DEI in Action

Honoring Veterans Day today at Harvard-Westlake with a beautiful tribute from our Assistant Head of School for Belonging, Mrs. Janine Jones, who spoke about her grandfather’s experience in the military and upon his return from war. We salute all who served and honor their work.

On Monday, November 4, Asian American Culture Club (AACC) welcomed Phil Wang of Wong Fu Pro for a special assembly. Phil Wang grew up in California and started making films in high school, unofficially starting Wong Fu Productions. He attended UC San Diego where he met his co-founders, Wesley Chan and Ted Fu. Last year, WFP celebrated their 20th anniversary, marking two decades of storytelling from their AAPI perspectives. Over the years, they’ve amassed over 3 million subscribers on YouTube and more than 600 million views. Phil is a pioneer whose work has helped pave a pathway for Asian Americans in media, propelling the careers of Asian American actors, storytellers, and content creators. At the assembly, he shared some videos from their YouTube channel, talked about representation and the power of telling your own stories. The assembly was followed by a small-group chat with students over some popular beverages from his café BOPOMOFO.

Harvard-Westlake and the South Asian Student Association (SASA) celebrated Diwali, inviting students and faculty to join in the vibrant Festival of Lights. The celebration included students painting and decorating diyas, making rangoli designs on the quad, enjoying traditional treats, and learning about Diwali’s significance as a time to honor the triumph of light over darkness and good over evil. The event brought the community together to appreciate the themes of renewal, gratitude, and prosperity that Diwali embodies, highlighting the joy and unity at the heart of this cherished festival.

Black Leadership and Awareness Culture Club (BLACC) hosted a meeting in collaboration with South Asian Student Alliance (SASA) and Women of Color (WOC) to discuss Kamala Harris’s impact on communities and the upcoming election. The meeting featured trivia, insightful conversations, and a Kahoot quiz game creating a inclusive, educational, and welcoming space for all attendees.

Harvard-Westlake hosted its 8th annual Pollyanna Conference on October 19, 2024, centered around the theme “Exploring Gender in 2024 and Beyond.” The event provided an informative platform for discussions on gender identity and inclusivity. Keynote speaker Lily Zheng delivered a compelling address, emphasizing the importance of expanding our understanding of gender rather than restricting it. Zheng highlighted the need to recognize and respect how students perceive themselves, prioritize their needs over sensationalism, and embrace the joy and challenge of lifelong learning. The conference reinforced the school’s commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive environment for all students.

Harvard-Westlake welcomed California Poet Laureate Lee Herrick for a special Zoom session with 8th-grade students, hosted during 9th period on October 16. Lee Herrick is as an educator, poet, and longtime California resident, discussing his journey and inspirations. The session allowed students to explore Herrick’s poem My California, and his visit highlighted the beauty and diversity of California, and he expressed his mission to advocate for poetry across the state. The event offered a unique learning opportunity that connected the students’ academic work to the broader world of poetry and literature.

Harvard-Westlake the our Jewish Club celebrated Sukkot on campus with students and teachers gathering at the middle and upper school campuses to decorate the sukkot, share meals, and celebrate all they have to be thankful for at this time. The sukkah, a temporary dwelling made of impermanent walls and a roof covered in branches, has many symbolic interpretations many of which focus on the fragility of life and gratitude. The events highlighted the values of community, hospitality, and thanksgiving which are central to the holiday.

Black Leadership and Awareness Culture Club (BLACC) and the Arts department welcomed Los Angeles-based artist Awol Erizku to campus for a special assembly. Erizku’s multi-disciplinary work spans photography, sculpture, painting, installation, film, and sound, blending African and Black American cultural elements to create his unique Afrocentric aesthetic, “Afro-esotericism.” His art challenges Eurocentric ideas of beauty, exploring ancient mythology, diasporic tradition, and contemporary culture through a rich mix of symbols from popular culture and art history.

As part of Harvard-Westlake's celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, acclaimed filmmaker Patricia Riggen visited the Spanish Honors Literature and Arts class. During her visit, she shared a short film to inspire the students as they prepare to write, direct, and act in their own short films in groups. Patricia discussed her creative process, sharing how she finds inspiration for her projects and offering advice on the steps of scriptwriting. The students had the opportunity to brainstorm and pitch their ideas directly to Patricia, receiving valuable feedback. In addition to discussing her career, Patricia spoke about the challenges women and Latinos face in Hollywood, highlighting the importance of representation. She also shared details about her upcoming film with Viola Davis, set to wrap around Thanksgiving. The visit provided an enriching experience for students, combining mentorship with a celebration of Latinx voices in the film industry.

