18 minute read
16TH ANNUAL BISSELL GROGAN SYMPOSIUM
Virtual Speaker Series: Building an Equitable Community
When we were faced with the challenge of reimagining our annual symposium into a virtual event, we discovered an unmistakable silver lining. With an exciting opportunity to feature multiple keynote speakers and offer multiple workshops, we tapped into not one but four timely, relevant, diverse voices on the topic of equity. “The online format opened the speakers up to a much wider audience who may not otherwise have attended,” noted Symposium Co-Chairs Kenley Smith and Jessica Christian. “We were thrilled to invite Trustees, Board of Visitors, alumni, and families to join our grades 7-12 students and faculty.”
LAWRENCE ALEXANDER, CARNEY, SANDOE & ASSOCIATES DIRECTOR OF EQUITY & INCLUSION
EVERYDAY ACTIVISM: MOVING FROM TALK TO WALK INTRODUCED BY ALPHONSE HOUNDEGLA ’21
“While we are all in the same storm, we are not all in the same boat,” quoted Lawrence Alexander in his opening remarks. Powerful imagery for those of us living through the same double pandemic of global health crisis and systemic racism, but not having nearly the same experience, and a great way to kick off our 16th Annual Bissell Grogran Symposium on the topic of equity. How do we go about creating a truly equitable community? According to Alexander, it starts with a single conversation, no matter how difficult. “If the conversations are hard, imagine how difficult are the lived experiences of your colleagues/friends of color,” he observed.
Alexander joined the Brimmer community in the fall as a DEI consultant. As our first keynote, he spoke from the heart about how communities, and particularly our students, can lead authentic, sustainable systemic change. “The global pandemic has introduced a living environment to some that for many of us has existed for centuries,” he commented. “Some of us will be able to take our masks off when the vaccine arrives while others of us will keep the mask on that we’ve worn for centuries.”
The enduring question of Alexander’s presentation was this: If you can’t lead the next million-person march, or deliver the next famous speech, or spark the next global movement for social change, then what can you do? His answer, quite simply, was that there is always something you can do. “As individuals, we have a daily responsibility to speak up,” he said before sharing practical recommendations for young activists. These included: thinking intersectionally; acknowledging your own privilege and using it for good; holding space for others whose voices are often muted, missed, or marginalized; being willing to be unpopular; and learning how to problematize. “An answer is never the end of a conversation,” he stated. “Always end with a good question. Who is being privileged? Who is being marginalized? Whose voices are we missing?”
In closing, he gave students the following challenge: commit to at least one daily action for social change. He reminded them that while they can’t change people’s racist, sexist, or otherwise biased behaviors, they can make them widely uncomfortable about performing those behaviors in front of others. “You can share your perspective, the books you are reading, the feelings you have. You can share your own personal ethos. Find other allies and create critical mass,” he suggested. “Remember, this is not a political opinion but a social condition.”
STUDENT WORKSHOP YOUTH ACTIVISM: MOBILIZING FOR JUSTICE
Alexander spoke that afternoon with students about the power of small acts of activism. He furthered his challenge from the keynote by asking students to consider at least one daily action toward social change that is meaningful to them. Ahead of Black History Month, he spent time reinforcing the notion that racial equity work is not about Black versus white: it’s about everybody versus racism.
RA`UL THE THIRD, INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNIZED MURALIST & VISUAL ARTIST
COMMUNITY AS INSPIRATION: HOW TO CREATE ARTWORK THAT REFLECTS OUR DIVERSE COMMUNITIES INTRODUCED BY MICHELLE XU ’21
From creating works of art for museums with students from the community to publishing books inspired by his childhood experiences, Raúl the Third has always found inspiration from the people around him. The second keynote in our Speaker Series, Raúl gave our students a behind-the-scenes look at his process of making artwork that is a representation of our diverse communities.
Raúl loved comic books from a very early age. Not able to freely visit museums or art galleries as a child, he found this artwork more accessible because he could find it at the local 7-11. He fell in love with both the art and the stories that expanded his imagination. He dreamed of becoming the same kind of artist, and he began copying the drawings using whatever ballpoint pens he could find. Encouragement came from his local library where he frequented the bookshelves and art activities. “One day the librarian asked me my favorite part of the book I had just read,” he shared. “She sensed I was shy and suggested I draw my favorite part instead.” While he had always visualized what he was reading, he was amazed to be drawing what he was reading.
