Assembling for change

Affinity Council discussion gives students a voice

By Shreya Vijay | Staff Writer

Students grasp the microphone tightly as they speak on a topic very personal to them, to an audience filled with their fellow Upper School students .

On Nov. 14, the Affinity Council hosted an assembly to highlight students’ personal experiences as members of minority groups at Hockaday. Tiffani Kocsis, assistant head of Upper School, moderated the conversation.

“At 12, I was used to being associated with ISIS,” said sophomore K Irfan, one of many students who spoke at the assembly.

As the Muslim Student Association vice president, her goal was to convey the impact words can have on others.

“It felt a bit frustrating that we had to sit up there and explain why microaggressions are harmful, when it felt obvious to me,” Irfan said.

Before the assembly, Irfan discussed it with the MSA leadership team and volunteered to speak about her experiences as a Muslim student.

The idea for the assembly came from conversations with students during which Kocsis heard about microaggressions. The students and Kocsis had the joint idea to create the assembly.

Kocsis then approached Affinity Council members, Student Diversity Board Members and students who attended the Student Leaders for Inclusion, Diversity and Equity conference in Los Angeles last summer to promote diversity in schools.

The students, along with Kocsis, Upper School Registrar Katy Lake, College Counselors Micah Lyles and Elizabeth Jones and history teacher Aisha Ashraf agreed to a panel format. Panelists signed up to answer questions and met with Kocsis to check that responses stayed on topic.