The Black Girl Magic Brunch brought together students and faculty/staff in a celebration of identity and community at Harvard-Westlake. Led by Ms. Janine Jones, the event provided a space for Black girls from both the middle and upper schools to connect, share their experiences, and explore their sense of belonging at HW. The brunch featured interactive activities, meaningful discussions, and opportunities for students to ask questions about navigating academic and social challenges. Recent alums Haley and Halsey joined the conversation, offering advice and support from their own experiences as Black women at HW. Overall, the event cultivated a sense of unity, reaffirming the importance of creating spaces where all students feel seen, valued, and supported.

Harvard-Westlake students, in collaboration with HW Venture, hosted a special screening of the documentary Show Her the Money at the Upper School. The film highlights the stories of female entrepreneurs and the unique challenges they face within the business and venture capital worlds. As the first high school to showcase this documentary, which is currently only available at private screenings, students led a panel discussion featuring prominent figures from the film, including Producer Catherine Gray, Director Ky Dickens, Executive Producer Diana Greshtchulk, General Partner of Emmeline Ventures La Keisha Landrum Pierre, and Associate Producer Julie Peterson Klein. Proceeds from snacks sold during the event were donated to Alexandria House, an organization dedicated to providing safe housing for women and children experiencing homelessness. The event was open to all members of the HW community and served as a platform to engage with and support women’s voices in business and entrepreneurship.

Author Lilliam Rivera visited the middle school for an assembly talking about her books that focus on life from a Latinx perspective as well as her process and the discipline it takes to be a writer. After the whole middle school assembly, she spent time with student members of the Latinx American Hispanic Student Organization (LAHSO). Ms Rivera also visited an 8th grade English class as many students are familiar with her book Dealing in Dreams. We are honored to have been able to continue to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in this special way.

Harvard-Westlake's annual Activities Fair took place with over 100 student organizations represented. Students had the chance to explore a wide range of co-curricular interests as well as the opportunity to discover new clubs, connect with peers, and get involved in campus life.

This year’s student affinity group leaders and adult advisors met on Sunday September 22nd to join in community to strategically plan the 24-25 school year. Almost 100 students came together clarify their identity, build their budgets, and plan upcoming activities for their group.

Upper School students gathered in the gym for an assembly about hate. The grade-level gathering began with an acknowledgement of lives lost on September 11th 2001 and a screening student-made documentary called “Are We American?” about how the Sikh-American community faced racial profiling after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, curated and introduced by US DEI Coordinator Reb Limerick. Assistant Head of School for Community and Belonging Janine Jones then gave a presentation about how Hate Speech shows up in school communities, and gave specific examples of how Antisemitism, anti-Black racism, anti-Asian hate and many other forms of identity-based hate have grown in Los Angeles and Nationally. Mrs. Jones made it clear that Hate Speech will not be tolerated in our HW community, asking us all to ride together on the ‘road to belonging.’ SLIDE Co-Chairs and Prefects ended the assembly with a reminder of our Community Concern Reporter process as a tool for students seeking adult support in instances of peer-to-peer hate or bias.

Harvard-Westlake’s Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club kicked off the year with their annual retreat at the Middle school, inviting all Black students -new and returning- to gather for the day. Parents also had a special programming session to fellowship in their inaugural Parents of BLACC Students Symposium. Following a morning filled with activities, lunch, and mentorship, the students traveled to The Broad Museum to see Mickalene Thomas's special exhibit, All About Love.

SLIDE Co-Chairs (Tiffany Armour ‘25, Clara Berg ‘25, Nikki Dadlani ‘25, Lauren Park ‘25, Dylan Wuo ‘25) and Advisor Mx. Limerick welcomed sophomore students to the Upper School campus at the start of the school year. Sophomores were introduced to our many Student Affinity Groups and given opportunities to discuss aspects of their own identities in pairs. A few brave 10th graders shared out in front of their whole grade about how their identity impacts their life at school and which affinity groups they look forward to joining this year!

