As GA students, we strive to build and strengthen our community within and beyond the walls of our school. On April 5th, five distinguished seniors (Kevin Cui, Henry Moyer, Emily Wang, Autem Burgess, and Leeza Peters) gave speeches addressing the prompt of “Community” during the annual Student Voices assembly. Mr. Ferrier and Ms. Lintgen were crucial in the process because they helped the seniors brainstorm, edit, and practice their speeches. Mr. Roman and Mr. Moffit recorded the assembly, which was played for the Upper School during a Flex period. The Patriot Scholars (Justin Weiss, Harry Hou, Priya Anand, and Sarah Rojas) also played a key role by preparing thoughtful introductions for the speakers and assisting them with their writing.
Kevin Cui discussed Asian Club’s Spicy Noodle Challenge from last year. Kevin planned the event, hoping to celebrate Asian heritage, and he was pleasantly surprised at the unprecedented number of participants and supporters at the event. In the speech, he stated, “I looked around to see everyone from the football team to Dr. Montemayor, all watching the excitement and having a good time” and that “any and all divisions between gender, ethnicity, age, popularity… all just faded away.” Reflecting back, Kevin hopes that students learned that community does not solely mean a “group connected by culture, religion, or some other motivating factor” but rather that the seemingly simplest bonds can be the strongest ones that build a sense of community. Kevin states that he felt uplifted delivering the speech and wants people to “live in the moment,” He wants to thank Justin Weiss, his friends, and Dr. Montemayor for their support.
Henry Moyer spoke about his time working at the Flourtown Summer Day Camp this past summer and how he needed to teach one camper why it was wrong to use a racial slur. In his speech, he stated, “I was alone without anyone there to help me decide what to do.” Although he felt as if he was the only counselor that wanted to teach the camper a valuable lesson, Henry quickly learned that there were other workers there to support him in his decision. Honored to share his story, he hoped that students would take away the message that “letting others know that there is a community there to help them is really important” and that it is okay to ask for help. Henry wants to thank Harry Hou for helping him with his speech.
Emily Wang centered her speech around the story of her embracing her family’s Chinese traditions by learning how to make dumplings from scratch. She stated that although her family lives very far away from her, “food became our form of communication,” so at the age of five, she wanted to participate in her family’s culinary tradition. She remembered that when first learning to make dumplings, hers were nowhere near the perfection of her veteran dumpling-maker family’s. She states that although they might all look different in shape, during the cooking, “all of the dumplings become mixed alongside one another within the pot to be collectively enjoyed by everyone.” Emily hopes that students will take away the message that community can be found in seemingly small and unexpected connections, like between family and food, and she urges the GA community to “find alternative ways to maintain connections” during this difficult time. Emily wants to thank Priya Anand, Grace Brogan, Eileen Zhang, and Mr. Leven for all of their support!
Autem Burgess focused on how Instagram posts of George Floyd and BLM protests impacted her. In her speech, she stated, “Something in me just broke” and that “I couldn’t escape it no matter how hard I tried.” She spoke about how watching people risk their lives for others in the protests made her “confront [herself] about being in a bubble.” Seeing the posts made her push herself to address uncomfortable situations to “not only learn but reflect on [her] personal experiences.” Reflecting on her speech, Autem urges the GA community to experience life from other perspectives and step outside of comfort zones to better understand each other, and that we should “be okay with being vulnerable” and open to growth. Autem wants to thank her great friend Cianni Williams for all of her support!
Leeza Peters spoke about her first-person experience in the Yellow Umbrella Revolution protests for voting rights in China. She spoke about how even though her brother proposed the idea of attending the protest, she was scared and “thought it would be dangerous or unsafe.” Leeza was astonished to see a “sea of people” fighting for a cause dear to them, and this community changed her views of protests. She stated, “Previously I had associated protest with violence but all around me, I could only see the hope on people’s faces.” Leeza expresses that community is a network of people that supports each other and works for the best of all the people, even when the situation may be hard. Reflecting on her speech, she is grateful for “the little things we as Americans are afforded” and hopes the GA community will realize how lucky we are. Leeza wants to thank Sarah Rojas, Mr. Ferrier, and Ms. Lintgen for all of their help in the process!
Although each of the senior speakers had a different take on the prompt “Community,” they all delivered valuable messages that impressed the GA community and impacted how we collectively perceive the idea of community.
