The Upper School celebrates its third annual Diversity Week this week with a series of activities designed to increase awareness and appreciation of all aspects of diversity. Chapel talks throughout the week will introduce this year's topic: What it means to be a diverse community and what diversity means.

On Monday, March 8, classical Indian dancer Anu Naimpally performed a dance that was an articulation of her Hindu faith. With an Honors BA in Philosophy and a Master of Fine Arts in Dance, she has been performing classical Indian dance for 25 years and has taught Bharata Natyam dance around the world. Recognized for her work as far away as Canada and Bombay, she lives in Austin and works with a variety of dance organizations, as well as being the parent of two teenagers of her own.

On Thursday, the day opened with a short film (produced and directed by Sophie Osella) about student diversity and a talk by English teacher Jennifer Tollefson. A multicultural feast followed small group discussions focusing on various topics.  

Students attended workshops they chose from a wide range of topics including the portrayal of the Haitian and Chilean earthquakes in the media, wheelchair adaptive sports, feminism, and genealogy. The program ended with a chapel service and a senior homily by Sydney Burrell.

Photos