At this year’s opening meetings, Professor Jerry Kang of UCLA delivered a talk titled "Inclusive Excellence Through Rigorous Engagement," focusing on the impact of implicit bias on individuals and institutions. He emphasized the importance of fairness, evidence-based strategies, and practical actions to address bias, highlighting the role of identity threat, data, and long-term efforts in creating a more equitable environment. Kang suggested methods such as expanding social contact and pre-committing to unbiased criteria as essential strategies for overcoming bias.

Faculty and staff were invited to the final Brown Bag Lunch and Learn of the year, where they were educated and offered resources to move beyond autism awareness to autism acceptance! Perspectives of an autistic student leader and artist, learning specialists, and colleagues who are also parents of kids on the spectrum were brought together for this special lunchtime learning opportunity.

Our Multiethnic Inclusion and Diversity affinity group (MIxD) invited journalist Sasha Khokha to share her recent KQED series “MIXED” about being multiracial. Students left feeling seen and heard.

Our celebration of AAPI Heritage Month kicked off with screenwriter, actress, producer and comedian Mindy Kaling. Kaling spoke with the leaders of Women of Color Club (WoCC) and South Asian Students Association (SASA) about representation in Hollywood and her journey breaking barriers and stereotypes. Kaling said she learned almost everything from her failures, encouraging students to try, fail, learn, and grow!

Spanish III students celebrated AAPI Month when Sra Margot Riemer invited Los Angeles based artist Eliseo Art Silva to speak about his experience as a Filipino artist in the Filipino diaspora. Mr. Silva has received many accolades for his work and has participated in many legacy projects that have become cultural landmarks around LA (such as the Western and Eastern Gateways of Historic Filipinotown). He engaged students in conversations around dominant narratives, storytelling through art, colonialism, inclusion and exclusion from museums, and uplifting unsung heroes through public

In recognition of the 109th Commemoration of the Armenian Genocide, our Armenian Affinity Group (AAG) invited esteemed scholar Taner Akçam, Director of the Armenian Genocide Research Program at UCLA, to present to the whole upper school community with an engaging, interview-style lecture in the Taper gymnasium. Student leaders of AAG organized the event with the intention to enrich our school's cultural and historical awareness of the genocide through an educational talk.

The Harvard-Westlake Armenian Parent Group and Cinema Sundays sponsored a special screening of THE PROMISE in Ahmanson Lecture Hall. Produced by Eric Esrailian P'10 P'12, THE PROMISE is set during the Armenian Genocide at the end of the Ottoman Empire.

Actor Kingsley Ben-Adir spoke to an audience of 900 at the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures David Geffen Theater during our 21st annual Westflix for California Teens. Pictured here (Photo by Ed Hu,) Ben-Adir was interviewed by BLACC Leader and Westflix Director of Submissions/Judging Madison Baffo ‘24 who asked, “As organizers of a film festival, we think a lot about the importance of representation and diversity. In addition to Bob Marley, you’ve played Malcolm X and Barack Obama - tell us about what it’s meant to you to embody such important figures in Black history.” In 2024, Westflix expanded its leadership team to include Yuuki Lubin ‘24 as Westflix Director of Community Outreach who helped to make the festival even more diverse and inclusive.

Upper School Gender and Sexuality Alliance invited fellow LGBTQIA+ students from around the area to a semi formal dance. Beyond the dance floor there was catering, foosball, air hockey, giant Jenga, Nintendo, and a lipsync battle…all opportunities to make new friends!

At a Junior Assembly BLACC Leader Tiffany Armour ‘25 and BLACC Advisor Dr. Erik C. Wade interviewed Kareem Grimes about his experiences working with a black female showrunner powerhouse such as Nkechi Okoro Carroll, on screen representation, and his heroes from Black History.

Faculty, Staff, and a few members of the Japanese American Group gathered to hear stories, see photos, and view a documentary about the summer 2023 Faculty Fellowship to Japan; Miyajima Island, Hiroshima, Nara, Kyoto, Nagano, and Tokyo.

