like it was a bunch of me and my other friends were questioning like where we going to get our haircut and so that was a very simple thing. It wasn't too like that. They give a think to other people, but for us was like OK, we're going to get our haircut and then they they, the school did this thing where they brought a person.

Tony, he's our Barber and so he goes to MEM Hall. And So what? That is, it's a building that's about I would say like a 3 minute walk from my house and so basically all the boarders who don't. You can't go all the way home to get a haircut every two weeks. They just walk over to men and he's in the second floor and I actually got my haircut today by him. He's a very good Barber, but that was something I really enjoyed and like. It was like very very small detail. But I was like very.

Impressed how the school picked up on that and they like immersed us in that and the conversations I've had with Tony. They've been like.

Invaluable. You can't make him up, but 'cause he's very interested in many things like Ma. We share interest in that and so we talked today for about an hour and a half about this. The latest fight between Alvarez and Caleb plant and things like that. It would just get in my mind off the like school and everything and like just like a simple conversation with him. And that was something that I really enjoy that I really like, yeah?

Thank you very much. So how I'm going to turn it over to you for a moment and ask you to talk more on the Religious Life Council meeting if you're involved in any of those organizations. Religion and spirituality are important to many families, and so how has how have you been able to connect and stay true to all of that as you are gone from your first year all the way through your senior year here?

Yeah, I talked a little bit about affinity groups. We have many religious affinity groups on campus. We have the Muslim student organization which I mentioned earlier. Focus, which is the Christian affinity group the Hindu Students Organization? Uh, we have the six students organization, the Jewish Students Organization, and many more. So I definitely say that affinity groups are really good way to connect with those who identify as the same religion as you and in terms of religious.

Life on campus. Like Jack mentioned earlier, the exploration program is something that's really powerful and fostering religious identity, but also religious inclusion and just promoting more cultural awareness on campus. As to religious traditions and practices. Like he mentioned earlier, we have a weekly Juma prayers with the most students organization every Friday and all the teachers are aware of these prayers and there's a lot of flexibility in our schedules.

To make sure that we have the time and support to practice our religion, whether it be a weekly prayer, service or even just an affinity group gathering with the rest of our community. And then the exploration program allows us to explore other religions and also just increase our knowledge about what other religions practice.

Dean Brookhouse, I'm gonna go back to you for a moment because I want to.

Talk more how do you speak more directly to the systems and the things that you have in place for either faculty member, well, faculty members, and students? In the event that there are.

Students were in distress or a padded something set in the classroom and they need to report something to an adult. What is the structure that exists currently and maybe what do you have on the horizon to improve any of that? As you go through your time here at Lawrenceville?

Sure, uhm.

As I described the team, we have five people and the office of Multicultural Affairs, so I oversee it and then we have Dr, Nori, Friedlander and then we have 4 diversity coordinators.

Uhm, so we're hoping that with all of these folks who do this work that they're connected to a variety of students and so that they can serve, sort of as trusted adults. Also, my role in the classroom and in the dorm space also allows me to have direct connections with students, so we're hoping that the students will find us as trusted adults because of our constant presence around campus. So we've been really working to have.

We've really been doing a lot of relational work to help students feel comfortable reporting these incidences directly to us. However, on the horizon there will be a tool that students will be able to report to online tool that my office will review and order to take appropriate steps, whether that be an improvement plan for faculty for students. But we really value accountability and.

Empowerment and we're very looking. We're looking very much forward to that tool and to further implement some accountability and empowerment tools for our community.

Thank you very much. Now would be a good time for me to just sort of jump in here and give some folks hats. Now that we've settled in a little bit of and then we were training our ears to hear from the students. Families always want to know the stats. What's the make up in the composition of our school? And currently the entire school composition is about 55% students of color. These are students who are self identified students of color of 45% of that is other is is Caucasian.

And the breakdown within the 55%.

Of students of color is as follows.

19% or Asian Asian American 12% have identified as multiracial.

10% have identified as African American black.

8% have identified as other and 6% have identified as Hispanic or past Spanish or Latin X.

If so, that's the entire school compositions with a 5545 split between 55% students of color, 45% white and again breaking down the SOC's numbers for the entire school. Reading this again with the 55% overall student of color population, 19% Asian American or Asian, 12% multiracial, 10% black, 8% other percent Hispanic or Latin X. Now we had to roll this back yet again too.

