EDI From the Desk Learning
Three of SCS’s student-led committees – the Anti- Racism Committee (ARC), the Gender & Sexuality Alliance (GSA), and the Indigenous Affairs Circle (ARC) – are undertaking special projects related to the School’s ongoing commitment to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive environment in which each member’s identity and well-being is valued.
related to names and their significance are also planned. It is the ARC’s hope that the project will ultimately allow the committee to form a better understanding of people’s experiences with their names at SCS. In so doing, they hope to help the full community to better understand and appreciate the importance of people’s names, and why it is crucial that we collectively respect each others’ names. The Gender & Sexuality Alliance’s Pronouns Project As a committee, the GSAwants everyone in our school community to feel valued, respected, and heard – regardless of identity. Committee Co-Heads Naomi Mazurek and Taylor Tratch (both ’23) articulate that including pronouns in our everyday conversation is something that, once implemented, requires very little extra time and energy, but canmean somuch to somany individuals. Like the Names Project, the Pronouns Project will feature a survey in order to investigate background knowledge and experiences held currently by students and staff of pronouns and proper uses. Drawing from the results of the survey, the committee will aim to provide resources and information to assist community members to confidently
The results of these projects will have an impact on the full SCS community in a variety of ways. Here is an introduction to the three projects that are currently underway!
The Anti-Racism Committee’s Names Project The goal of the Names Project is to emphasize the importance of names – and why it’s imperative to get names right. According to committee Co-Heads Ella Rhee and Kiki Durowaye (both ’23), each one of our names carries somuchmore weight and history than we often assume. “Names are a vital part of our everyday identities, and pronouncing someone’s name correctly is a simple courtesy that everyone should practice.” The two students explain that calling someone by their proper name/the name they wish to be called, is a way to show respect and to acknowledge an individual’s identity. As part of the project, ARC intends to survey current SCS students and staff in order to gain a better sense of the diversity of culture that exists within our SCS community, with a focus on names and their history as a marker of inclusion and belonging. ARCwill also ask communitymembers to share personal experiences with names (i.e. if someone has shortened their own name tomake it easier for others to pronounce). Homeformactivities
28 | Red Blazer Spring 2022
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