One JAG parent said the following, “I think it is the greatest honor when someone is interested enough in Japanese culture to travel to Japan to learn about aspects like religion, and are open to trying everything. The presentation was truly moving, an Oscar-worthy film, and the faculty show & tell was super sweet and funny. I didn't anticipate becoming emotional, but the connection to my family's roots in Hiroshima evoked feelings of sadness and a sense of shame that I haven't felt in over thirty years, not since my visit to the Hiroshima Museum. Thank you for the invitation to such a heartfelt presentation and the yummy bento box lunch.”

Watch Reb L Limerick’s 20 minute Travelogue Documentary here

Pictured above, LAHSO leaders teach their peers a Latin line dance. This was just one of the many events that occurred on the quad during World Languages Week. Everyday students could get their “passports” stamped by attending events such as Bollywood dance class, flag face painting, Armenian line dancing, the Chinese class singing performance, a bachata and salsa dancing class, la bomba afro-caribbean dance performance, or by wearing a toga on greek and roman day, or an international jersey, an t-shirt, or hat.

Upper School Middle Eastern Student Association hosted a fundraiser to ensure education for Afghani Girls through the organization SOLA.

Shabana Basij-Rasikh visited the Middle and Upper schools to share her inspiring story and the value of education. She lived in Afghanistan when the Taliban seized control when she was only 6 years old. This culminated in a time where women couldn’t leave the house unaccompanied or without proper covering. Shabana and other family members and friends risked their lives and well-being to educate their daughters with secret schools. At the age of 18, she founded SOLA to ensure women were educated in her homeland. After Kabul fell to the Taliban in 2021 she relocated to Rwanda and SOLA has continued to operate as a boarding school for Afghan girls. The return of the Taliban marks a period of repression and major education inequities. It is Shabana Basij-Rasikh’s life’s work to continue to provide academic opportunities to Afghan girls and spread awareness about the value of education.

SLIDE, Prefect Council, and Performing Arts collaborated on Winterfest, creating a narrative where Mr. Commons and students teach Buddy the Wolverine the meaning of winter. With live jazz, songs, dances, videos, affinity group presentations on Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Armenian Christmas, and ending with a reindeer bull ride, our community was certainly entertained and educated.

Our LatinX employee resource group gathered on the Casa Vega patio to celebrate holidays and comuidad.

Our Asian American Pacific Islander employee resource group gathered at someone’s home for music, food, connection, and holiday cheer!

HW Pride & HW Alumni hosted an LGBTQ+ Jingle & Mingle Ugly Sweater All Community Party at a beautiful home, which featured holiday cheer in the forms of food, drink, photos, laughter, moving speeches, and live music from Angela Parrish, who sang the opening number in the movie La La Land. Winter can be wonderful even in Los Angeles.

“Please join us for our first Brown Bag Lunch and Learn of the year when we actively delve into one aspect of our mission statement: JOY... just in time for the Holiday season. How can we consistently center Joy in our work as educators and administrators, working hard to foster spaces of diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and wellness at HW?! As we count the days until winter break, we can easily kick into auto-pilot, or find ourselves grumbling and leaning into negativity. Instead, let's dedicate one lunch period to practicing gratitude and actively finding joy in our daily work through engaging with Black joy, Trans joy, and community joy.”

SLIDE Co-Chairs and leaders of all 18 Upper School affinity groups visited the 20 Sophomore Advisory classes to do a presentation on identity, representation, and resources. Sophomores engaged in bonding activities and critical self-reflection, and watched a video where they learned about all the affinity groups on campus and had another opportunity to sign up. Watch our “SLIDE the Compliment” video for sophomores here.

Our parent affinity group CHAI (Cultural Heritage & Arts of India) had lots of laughs at their Bowling Night Extravaganza! Parents, kids, and friends joined together for a night of family fun and bonding.

Our 9th graders visited the Museum of Tolerance, and it couldn’t have been more timely and powerful. They spent the morning touring the museum with respect and focus beyond their years in visiting the emotional Holocaust Exhibit which focuses on the 1920s to 1945 to become witnesses to the events in Nazi-dominated Europe during WWII and the tremendous Social Lab which features six different exhibits focused on major issues of intolerance that are part of daily life such as antisemitism, the struggle for civil rights, the world refugee crisis, climate change, immigration, and homelessness to name a select few.