This falls class that we just admitted 58% were students of color and 42% were white, 17% were Asian American Asian, 14% were black. Our African American 9% multiracial, 8% Hispanic, Latin X and 5% chose not to respond 4% or other in 1% did not respond. So we break the way I'm presenting these numbers. Tonight I gave you the overall percentage of the composition here at the Lawrenceville School.

And then for just the class we just admitted on those numbers had been higher in some categories because the numbers are a little smaller, I believe. So that's where you get those numbers from, so that should kind of give you an idea of representation on campus. All right, let's move on to our next question. Oh, and so for the family was eager to find out how many PGS do we have in with the number of breakdown that is. I don't have that for you off hand by class. We honestly don't split hairs that way. Ladies and gentlemen who are on the panel.

Are there PG's on campus that look like you that you've seen who have wide variety of interests and little bit diversity? I can at least count three off the top of my head, including a few internationals.

Pretty much right.

So we're OK on that one all right next question, uhm?

Demographics of faculty and administration. That's a good question. I Cameron, I know that you and I have worked at a variety of different schools up north, and maybe we can just sort of speak to this. Anecdotally, I don't know if you have hard numbers, but what we?

I hard numbers in my office.

Oh, OK.

And I have at home, but yeah, we can speak anecdotally about that, I think.

So why don't you go first in terms of what you see in comparison to other places, you know when you chose Lawrenceville, Y and you? What are you seeing on campus between administration? Who's represented and who's at the table?

Sure.

So I don't think Lawrenceville is. I think Lawrenceville is incomparable to the other schools that I've worked at in terms of the diversity of its faculty. But there are improvements to be made in certain areas to be honest. And what I think is beautiful about our strategic plan. About my partnership with the Dean of faculty offices that we are acutely aware of the areas that we need to improve in.

In terms of faculty recruitment to reflect our student body, 'cause that's ultimately what we want to do is to reflect our student by to make sure that our students feel seen and the folks who teach them and live with them every day, so.

I think there needs to be more representation of Asian faculty, particularly men, and we're looking to be in conversation with graduate programs out West and other locations in the United States.

To think about that and partnering with other recruitment agencies that specialize in diverse candidates, there also needs to be more representation of Latin X faculty members. And we're also doing the same there. The same can be said of those two groups in terms of representation in administration, and that's something that I am pushing for, and I can't wait, so I'm very much.

Come in conversation with Dean of Faculty office about that.

Thank you, I will say one thing that I had.

Been pleasantly surprised at in coming back to Jersey after living in Connecticut for least 15 years of my career is that?

Sat down at the lunch table one day and I looked around and I realized that I really was not the only faculty member of color, right? That that for me was a a moment where I and I had always ignored that in some ways. But I've I've found that could look across the table and see hair texture like mine or ask someone where I could go get my hair done or whether or not the soul food place was open. Or could we go and actually get you know, decent fuss somewhere?

Around the way like that, there's a wide variety of not only food, but wait, you know, moments for self care, which are deeply important and just another plug for our admissions series of events. There's a woman at leader. There's a leadership session that we're having. I believe it's Wednesday. Women of Lawrenceville, where we're going to feature the women who are taking the head positions in our math department as well as our science department. So when we speak of diversity.

We're not just talking black, white, or brown, was also speaking about women in leadership roles, and so we've also highlighted that for you to log in and see as well, that's incredibly important, and I will say this is probably the first school I've worked at where the the math department is led by a woman as well as the science department. So representation matters on that side as well. We've got.

Please.

And to add, oh just to add onto that, UM, if you take a look at our senior staff, you'll also see that reflected. There's been a huge change and investment in having a women lead, so that's been recent. And I think it's going to be impactful.

Thank you we have a question on here as far as about our Chinese group on campus. For those of you who may be involved with with them and working closely with the affinity groups that are for Chinese American, no Chinese students. Can you speak a little bit more towards the options and things that they have their own camp, but that we offer here on campus?

Yeah, I can speak a little bit on that soum I mentioned earlier how strong our affinity groups are on campus, and I think for Chinese students in particular, they have two groups that I think are very welcoming environments. We have the Pan Asian Alliance, which is basically consists of any students who identify as Asian anyway, whether it be South Asian, East Asian, so things that they do on campus. Of course they they celebrate holidays like Lunar New Year. They they have.

Meetings I think every month just to be with each other and have conversations about what it means to be Asian, what it means to be Asian at Lawrenceville and in terms of international students who come from China or any international country, whether it be from Asia or any other continent. There's the International Students Association, which is again another opportunity for students to engage with each other and talk about what it means to be an international student. Going to a boarding school in America.

