A Pride-Filled Spirit Week

4/23/2021

Students’ silence spoke volumes today. As a culmination of a colorful and celebratory Spirit Week, students had the opportunity to take part in the National Day of Silence today, Friday, April 23.

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The daylong event is a national student-led demonstration where LGBTQ+ students and allies take a vow of silence to protest the harmful effects of harassment and discrimination of LGBTQ+ people in schools. Students participated in "break the silence" events in the afternoon.

Both divisions also held dress-up days throughout the week. Upper school students dressed in different colors each day of the week; in the Middle School, dress-up themes included Pajama Day, Crazy Hair and Hat Day, Decades Day, Character Day and Rainbow Day.

The Middle School’s Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) hosted the division’s Spirit Week, which, in addition to the dress-up days and Day of Silence, included presentations that explained GSA’s role on campus and shed light on important LGBTQ+ issues.

Alex Carnevale ’25, who has been involved with the GSA student leadership group since its inception in 2019, shared that the group’s mission is based on a quote from Harvey Milk, a gay rights activist and one of the first openly gay people elected to public office: “All young people, regardless of sexual orientation or identity, deserve a safe and supportive environment in which to achieve their full potential.”

Carnevale explained that the community was not able to have its traditional celebration during Pride Month last June, due to COVID-19. That made this year’s Pride Week all the more meaningful: “Being able to appreciate one another in this way has brought the community closer together and reminded us of our mission for inclusiveness and acceptance.”

The student leader not only enjoyed seeing their peers participating in the Spirit Week events, but also felt this was an important opportunity to live the School’s mission: “To be able to see everyone dress up and embrace themselves and each other made me proud that I was a power for good in my community,” they reflected.