In his Honors Evolution & Ecology class, Upper School Science teacher Dr. Ellingson gave students a case study about a female runner who was stripped of a silver medal after failing a “gender” test requested by her opponent. A follow-up homework assignment presented a similar, more recent incident in athletics. Dr. Ellingson then facilitated a class discussion about the gender binary that dominates competitive sports, recognizing how the nuanced reality of biological sex determination doesn’t fit into a simple binary. This annual lesson always raises tough questions and offers opportunities for self-reflection, compassion, and more expansive understanding.

Gathering all grade levels in the gym, Middle East Studies teacher Dror Yaron gave a 1 hour historical lecture about the history of Israel and Palestine, offering helpful context for how we got to where we are today, in the midst of the Israel-Hamas war.

SLIDE Co-Chair and MIxD Leader Nilufer Mistry Sheasby ‘24 and 1st Generation and Immigrant Allies Founder Natalie Ascorra ‘24 spoke alongside other passionate student leaders from other schools at our 7th Annual Pollyanna Conference. This year’s theme was “Addressing Hate with Intention: Thoughtfully Combatting Attempts to Divide.” In this robust, brave, and inspiring student presentation, students outlined the importance of affinity groups to build community and the vitality of affinity group student leaders partnering with adults on campus to swiftly and thoughtfully respond to incidents of hate and bias.

Jewish Club held a successful fundraiser to gather funds for the Israeli Red Cross. From their website, “In the United States, disaster relief, ambulance, and blood services are handled by an array of organizations. In Israel, there’s one organization that does it all — Magen David Adom. When you support Magen David Adom, you are helping save lives, every day.” Jewish Club also printed QR codes for students to have an option to donate to Doctors Without Borders, who is currently supplying aid to civilians in Gaza.

Upper School World Languages Teacher Bin He represented Harvard-Westlake at the Language Advocacy Action Day Event in Washington, D.C., hosted by the Joint National Committee for Languages (JNCL). This unique event is exclusively for 100 language educators from across the country to engage with federal legislators on Capitol Hill and advocate for crucial language education legislation.

The Middle School Visual Arts Department invites you to join us in Saperstein Theatre and Wang Hall for the installation, discussion, exhibit, workshop and all-school assembly for this year’s Arlene Director Schnitzer ’47 Visiting Artist Zora J Murff. His ongoing gallery exhibition is titled “The Propagation of Divisive Concepts.” Zora J Murff is an artist and educator interested in liberation from anti-Blackness. Murff uses his creative practice to explore the provocative politics of stereotypes and other forms of Black misrepresentations we consume through imagery. During Murff’s artist talk he spoke plainly about the etymology and long history of the N-word. The all-school activities around this artist provide an understanding of voice, sense of community, and source of inspiration.

Upper School Gender and Sexuality Alliance organized with Middle School GSA to take a group of students and chaperones downtown to walk in solidarity with those living with HIV and AIDS, and raised over $1,000 for LGBTQIA+ Healthcare for the HW GSA Team.

Upper and Middle School student affinity group leaders and their adult advisors dedicated their whole Sunday to learning how to be more thoughtful, organized, and inclusive leaders. Dr. Carroll facilitated interactive activities and important discussions around identity and leadership.

Upper School Latin American Hispanic Student Organization hosted a week of events to honor Hispanic Heritage Month. Students flocked to LAHSO’s booth to eat arepas covered in salsa, donate to UnidosUS, a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that serves as the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization, try different flavors of Jarritos, dance to Bad Bunny, and take a swing at the pinata.

A Night of Korean Traditional Art, Culture, and Food at E.K. Art Gallery (Tony Kim ’91.) To celebrate Korean Thanksgiving, or Chuseok, HWKAAN invited the larger community to join them for a special evening of alumni speakers on Korean traditional art, history, music, and food. Sharon Lee Clark ’02 shared art, Phil Cuddy ’73 presented on Korean History, Han Kim led and performed drumming, and Brian Lee ’05 talked about food history. It was a delicious and enriching event celebrating Korean/Korean American art and culture, meeting new friends and reconnecting with old ones. Photos by Sam de Castro Abeger.

This year we have 18 different affinity groups for students to join at the Upper School. Affinity groups help students to celebrate their identities, learn more about others' cultures, and create a deeper sense of belonging on our campus. Pictured here is Armenian Club sharing music, food, history, and fun facts with the community in hopes of garnering signups for their group.