And also at Lawrenceville. So both of those affinity groups I would say are just really good opportunities to celebrate the culture and also just be with students who identify the same way as you. So yeah, if anyone else anything out on I welcome that.

We also have an international student coordinator who is useful to our international students coming from China. Young Daniels. So she's been really important to creating a sense of belonging home for our students at Lawrenceville.

Thank you God.

Let's go on to safety next year. Parts of what we lost. Some of our questions had to do with. Do you feel safe and welcome on campus? Eli, I'm going to start with you when it comes to safety. I know your parents were probably concerned about that when you were looking at all of these different schools, but do you feel safe seeing, heard and supported here at Lawrenceville?

Absolutely, absolutely.

Uhm, I think a lot that plays into that is the fact that you get really really, really close with the people in your house like I always knew I was over on these calls listening to people say, Oh yes, I'm really really close to everyone here, but it really is an experience like no other like living with with people your age and like going to classes with people your age every single day. It really does do something and you guys do really like form of really close tight knit bond.

And so that really does help tie into like, do you feel welcome here? Do you think you are you at in this place and this I would say yes.

Jack and so has same question for you.

Yeah, one thing that I would add on, you know I can only speak from my own experience on campus, but I would say another part in addition to the students is really the adults on campus that I, I think is a huge part. You know we have two heads of houses specifically in my house. I'm sure it might be different for the freshmen houses and senior houses.

Listen Advisors on campus as well as the order organization, or I think it's sorry organization or office of Multicultural Affairs. Sorry but having you know people on campus specifically, adults that I know I can talk to about pretty much any situation that comes up I think is another really powerful thing that we have that that really makes me feel safe going around campus and you know, dealing with things when they when they do come up.

Yeah, I completely echo everything that Jack and Eli said. I think as well. Just having the office of Multicultural Affairs and Dean Brick House on campus as well as Doctor Friedlander is the diversity of equity Division I definitely feel safe as a person of color coming to adults who are very well versed in topics of, uh, you know what? What it means to be a person of color at a boarding school, and I think I really feel safe. Just coming to any of those adults. Or really any any of the heads of houses or advisors.

On campus to talk about experiences, just knowing that they'll understand where I'm coming from and offer me like the proper support and guidance that I might need.

Thank you very much and the next question we have is about the bubble. You know, every one of these boarding schools sometimes feels like a bubble. You know, like that. The other places I worked at in north in Wallingford, they had a bubble in Lakeville, Connecticut. They had a bug, I'm sure somewhere in the Andover and the brothers Phillips, there were bubbles there too. Let's talk about it. And so when those living in these bubbles and he's really safe, protected places, sometimes you forget that there are other communities.

Out there you know that are in need and ways that you can interact with them, and so how do our diversity groups interact with the surrounding communities in any way with Princeton, Lawrenceville, or even Trenton? How are have we? How we view all participated in things that are happening either at other campuses or maybe at the university? Have you had any crossover? Maybe it wasn't with the OR how did you break out of this bubble to realize that there is life beyond you know, burger, eat chicken Nuggets and waiting?

Online at the fancy dining hall. So either Jack or so high. One or two kick that off for.

Actually, interestingly enough, this past week I predicted using Diversity Leadership Conference, which I think is a perfect example to talk about how Lawrence little, you know, gave me an opportunity to break out of that bubble. There is a I think, about 2000 students from across the country from independent schools. It was run by the NAIS, which is the National Association of Independent Schools. Were I really just had an opportunity to engage with students across the country who looked like me? Why the?

We had similar values as me and just talking about issues of diversity, equity, inclusion in our independent schools. So that's one example of engaging with students from across the country, and I think it's a day student. I can speak about how Princeton informs how we kind of function at Lawrenceville. Were, you know, really lucky. Lucky to be in an area in New Jersey that has a very diverse demographic population, so I think there's definitely a lot of opportunities.

For affinity groups to engage with outside organizations that are in Mercer County, which is the county that Lawrence flows and where we can engage with people that share same identity and just engaging with the same communities outside of Lawrenceville.

Jack or Eli you have anything to add to that please.

Ways in which you've gotten to break out of the bubble in any sort of way. Whether it's through your work over the summer, or ways that you, you know this, don't even the little things.

One thing I think is pretty important is sort of how centered we really are engaging in current events in our classes, whether it be through projects and even the math class or something. So it doesn't necessarily have to just be talking about current events in history class, I think really, the way in which we're able to sometimes take a step back when events happen in the surrounding world and really say we're not just in this, you know, bubble of safety. There are things that are happening in the world around us that we need to acknowledge and discuss. I think that's.

