by izzy mundel’25
On January sixth, just as students came back from a long winter vacation, the St. Marks community gathered together for Community and Equity Day. A day, as the name suggests, to foster better relationships and a more inclusive environment at SM. Huddling together in the PFAC, we first listened to a panel discussion by five inspiring individuals who all strive to create more inclusivity and equity within their own communities. Each of the individuals' own individuality helped them provide St. Marks with advice that was unique to different environments and situations. Their individual positionalities allowed the community to make connections with their own lives, but also to empathize with and learn about people that may be different or have different experiences from their own. After this insightful conversation, we then split up, the student body into their respective sports teams, while the faculty stayed together, for a hands-on workshop with a purpose: to speak freely about our identities and what makes us different inside the St. Mark’s community. Being vulnerable is something that within the hustle-and-bustle environment at SM we don’t get to do a lot. It’s hard to speak openly about your own individuality and uniqueness when surrounded by a classroom full of people that you may not know individually or trust with that information. However, this is what made C and E day so thoughtful. The workshop opened up a space to be open and vulnerable with people you saw every day at athletic practices, that you hopefully do know and trust. It allowed for a comfortable discussion between people about their unique identifiers, and how that informs who they are at St. Marks.
In general, I believe the day was a success. The panel offered interesting perspectives and advice about fostering a supportive and inclusive environment, and the workshop created a much-needed space to be vulnerable with our peers. That isn’t to say that St. Marks don’t have more work to do, it does. One day a year where the community comes together and each person shares their identity isn’t enough to create an inclusive and supportive environment all year long. It takes daily work, from the students, to the faculty, to the staff, in classrooms, in dorms, in the hallways, in the dining hall, to create an environment where people feel heard, respected, and belonged.