For our second annual SLIDE LDP, students explored the theme “Centering Joy and Peace in Our Work as Leaders.” As DEI practitioners, we realize that this work in the DEI space can be frustrating, demoralizing, and grueling. Thus, we wanted to teach our students an important lesson that we didn’t learn until much later in life: they can create moments of joy, rest, and peace for themselves. And not only can they give themselves permission to do this, but this rest, joy, and peace are actually parts of the DEI work because those spaces were often denied to so many marginalized people. With guest speakers Dubbs Weinblatt and Tracey Michae’l Lewis-Giggets, daily JAM (Joy as Activism Me time) Sessions, DEI Case Studies, Leadership Modules, and more, students grappled with tough DEI topics all while remembering to give themselves space for joy along the way.

Students and chaperones went on a field trip to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum in Simi Valley for an immersive view of the history of Auschwitz. “Auschwitz. Not long ago. Not far away. brings together more than 700 original objects of great historic and human value; objects which were direct witnesses of the horrors of Auschwitz and the Holocaust. These objects serve as the guiding thread of a rigorous and moving account of the history of the German Nazi camp Auschwitz and its dwellers, both victims and perpetrators.”

Middle School Asian American Culture Club (AACC) and JLCC (Japanese Language and Culture Club) visited the Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo. Our students and chaperones had a wonderful time learning history outside of the classroom. “Don't Fence Me In: Coming of Age in America's Concentration Camps explores the experiences of Japanese American youth who asserted their place as young Americans confronting the injustice of being imprisoned in concentration camps during World War II and embarking on the universal journey into adolescence.”

Director of the Anti-Defamation League, Jonathan Greenblatt, spoke to the entire Upper School about standing up against Antisemitism and Hate in all forms.

Middle School and Upper School SLIDE hosted the annual Multicultural Fair for the whole community! This engaging, educational, and fun student-run event took place outside on the quad and the Commons. There were different stations, each consisting of tables with food, games, crafts, swag, and information, hosted by our student affinity groups. There was food from around the world generously donated by parent affinity groups, a food truck, a bunny pen for the Year of the Rabbit, student made world language magazines, a raffle, a piñata, cultural dance and music performances, and more. It was a joyous celebration of the many cultures and identities represented within our school community!

SASA, GSA, Empower, and WOC hosted Rayman Mathoda to speak to all Juniors and Seniors. Rayman is a Princeton Alumni and Indian CEO who has successfully led and transformed 5 different companies in the last 10 years, 2 of which were subsequently sold to Fortune 500 buyers. In addition, Rayman is a lesbian, mother, and wife and has been fighting for LGBTQ rights, personally and globally, for decades.

Alejandro Lombard ’23 created a powerful documentary “Seeking Asylum” about a family who goes through the unthinkable on their journey to the U.S.-Mexico border for his HW Junior Summer Fellowship project. “My motivation for making this documentary is to help reframe the narrative of immigration and asylum in this country by telling a personal story of a family’s journey,” Lombard said in an interview with The Chronicle. Alejandro borrowed equipment from his HW Video Art classroom, and visited the U.S.-Mexico border with the organizations This is About Humanity, Tijuana Sin Hambre, International Community Foundation and Movimiento Juventud. Because of his film “Seeking Asylum,” Alejandro Lombard went on to be named a 2023 U.S. Presidential Scholar in the Arts, alongside two other Harvard-Westlake student artists, Fallon Dern ’23, and Raisa Effress ’23, an honor only awarded to 20 students in the country across all visual and performing arts mediums!

Watch Seeking Asylum here: https://youtu.be/msh0-8Xh9Kw

Harvard-Westlake families gathered on a Sunday afternoon on Ted Slavin field for the inaugural Heritage Festival! Parent affinity groups set up booths with cuisine, information, activities, and local food trucks to represent the mosaic of cultures that make up our diverse community. Student and professional dance and musical performances took place on the outdoor stage, while people of all ages danced and sang along. This no-cost celebration was an opportunity to gather as a community, welcome new families, and share our myriad cultures with one another. [Photo from the HW Ohana booth]

The BLACC OUT Dance was a fun night of music, connection, and cultural celebration hosted by our Black Leadership Awareness and Culture Club for high school students all around LA.