One way within the classroom where we're really able to try to step out of this bubble that we're in and really engage with the world around us. Although it's not necessarily something happening in Princeton, Lawrenceville or Trenton, we definitely try and make sure that we are engaging with different happenings around the world.

Elias.

I oh sorry, go ahead, go ahead.

Something that I I haven't really been like participating it. I've just been kind of viewing it from the side, but I think on Friday that's the day. Yeah, on Fridays and I think on Saturdays too. There are these kids that just come and play around in the bowl with us and so at first. I mean, I thought 'cause a lot of time. Somebody just brings their child and they play around with the dog and the bull. And so it's like the faculties child or whatever but.

These kids just every Friday there. They just kept on coming. I was like OK and and I asked one day and it was like this program. I do not remember the name of the program but it they bring kids from Trenton I think down to the bowl and then they do a bunch of activities outside or whatnot and so they kind of just integrated with us pretty well. We play spikeball with them all the time and so that was for me was kind of a way of like breaking the bubble.

And I'm talking to people in like different life experiences than me.

You are about to tag team that's under the umbrella of community service and our Community Service Office is extensive and students have a wealth of programs to choose from.

The Community Service Office has developed partnerships with a lot of community organizations and Princeton and Trenton that a lot of students take advantage of. Additionally, in my work in the title of Community engagement and my title, the upcoming program for MLK Day will feature some activists. Grassroots activists from Trenton, so we're trying to make sure that folks are aware of the knowledge.

And the expertise.

Of folks who do such amazing social justice and activist work around us so that they can model that for our students.

Any claim much so the chat rooms have gotten a little bit quieter, or the questions of sort of UM wound down a little bit even. I hope that answered your question and a bit answered your question. We're actually gonna go back to Vons, Vons dad once Dad got a lot of questions. Tonight's involves dad. How strong is the alumni network for students of color? And do you feel that alumni are accessible to help as you seek to apply to colleges and universities?

Alumni at Lawrenceville. Let's shrink that up a little bit and just lean in to talk to us about the alumni networks and it's particularly online networks of color that maybe Dean breaks or office interfaces with.

Sure, so my office. Uhm well, basically I think it's more me because my office is more into student life and student support. So I have been interfacing with UM alum such as the LBA.

LBI The Lawrenceville Black Alumni Association. The Latin X Alumni association. We now have a budding LGBTQA plus alumni organization, and we are trying to get an API organization off of the ground, and I am in conversation with all of those organizations in order to make sure that they feel like they are part of Lawrenceville. And they also have a wealth of knowledge to share.

In terms of supporting our students.

We are in the process of figuring out how their relationship.

Can further develop between our alums and our students, but we have to be careful because our students are there. Safety is primary, and though we trust you know much of our alums, we want to make sure that we're doing this in the safest and most productive way.

So the Latin X Alumni Association did have a panel for our Latin X students to discuss college and college experiences, and that was run by the College Counseling Office to make sure that the messaging help supported their efforts as well. And we're looking forward to doing connecting students with LBA soon and possibly once the API alumni group.

It's off the ground trying to connect the students with those alums, so we're I've seen a lot of opportunities coming up soon in that work.

Thank you very much. The next question we have is around gender identity and gender equity and now we are going to have a separate conversation on Wednesday about that led by members of Dean Brick Houses, Office of Multicultural Affairs, but force Ohad, Jack and Eli.

You how do we encourage female students to recognize their gender identity and strive for gender equity?

Box on that.

Oh, I can speak on that. I think, UM, as a woman at Lawrenceville, like Dean Brookhouse and Miss Brown mentioned earlier, I feel like there's a lot of representation that we get in leadership positions, and I think that's a really important thing for young women to see that. And it? It kind of motivates me to, you know, overcome any feelings of doubt that I might have for myself, because just seeing a lot of representation of women in leadership positions come, it's really empowering.

And as well, there's a lot of opportunities for clubs on campus that kind of support women. Specifically. There's a woman in business leadership Club that brings in speakers, I think once a month outside speakers just talking about their experiences in the workforce as a woman.

So I think there's definitely a lot of opportunities for women to be supported, and a lot of encouragement from adults on campus as well as clubs for women. To, you know, Chase ambitions and overcome obstacles.

We also try to.

Represent our values in the spaces that we inhabit, so students will go into history classroom and like one of my colleagues Laura Novoa Berman. She says the vibe in her classroom is feminism. So like all over the walls, there really strong women who were activists and intellectuals that are posted all over her classroom. But also she's incorporated into the curriculum. So I think so how beautifully described.

