See the full printed schedule: Diversity Conference 2
2/14 Evening Workshops 3:00pm–8:00 pm
3:00–7:00 pm
Student Diversity Leadership Training with Actor Dan Kwong
A workshop on the process of finding and exploring your own stories. Dan Kwong is an award-winning performance artist who has been presenting his solo autobiographical performances internationally since 1989. Hailed by critics as “a master storyteller,” Kwong draws upon his own life experiences to reveal the links between the personal and the political, the past and the present, the self and the “other.” Theatre Classroom, Scott Hall
5:15–6:45 pm
The Diversity Committees Invite You to Dinner (Feel free to come dressed in traditional cultural dress)
8:00 pm
Evening Keynote: Mayor Alex B. Morse
Alex Morse was born and raised in Holyoke and is a proud product of the city’s public schools. Alex is an alumnus of Brown University with a degree in urban studies, becoming the first in his family to graduate from college. He is the youngest mayor ever elected in Holyoke and the youngest gay mayor in the nation. In his first year as Mayor the city celebrated its first year in twenty five years without a violent homicide. Chapel
2/15 Morning Workshops 9:30am–1:00pm
8:30 am
Opening Performance: America Talkin’ to Ya by Dan Kwong
9:20 am
Spoken Word by A’Kala Chaires
9:30 am
Keynote: Chris Herren
Chris Herren, a basketball legend from Fall River, MA, realized his dreams by playing for the Celtics in the NBA, only to lose it all to addiction. Drug-free and alcohol-free since August 1, 2008, he has refocused his life to put sobriety and family above all else. In 2009, he launched Hoop Dreams with Chris Herren, a basketball player development company which provides customized, superior basketball training through private training, clinics and camps. www.theherrenproject.org
10:30 am
Student Workshops
Led by Student Diversity Leaders and adult mentors. Athletic Center
10:30 am
Faculty Morning Workshops
Building Better Brains
Sharon Saline, Psy.D., P’17
We will learn about executive functioning skills in the developing teenage brain and how to identify strengths and weaknesses in your students. With this knowledge, we will examine how to assist students in using strengths and improving limitations to increase academic effectiveness and efficiency. This experiential workshop involves individual, small and large group activities, and discussion. Please bring specific questions, examples, and challenges that address supporting students in organizing and managing their work and learning styles. Dodge Room
Playing with Communication: An Improv Theatre Workshop With A Purpose
Rona Leventhal, award-winning story teller, improv theatre specialist
Are you communicating exactly what you think you are? Are you “seeing” the subtleties of verbal and non-verbal communication that people provide for you? As educators we deal with students, parents, and colleagues. We need to be communication experts! This is your invitation to play with communication through the lens of improv theatre and storytelling. Come play, come learn! No theatre experience necessary!
John Wright Common Room
Motivation, Adolescence, and Reducing Stereotype Threat
Andrew Watson, M.Ed., Neuroscience Education Consultant and founder of Translate the Brain
Focusing on practical classroom applications of current science, Andrew will talk about adolescent motivation—with an emphasis on eliminating “stereotype threat.”Stubop Student Center
Coaching for Change: Social Justice Issues in Sports
Diane Williams M.Ed., M.S.
Take advantage of this opportunity to engage on topics related to social justice, sports, coaching, and sports culture. How do we create athletic experiences that support athlete development and competition, while encouraging positive socialization and empowerment? This workshop will be an opportunity to explore coaching philosophy and pedagogy through activities, storytelling, dialogue, and action planning.
Parents’ Association Room
12:15 pm
Lunch
Birch Dining Commons
2/15 Afternoon Workshops, 1:00–2:30 pm
Leadership Potential
Maranie Harris-Kuiper ‘15, Adult Advisor Aaron Buford
Take a look at your own leadership style and learn how the most effective leaders collaborate and empower across difference. Become a stronger leader by empowering others. Scott Hall, 3rd Floor Meeting Space
Finding the Power of Your Own Voice
Fred Goldberg, Director of One World Leadership Institute
When you walk into a room with people you don’t know, how does it make you feel? Diversity conversations are inherently difficult. We will explore institutional difficulties and personal dilemmas that materialize in these conversations. How diverse is this campus? Join us through honest, interactive dialogue where participants come with
the desire and obligation to learn by listening as well as speaking.