Upon arriving in Boston, Raúl would draw in coffee shops to get noticed and quickly formed an Artist Collective with his friends as a way to collaborate on projects and share art. Soon different city councils were inviting them to create public works of art—and his network expanded. The Institute of Contemporary Art (ICA) reached out to Raúl with the idea of working with local students to create a mural that represented different Boston communities. Before they began, he encouraged them to reach out to local community leaders to learn more. “These leaders have helped change the face of museum collections by opening eyes to diverse art,” he said.
The Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) soon invited Raúl to create an installation for their American Wing. He was to work with 13 community groups from Charlestown to Dorchester to the South End, and the installation had to be inspired by art within their collection. But when he searched the wing for paintings to inspire, all he saw were white faces. “If these kids don’t see themselves represented in this artwork,” he wondered, “how could it inspire them?” They settled on a portrait of a family because, though the family was white, they felt a connection; everyone in the painting was holding something meaningful— something that defined them.
The group went on to create a 13-foot tall mural of a tree that included pictures from each of the students of themselves and their different communities. Drawings and photographs paired with artifacts on shelves—all objects they felt defined them and their families. These students felt so accomplished and so proud to see their work displayed in an art installation in the MFA, and in the American Wing where portraits of black and brown faces were noticeably absent.
“I taught art at the MFA for 10 years and also at community centers,” said Raúl. “And I noticed that the characters my students were creating were white—a reflection of what they saw in movies, not a reflection of themselves. It compelled me to create the kinds of books I wish I could have read as a young child—books that would have made me more confident about myself, my family, and my origins.” And to drive home his message that artists don’t need expensive art supplies to create impactful art, Raúl created his first book using exactly the same materials that he had used as a young boy: ballpoint pens.
With an upcoming 10-book deal geared towards early readers, and a TV show on the horizon, Raúl is thrilled to be expanding his work to a much larger audience. He closed his presentation by drawing a self-portrait for the audience and reminding our students of where to look for inspiration when creating original work. “Start with yourself, your family, your friends, your own origin stories,” he explained. “When you do, your artwork will better mirror the communities in which you grew up. They will represent the diverse voices that make up the America we live in.”
STUDENT WORKSHOP
Students in AP Studio Art, AP Photography, and AP 2D Art and Design joined Raúl the Third after his presentation to share their art and receive feedback. Raúl also shared the process of bookmaking and fielded questions about his artmaking process and the collaboration necessary to publish artwork.
ANDREA HAILEY, CEO, VOTE.ORG
THE FUTURE OF DEMOCRACY INTRODUCED BY TRISTAN DUROCHER ’21
For the third keynote in our Speaker Series, we welcomed Andrea Hailey, CEO of VOTE.org, who spoke to our students about civic engagement and why each individual’s commitment and journey is critical to sewing together the fragile fabric of democracy.
Having grown up in South Carolina hearing stories of how both her parents and grandparents had been excluded from the voting process, Hailey was drawn to VOTE. org’s commitment to using technology to lower the barrier to entry for voting. After the 2016 election, the organization knew they needed to address the problem of voter turnout and began heavily promoting their site as a one-stop place for identifying state voting rules and laws, registering to vote, requesting absentee ballots, and identifying polling locations. “When the pandemic hit, states were changing how people could vote and we were documenting it in real time,” said Hailey. “By communicating how and where to safely and securely vote, constituents didn’t have to choose between their health and their democracy. We helped over 34 million people make their voices heard.”
The good news about the 2020 election, according to Hailey, was the record turnout, most notably by youth. The movements for racial justice last summer led to significant activism; VOTE.org saw over 293,000 new registrations in June alone. “During a time when voter suppression is rampant, we worked hard to communicate the message that when youth show up to vote, change happens,” she said.
In a system that doesn’t make it easy to vote, building a safe and secure on-ramp for new voters is essential to building a healthy democracy. “When people participate in the voting process more than twice, you can assume you have a lifelong voter,” she said. “But we have a long way to go in making voting easy for citizens.” In some countries, voting day is a national holiday. Even within the US, certain states have higher voter participation than others and that statistic can often be traced back to high volunteerism and high activism. So why don’t more people participate? For many, it is the sheer exhaustion and frustration at the efforts needed to vote, explained Hailey.
Because not everyone has the luxury and resources to take a day off from work to stand in a long line, often for hours, VOTE. org started an initiative called electionday. org asking participants to commit to being vote-friendly workplaces with paid time off to vote. “My state doesn’t allow mail-in voting for people under 65,” Hailey told our students. “When I arrived to vote, the line was seven hours long. Observing this in real time while working at VOTE.org personified the very real problem we have in this country.”