The emphasis on gender equity and and clubs, but also we try to do that work and our curriculum, and I think we're also growing in that area as well.

Thank you very much. We have time for a few more questions and then we're going to.

Wrap it up I am and where do we want to go next?

We

affinity groups for.

Other or I'm? Let's talk about affinity groups again, can someone just list the the affinity groups that we do have on campus? Do we have stuff for Asian American students? Korean American students? Who are we missing, right? This is always the hardest part about doing these conversations because we take a look around and there's always someone who's not at the table. But now we want to try to bring them into the conversation and knowledge and recognize and so who are we? Who is not here tonight that we should be talking about the work that their clubs or organizations are doing.

In the affinity group space.

It's so hot jewel time to think about that.

Yeah, I think uh, what? What comes to mind immediately is just how dynamic or affinity groups are. I feel like there's a oftentimes II hear of a new one every every month. I think we're kind of developing affinity groups to make sure that there is a seat at the table for all students. There is, of course.

This is our Latin Xfinity groupers Hispanic students organization.

Penn Asian Alliance alliance of black cultures, black women at Lawrenceville and Middle Eastern Students Association. There's the gender sexuality Alliance as well. Those are just a few I I think there there might be 20 or 25 affinity groups if I'm not mistaken, I don't know if that number is correct, but I definitely think there there is no rigidity in our affinity groups and students are encouraged to start them. Join them. They're very fluid as well. All very welcoming spaces and.

I think are the goal of video groups just to kind of foster a sense of belonging? As I mentioned earlier, so definitely students are encouraged to join any that they please and start any that they please. And faculty members are always supportive of those endeavors.

And my office is invested in resourcing those affinity groups, so we're in the process of trying to take the offense. Shouldn't they take but encompass the affinity groups and the office of Multicultural Affairs? They were previously in the Dean of Students Office, but we are in the works of doing that to make sure that all of those affinity groups are resourced properly and are able and we're able to bring the programming to campus that they desire and give them the supports and tools that they need to really blossom at Lawrenceville.

Thank you, we are now at the six minute mark and I do want to leave about one or two minutes for some. Just some closing questions and I know our students have calculus test tomorrow. I know Eli you have something in economics tomorrow. Zoha I think you had mentioned earlier that you had to really log off soon because it had something in computer science and so we want to make sure that you get your time to study for those exams. But I want to do one of my little time machine questions. 'cause Miss Brown always loves a good throwback. Let's go back to I'm let's see.

November, 2020. Nobody really wants to go back to 2020, but I'm gonna take y'all there tonight. Go back to November 2020 and even before that when.

You know politics were hot and heavy, right? You have different groups on campus and we we honor everybody. We got the Republican club. We've got the Democrats. We've got the independence. We've got them all here, right? No one is sitting alone in certain spaces. But everybody's got a little bit of something and certainly even in your own family at your dinner tables. Even Thanksgiving is always political commentary. I can imagine two, depending where you're going back to. So the question is, is you know how does Lawrenceville manage political views discourse?

Things like that in terms of how they filter in and out of campus and Jack, I'ma let you lead off on this one.

Definitely. I think one moment that has stuck with me throughout my entire time at Lawrenceville since it's happening. Was the night of the election in November, all students gathered together. No matter your political beliefs and you know the the Democrats Club worked with the Republicans club to put together an event for all students to come and watch the election.

And and we really just had everybody in the community coming together to sort of watch this election. There was no argument, nothing but respect amongst people in the community, and there was really. They had a lot of discussions after the elections that happened with both the Republicans and Democrats clubs and they really work together to try and allow people to sort of really think about the questions that are being raised and talked about during the election. Allow people to sort of express their views in a positive way, whether it be on.

Message boards or through discussions and things like that. So there were really in moments where I was expecting, you know, to be honest, we were all kind of expecting a day off after that.

It was really I really love the way that the school was able to open up opportunities as well as students were able to open up opportunities for people to share their beliefs and have those discussions. And you know, a peaceful way and and it was a really strong moment that stuck out for me.

So how about for you?

Yeah, I'm actually president of the young Democrats Club, which is, UM, one of another great thing that I do on campus and I was actually in a meeting with the President of the Young Republicans club. His name is Jack Weinberg and the editor in chief of our Schools political publication, the First Amendment yesterday just kind of talking about how we're going to make sure that students of all political affiliations feel supported and we're creating a weekly forum where we can discuss topics in a safe space.