Whitaker-Bement Lower Level
Questioning Religion
Kim Evelti, Assistant Academic Dean & Glenn Swanson ’64, Assistant Head of School for Special Projects
For millions of people religion provides important support structures such as tradition, a sense of belonging, community, a moral code, etc. Yet, a 2007 survey of over 35,000 Americans found that 16% reported as “unaffiliated” with a religion. For those who choose not to take part in organized religion, how do they find the same support structures? Explore life without religion, the questions that each member of that 16% will face, and how we can support each other.
Reed 213
Who Are We? A Conversation About Sexual Identity
PRIDE, The Williston Gay-Straight Alliance
Interested in learning about and discussing issues surrounding Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning identity? Ever wondered what LGBTQQA stands for? Wondering how to be an ally? What can you do to promote acceptance and equality at Williston and beyond? In this workshop you’ll have the opportunity to learn more and to talk openly and honestly about sexual orientation and gender identity.
Scott Hall, 2nd floor
State Multiculturalism: Pass or Fail
James Kim ‘15, Faculty Advisor Logan Brown
How can you describe an ‘American’ person? In fact, these days no nationality is able to be described as one thing. There are so many things that makes an ‘American’ or an individual, and this workshop will be about recognizing many different identities that comprise an individual and a nation by looking at three cases of minority ethnic groups in three different countries.
Scott Psychology Lab
Storytelling from New Perspectives
Laura McCullagh ‘13, Faculty Advisor Cait Bradley
Participants will be able to either share their own stories through other voices or create a new story that represents an important turning point in their lives.
Reed 102
Food, Inc.
Eric Tallman ‘13, Faculty Advisor Dr. Allan Lipp
We will watch the movie Food, Inc., which takes an inside look at many of the unsavory practices of the food industry and shows you where your food really comes from. We will then discuss what we can do to help to end
these horrors of the food industry.
Whitaker-Bement Assembly Room
Army Leadership Seminar
Williston Alumni Devon Collins ’04 & Jason Chandler ’03
Alumni reflect on purpose, passion, and integrity within their military experiences.
Whitaker-Bement, Room 4
Gender? Sex? What’s the Difference?
Denison Marsland-Rello ‘13 & Zack Maldonado ‘13, Faculty Advisor Emily Ditkovski
This interactive workshop will explore societal perceptions and norms around being a “girl” or “boy.” The group will discuss gender, gender identity, and the difference between sex and gender. So don’t be such a “boy” and “woman” up and join this witty yet educational workshop.
Studio Theatre, Scott Hall
Irish I was Greek
Julia Valine ‘15, Katie Murray ‘15, Teddy ‘15 & Jen Carellas ‘15, Faculty Advisor Laurel Raffetto
This workshop includes learning Irish and Greek dance with cultural music. By the end, you will know a step in an Irish dance and a Greek dance and be able to dance to music. Dance Studio
Same Planet, Different Worlds
Bianca Schultz ’14 & Thomas J. Schultz P’14
Zero to Hero. One man’s journey from New Britain, Connecticut, to Meru, Kenya, and how his first trip as a graduate student changed his and a whole village’s life forever.
Reed 103
Babci Stories and Pierogis
Rosemary Watroba, Gina Tirrell Michael Volpe, & Karen Yarra
Enjoy the privilege to be in the company of our Schoolhouse Babcis (Polish for Grandmother). Rosemary rolls dough on her mother’s pierogi board as she weaves stories of a time warmly remembered. It is fun, it is heartfelt and we really are so fortunate to be able to hear these stories. Pierogis: one of the most delicious, authentic and well represented Polish cultural experiences you can have. Did I mention delicious?
Choo Living room John Wright Dorm
No One Likes a Bully: Moving Beyond Mean Girls
Elizabeth Calderone ’14 & Diane Williams
This is a workshop for girls who want to take a stand and create a new, positive girl culture at Williston and beyond! Bring your stories and ideas—and come ready to talk, listen, dream, and create a changed culture. Together, we can make a difference.