Upper School GSA hosted the Blooming Spring dance, open to 9th through 12th grade students from around LA who are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and allies! The night featured a lip sync contest, dancing, prizes, a plethora of games from video games to air hockey to card games to Jenga, delicious foods, and lots of rainbows!

Reasons why this concert is special:

1. It's a preview of our upcoming historic Carnegie Hall performance on 3/28/23.
2. It features our students and faculty performing a work that has not been heard at Carnegie Hall since 1915 (Hiawath's Wedding Feast by Coleridge-Taylor).
3. All of the music for this concert is by Black and Indigenous composers - to my knowledge, this is a first in HW history.
4. It features a world premiere performance of an orchestral work by a NY-based Indigenous composer that Harvard-Westlake commissioned especially for this concert (Indigenous/Undigenous by Davids)
5. It features a world premiere performance of an arrangement by a Harvard-Westlake teacher (Lift Every Voice and Sing, arr. Robles)

- Dr. Zanaida Stewart Robles, Upper School Performing Arts Faculty

At the 20th Annual Westflix Film Festival, a celebration of short films made by California teens, hosted and curated by Harvard-Westlake School, two students sat on stage at the historic Million Dollar Theater and interviewed writer, actor, producer, and comedian Mindy Kaling. Student Festival Directors Grace Belgrader ‘23 and Will Chandrasekhar ‘23 asked Kaling thoughtful questions about South Asian and female representation in Hollywood and her journey breaking barriers and telling stories with flawed relatable characters, to an audience of over 700 young aspiring filmmakers and their families and supporters.

An annual fair for faculty, staff, and administrators from underrepresented groups interested in working in independent schools. The 2023 hybrid DRF offered attendees opportunities to learn about working in an independent school and speak with representatives about open positions, whether candidates were local to the Los Angeles area and attending in person, or connecting with us virtually from a different part of the country! The fair also included 15-minute panels on teaching in an independent school; diversity, equity, and inclusion in education; and working as an administrator in an independent school. The day kicked off with an inspiring keynote address from Carla Cretaro, Head of the Lower School for the John Thomas Dye School.

Brian Hertz from AJC to join us for five afternoons until the end of this school year to provide additional support for all of our Jewish students and allies (meaning all are welcome). Brian Hertz is American Jewish Committee's Assistant Director of ACCESS Global. In this role, he empowers Jewish leaders to advocate on behalf of critical domestic and global issues facing the Jewish community. Hertz graduated from UCLA with a degree in Psychobiology, and draws extensively from his educational experiences around conflict resolution and human interaction. Hertz has worked with many Jewish organizations, as well as several LGBTQ+ organizations, to bring new voices into their work and to deepen their community impact. He is currently based in Los Angeles.

In 2019, Joy Harjo was appointed the 23rd United States Poet Laureate, the first Native American to hold the position. Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Harjo is an internationally renowned performer and writer of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. She is the author of nine books of poetry, several plays and children’s books, and two memoirs. In 2023, Harjo came to Harvard-Westlake School to share her poetry, wisdom, stories, and presence with our community.

Joshua Cheng ‘23 invited alum Victoria Pearson '12 to visit his Business: A Metacognitive Approach class as a guest speaker. Pearson shared specific advice from her path to success: interview techniques, how to ask for help, the power of “no” and manifestation, and how to challenge yourself while taking care of yourself. She spoke about her experiences at HW and in the professional world through the lens of her identity. Victoria Pearson (PSM) is an experienced RTE, Program Manager, Project Manager, and Scrum Master for product implementations / integrations of large-scale technology. She has worked at notable organizations such as Disney as well as small businesses.

This year Student Leaders for Inclusion Diversity and Equity (SLIDE,) Prefect Council, and the Performing Arts Department collaborated to make the annual Upper School HWinterfest not only entertaining and filled with holiday cheer, but also more diverse and inclusive! Jewish Club told the true history of Hannukah, Armenian Club shared a musical Armenian Christmas tradition, BLACC programmed a speech and dance to celebrate Kwanzaa, LAHSO made a video interviewing underrepresented staff members about their favorite holiday traditions and so much more. The production, which was thematically curated into three acts: Renewal, Gratitude, and Community, featured original monologues, live instrumental music, singing, dancing, video, educational speeches, and poetry from students, faculty, and staff.