With trusted faculty members and perhaps do screenings of bill signings and other ways that students would want to engage with any sort of political discourse. So I definitely think there's many opportunities for students to feel supported no matter how they identify and a lot of opportunities to engage in healthy conversations regarding politics. 'cause it's definitely something that's present in our campus, and any campus, really. And I think there's so many organizations and faculty members who well support.

Any of those discussions that would want to happen?

Very much so. It sounds like social justice activities or something that we participate in on a fairly regular basis. Is there one in particular that you can that comes to mind that you can just leave our audience with and something that you've done in your career here?

This is for Ian when he wants to know about the ethnic clubs. Do they participate in any social justice activities? Is there something that comes to mind that where you may have done a model? How would you have done a March back in whatever year that was where you guys freshman? Then I don't even remember. I wasn't even here then or or participated in any gone to the statehouse. Doesn't the governor live like less than a half a mile from here it was in his home? Or have you signed any bills or petitions with social justice? Look like on this campus?

Worthy activities that are.

3 popular

I think one thing that comes to mind for me is our series called Let's Talk about which is a discussion series started by two students in the class of 2021. I think they they started it a couple years back and in 2020 when a lot of the unrest was happening and basically the series.

Is a there's a topic every term that seems want to talk about whether it be a.

Ability, race, sexual orientation, and there's a presentation by students who feel strongly about those topics and then opportunities for students open to the entire student body to come and engage in a conversation about them. Express how they feel about those topics, any concerns that they may have. It's overseen by the Director of Equity Inclusion, Dr. Friedlander, so I think that's a really good and common opportunity for students to engage with social justice and also just.

It's a really good opportunity to age and like a good sense of community with students from across the spectrum. Evelyn's home.

Fantastic alright it is 8:30 and as promised I need to let these students go and study for the test that I have coming up before they log off. I need one word from each of you in terms of what's the best advice you can give. This group of folks listening and viewing us today as they head towards completing their application for January 15. Or some best words of advice you can give them. Eli Lacey, we gonna start with you because you were the last one that you were at this point this time last year. So what's the best piece of advice?

Now that you're sitting in your room over and lower that, you can give folks as they get ready to hit submit.

Ah, the best piece of advice that I would give right now is to try networking to families that are are currently at Lawrenceville right now.

But one thing that I found very helpful and that was mainly because I couldn't travel to any of the schools to kind of get the vibe of the places I was trying to go to. But one thing that I found very helpful was asking my parents found parents and students that went to a Lawrenceville and kind of trying to talk and DM students that I knew went and like asking their experiences how they enjoyed it. Advice for the upcoming year.

That I found very, very helpful because one it lets you get to know the people that you're about to potentially enter school with, and it gives you kind of an idea of what you're stepping into. So that's the advice I would give.

Jack Patel I know it was way back for you, but you just did this whole process for college. So what best advice could you give to this audience tonight?

I will be doing this for college next year. I will be, yeah.

Oh next.

Yeah, but uh.

Right?

Yeah, thank goodness you'll be here for one year. Oh gosh.

One thing that I can definitely say that might not be necessarily related to this conversation. One thing I definitely wish I had heard right before I clicked that send button is just, you know, take a deep breath and that everything is going to workout. You know you put in the time and put in the work you really been able to explore in your middle school and you know.

Whatever happens is going to happen, and you know these opportunities and things like this are not going to go away. You're not going to not have the opportunity to engage in diversity, equity, inclusion at any other place. And you know, I just think it's important to always take a step back and remember that you know everything is going to be OK. I know it might seem like the biggest deal in the world right now, but no matter what happens, you will be. You will be alright, so that's what I would wish that I would have heard when I was going through the process one time.

Aloha

I am deep in the college process right now and I know that, UM, writing your essays and doing interviews and things like that can be really daunting. But I think one piece of advice that I think is really valuable is just to be yourself. Because at Lawrenceville we celebrate diversity, and I think Lawrence was a place where unique students really thrive. So just showcase all the beauty of your multifaceted self and just don't don't hold back and don't feel like you need to filter yourself at all. The application. Just be yourself.

Awesome.

And Dean Brookhouse last words.

I think Zoha and Jack and Eli just covered it beautifully and just know that if you decide to come to Lawrenceville, we will treasure. Your children were very invested and then coming out of this institution not only hold, but like incredibly vibrant and full of people who are who have been taught how to think and not what to think. So just know that if they come here they'll be in great hands.

Fantastic.