Despite the diverse Community Time guest speaker features in our school headlines, the H-blocks we spend with the whole division in the Arts Center always seem to follow a familiar pattern.
The speaker finishes their anecdote or informative. Then it’s our turn to engage: with a trivia game, creative exercise, or interactive Q&A session. Several hands shoot up, belonging to the admirably outgoing, bold and often a little theatrical; like clockwork, the same types of people step up to the mic.
At our last two assemblies, one with a driving safety coach and another with a community muralist, the fifteen participants shared these traits. And another, by coincidence or not—all of them were boys.
It wasn’t a pattern I thought much of at first, nor do I usually go out of my way to maintain an assembly participation census. Amidst my meditative, doodling reverie, I had briefly considered volunteering to show off my creation–a mosaic of fish and oranges–before sitting back once again, disengaged.
These patterns aren’t random, but uniquely revealing of the norms and culture we’ve built. Who speaks up, again, and where does that leave the larger, silent crowd?
As they stand, assemblies often feel pulled from a larger to-do list of topics. Some reiterate information we have heard many times while others don’t connect to the average day-to-day experiences of Upper Schoolers. However, I’ve seen several assemblies score.
I remember a speaker who presented about digital awareness last year. We had all heard the ‘the dangers of the addictive social media algorithms’ spiel many times before, but what made that particular assembly the most memorable to me and many others was the practical, actionable awareness we gained. Yes, I open Instagram much more than I like to admit, tempted by the small pop-up banner; but to counter that instinct, I can now use an app to stop these instant gratification dopamine hits.
Students were paying attention; students who I had never heard from before posed thoughtful questions from diverse perspectives. I felt compelled to stay behind to talk to the speaker and was presented with even more insight and resources.
Not all topics can resonate for every student and not every assembly can be wildly entertaining. Yet, when they take us, as an audience, into more consideration–giving us something new, something challenging, something useful, participation can feel like a comfortable conversation and less like a performative number.
What needs to change? Assemblies might just seem like a small break in a rigorous school day, or in the big picture of student life, but they can be much more. The goal isn’t for every student to suddenly start volunteering, but to foster an environment where we feel comfortable engaging when we are curious or have something to contribute.
This requires dual-sided efforts. As students, we need to shift our approach to assemblies and take them more seriously. Even if topics aren’t directly relevant to our experiences, we should respect others who stand to gain from the assembly. Even if we’re silent, we should stay as active listeners instead of completely disengaging. We need to be both physically and mentally present for assemblies to improve.
At the same time, the administration has responsibilities regarding assemblies. Though the large variety of speakers that come to our school is a commendable privilege, not all assemblies are equal. We best respond to assemblies that meet our experiences, interests, and level as Upper School students. They should be meaningful and give us something new to take away, like all our other day-to-day classes.
Culture can’t change because of one person. But if we, together, commit to seeing assemblies in a new light, we can help make assemblies a space where more voices are heard, ideas shared and insight gained.