But Hailey’s organization tries to keep the joy front and center by coming up with creative and memorable ways to build community and meet voters where they are. To combat the long lines and frustration, they brought out food trucks to feed people while they waited. In PA, they partnered with WikiHow to create a clever how-to video that educated voters on the two-envelope rule and ensured their vote didn’t get thrown away. Extensive resources were spent partnering with social media influencers, celebrities, the NBA, and college campuses to promote the organization’s powerful initiatives.
In closing, Hailey reminded students that their voice is essential to the conversation, their participation in the process is crucial, and that local elections matter. In fact, to help youth make concrete voting plans, VOTE. org sends students an email on their 18th birthday explaining how to register to vote. “The health of our democracy is on the line,” she emphasized. “Fight for the government you want to see in your cities and states.”
Kennie Grogan
THE BISSELL GROGAN HUMANITIES SYMPOSIUM WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2006 IN HONOR OF KENYON BISSELL GROGAN, FORMER CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AND BRIMMER GRADUATE OF THE CLASS OF 1976. THE GOAL OF THE SYMPOSIUM IS TO BOTH EDUCATE AND ENGAGE STUDENTS IN RELEVANT TOPICS OF TODAY. AN ANNUAL EVENT ATTENDED BY STUDENTS IN GRADES 7–12, IT COMMENCES WITH A KEYNOTE SPEECH AND IS FOLLOWED BY WORKSHOPS THAT EXPLORE A DIVERSE RANGE OF SUBJECTS ON A CHOSEN TOPIC.
EQUITY AND WOMEN’S SPORTS INTRODUCED BY MARIANNE ALAGOS ’21
SHEY PEDDY, WNBA PLAYER
CELESTE GEHRING, NESN EXECUTIVE
LINDSAY HORBATUCK, BRIMMER FACULTY MEMBER & FORMER PRO BASKETBALL PLAYER
Our fourth and final keynote in our Speaker Series focused on equity in women’s sports and featured a panel of engaging athletes, including WNBA player Shey Peddy, NESN executive Celeste Gehring, and Brimmer’s very own Lindsay Horbatuck, former Pro Basketball Player, current third grade teacher, and coach of Brimmer’s Varsity Girls Basketball team. Moderator Cassie Abodeely, Director of Summer & Auxiliary Programs and a former college and semi-professional athlete, opened the program by sharing the Title IX video 37 Words that Changed Everything, kicking off a heartfelt discussion about what drove each woman to play sports and the impact of that landmark ruling on their experiences.
Horbatuck, a three-sport high school athlete and four-year varsity starter, credits enormous support from her high school coaches and AAU coaches as leading her to play Division 1 basketball for Bucknell University, where she was a two-year captain. Horbatuck grew up in Connecticut and remembers religiously watching UConn women’s basketball games. “It wasn’t until college that I began hearing about Title IX and connected it to the fact that we had the same locker rooms, practice gyms, and resources as the men’s teams.” Gehring had a similar experience. “Growing up in a tiny town in Idaho, girls had fewer options than boys,” she remembers. Thanks to a high school teacher who recognized her talent, Gehring landed at Louisiana State University (LSU), where she played Division I basketball, was selected as a two-time SEC All-Academic team, and went all the way to the NCAA Sweet 16. “My LSU team had tremendous coaches and resources. I saw how far women have come and how far we can go.”
Peddy grew up in Boston’s Mission Hill neighborhood and always believed that sports were a way for her to reach her goals. She graduated from Melrose High School as the all-time leading scorer across both the men’s and women’s basketball teams. “I played basketball all year-round, and that kept me in a gym, out of trouble, and thinking about my future,” she said. “I knew that a college scholarship meant that I could further my education, give back to my parents who supported me, and be an example to my younger cousins of how hard work pays off.” A 2012 graduate of Temple University, where she was twice named Big 5 Player of the Year and A10 Player of the Year, Peddy was immediately drafted to the WNBA, where she won the WNBA championship in 2019 with the Washington Mystics. Now with the Phoenix Mercury, she is also in her ninth year playing for a professional team overseas. In fact, Peddy joined us straight from Turkey after sprinting home from practice to be a part of our panel discussion. Ever the role model, Peddy enjoys her status as a veteran on this overseas team. “It’s an opportunity to help the younger players understand how to navigate not only the coaches but their own physical and mental health.” And those younger cousins she hoped to inspire? One of them just happens to be Brimmer alum and current Providence College Varsity Basketball star AJ Reeves ’18.
STUDENT WORKSHOP
WNBA player Shey Peddy joined our Upper School students for a virtual lunch to discuss her career and the topic of women in sports.