Parents’ Association Room
Music Diversity
Hanna Whirty ‘13, Faculty Advisor David Sanders
We all use various things to describe ourselves, and music is most definitely one of them. With so much variety in the world, the type of music that we listen to has the ability to affect people in many different ways. If you consider music important to you, please join us in this workshop. You will have the ability to bring in a song and share it with the small group, explaining its meaning. We will talk about the impact on us all, and the power of music diversity.
Cox Room
Moving a Community: Zumba
Kate O’Donnell, Paper City Fitness
Come ready to move. Join Kate to move and learn how a grass-roots community organization used its passion to transform the Holyoke community. Kate’s energy is contagious and inspiring. Come see why! There will be video documentary and lots of fun dancing.
Athletic Center Basketball Court 2
Wordsmith, Raconteur, Storyteller, Image-Maker: Learning to Tell a Darn Good Story!
Rona Leventhal, award-winning storyteller, improv theatre specialist
Ever wonder how to capture the attention of your friends or family when relating a story? Ever wonder how to score on that oral presentation for school? In this “how-to” workshop we will use improvisational theatre and movement to learn a story “from the inside out” by bringing a short, traditional tale to life. Storytelling is more than just getting up and talking—it is an art form! Learn how to engage listeners from the first word to the last image! Please come dress in comfortable clothes for movement.
John Wright Common Room
Ripple Effect: Genocide in the Modern World
Kat Kaisla ‘13 Faculty Advisor Sarah Klumpp
This heavily discussion-based workshop will explore the causes and effects of genocide. Participants will engage in an in-depth analysis of mass atrocities from the past 100 years and their impact on economics, public health, and culture. Please note that the subject matter is rather heavy and may not be suitable for everyone. Reed 203
So You Think You Know Hip Hop?
Henry Lombino ‘14, Mimi Phillips ‘13, Hai Tran ‘13, Advisor Dr. Marcus Ware
Come ready to move! Participants will review the history of hip-hop music. The timeline of hip-hop music and dance will be reviewed from the early 1960’s to the present. Participants will work together in a group format to apply their knowledge in constructing the timeline of hip-hop dance, music and DJing. A professional DJ will be present to field questions about the art of hip-hop music and the art form of DJing. Students will choreograph a dance and participants will be expected to follow along.
Stubop
Sex, Drugs, Hip-Hop, Rap & Rock–N-Roll
Dr. Stephanie Harris-Kuiper P’15
This interactive workshop will examine what youth define as sex, sexual behaviors, and sexual health risk factors. Participants discuss the difference between drug use and abuse, and explore how present-day music reinforces sexual behaviors and drug use/abuse. By the end of the workshop, participants will learn about prevention strategies for sexual health risk factors.
Dodge Room
Healthy Relationships
Laura Penney, Safe Passage
Many teens experience dating violence, defined as behavior that is controlling, abusive, and aggressive toward one partner in a romantic relationship. It occurs in both heterosexual and homosexual relationships and can include verbal, emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or a combination of these. This is an interactive and informational workshop for everyone.
Reed 204
Can You Flow? Learning How to Express Through Spoken Word
A’Kala Chaires ‘14 & Darryl Moss, Springfield Mayoral Aide and founder
of the Renaissance Art Space
This workshop is designed to allow participants to creatively express themselves through the art of spoken word poetry. We will be teaching poetry and how to speak with rhythm and confidence.
Reed 202
You Can Play. Gay Athletes. Straight Allies. Teaming Up for Respect.
Daniel Gould ‘13, J.F. Boucher ‘13, Eric Yarrows ‘13, Faculty Advisor Benjamin Demerath
Come and learn how you can take a stand in support of LGBTs in the world of sports. Join collegiate athletes and be the first high school to make this stand. The ultimate goal is to make a video to submit to the website. www.youcanplayproject.org
Reed 211
Portraits of Diversity/Video Identity/Photography Studio
Photography Five Students, Faculty Advisor Edward Hing
Documentation of the community and of the day, to be displayed that afternoon with a follow up video at a later date. This is an all-day workshop and requires a discussion in advance with Mr. Hing about participation.
2/15 2:40 – 6:00 pm Evening Workshops
2:40 pm
Closing Student Performance with Laurel Raffeto
Athletics Center
6:00 pm
CID
Abigail Rogers, James Kim, & Fiona Li