Horbatuck had a similar childhood routine to Peddy, spending summer after summer in hot AAU gyms. “I’m competitive in all facets of my life,” she confessed. “I attribute the work ethic, drive, and determination I bring to my professional life as a teacher and a coach to playing sports.” She also credits the presence of powerful women in her life, such as her mom, who attended every one of her games, and her first AAU coach in middle school who played Division I basketball. “The lessons I learned from her I carry with me to this day,” she said. After graduating from Bucknell, where she ranked 26th in the nation for rebounds, Horbatuck played professionally in Bulgaria and Australia. When she returned to the US to begin her coaching career, she felt like the timing was perfect. “I wanted to leave professional basketball at the top of my game. Coaching allows me to give back to the game that gave me so much.”
Gehring relates well to the idea of supporting players in their growth. She started her career in sports broadcasting on networks such as FOX Sports and CNN, and she produced such large-scale events as the Super Bowl, the World Series, and the NBA Finals. Now at NESN, she manages the remote camera teams covering the Red Sox and the Bruins. But in between all that, she started her own company, Visionary Building, in order to coach others on creating media profiles, amplifying their voice, and increasing their reach and impact. “I wanted to help athletes tell their stories and give them an avenue to go from college to the workplace,” she said. “My path has been a way for me to pivot from being a player myself to being a part of the sports industry in a different way.”
The conversation turned to the topic of managing health and wellness and brought up significant memories for our panel. “When you are an athlete, your body needs rest and recovery. Sleep and nutrition become vitally important,” said Horbatuck. She went on to recall her senior year of college when she knew she wanted to be an elementary teacher and had to find a way to carve out the time for the required student teaching hours. Fortunately, her coaches were agreeable as long as she maintained her demanding practice schedule. “Student teaching by day and practicing by night, I wasn’t getting enough sleep, and I knew I needed to fuel my body well,” she remembered. “I still say that if I could get through that time in my life, I can get through anything.”
Women in sports often find themselves being judged not only on performance but on physical appearance. During her time at LSU, Gehring recalls being told to gain weight for her sport, something she felt hindered her overall performance. Soon thereafter, she was told to lose weight. “The mental anguish of hearing ‘you’re not good enough’ really took its toll,” she said. “It took a while before I learned how to turn that internal recorder off.” Peddy recalls watching the mental stress of maintaining a certain body composition, often determined by coaches, take a toll on her teammates; players were giving their all and were still considered a failure based on their weight. Horbatuck, who was always tall growing up, says she has always felt comfortable in her body. When playing professionally in Bulgaria, she says she remembers her coach telling her she needed to lose weight. “I wasn’t sure what she was looking for given my performance was high. As a female athlete, you know your body better than anyone else, so you need to be mentally strong.”
Our students were curious to know the greatest part of being a professional athlete, and our panelists didn’t shy away from sharing both the highlights and the challenges of their experiences. “My priority was to see the world, and I was strategic about how I got there,” said Gehring. “Basketball gave me so many life experiences and so many wonderful connections with women all over the world.” Horbatuck agreed, commenting that her former teammates are her best friends to this day. And she, too, found the life experiences to be invaluable. “Being a part of something bigger than myself was so important to me and to my growth.” Peddy cited her love of travel as well, though she was quick to offer a reality check to anyone who thinks she has time to be a tourist. “A typical day in Turkey includes being in a gym all day. Play, eat, sleep, repeat.” Horbatuck had the same experience in Bulgaria. “It’s not as glamorous as it may sound,” she said. “But getting paid to see another part of the world and playing a game you love is certainly a plus.”
Turning to equity in athletes’ salaries, the panel acknowledged that the struggle is real. According to Peddy, the WNBA is the only option for female basketball players coming out of college. But with starting salaries as low as $58,000, it is no surprise players head overseas to boost their income. “When a top WNBA player is making $250,000 a year while NBA players sitting on the bench are making millions, you can understand why we continue to fight for equal pay,” said Peddy.
Lindsay Horbatuck talks pre-game strategy with her Varsity Girls Basketball team (photo from early 2020).
In closing, our panelists explained how students, regardless of their gender, can all help create equity in sports by taking simple steps. “If you are interested in a sport, consider watching a women’s game and following a woman athlete on social media,” suggested Horbatuck.” Peddy agrees. “Being exposed to women’s sports on a daily basis will broaden your perspective,” she said. “Believe in us. Believe in our talent. Women’s sports can be just as exciting as men’s sports.” ■
