Senior Anna Guaracao, who is a facilitator for Many Voices Day on November 18, was asked to write about the day. Here is an excerpt from Anna’s report:

The theme this year was “What Now?” and the day definitely made you think about how to take action in your life, your community or in society. The day began with alumni returning to AFS for panel discussions in each Upper School grade. The senior class heard from Erica Grooms ’15, Bridget Warlea ’15 and Jeremy Goode ’14, who attend Temple University.

Then, students in all four grades were divided into combined small groups for ice-breaker activities. After that, the students and faculty members went to the Triangle gym for an activity called Silent Movement. As Upper School students stood in a large circle, questions, including “please step into the center of the circle if you identify as a freshman,” prompted students to step in, reflect on who stood beside them in the circle and who surrounded them.

The facilitators went through many social identifiers, including race/ethnicity, sexual orientation and family structure. As a participant, it was touching to witness people who you see everyday share things that you might not have known about them.

After Silent Movement, students debriefed in their small groups and then moved on to workshops, on topics that included “Women in Rap,” “Relationships” and “Comebacks for Racist Relatives.” The day ended with Meeting for Worship and more reflection time in advisories.

During Meeting for Worship, I was happy to hear many people share that they’d been touched in many ways and realized that Many Voices Day can be transformative. That’s the goal.

I’m a lifer at AFS, and for a long time I was ashamed of my differences because I’m a minority at this school. A big part of my identity is made up by the fact that I am a Latina and my parents are immigrants. But because many of my peers are not like me, I tried to abandon that part of me. When I first experienced Silent Movement in my freshman year, I realized how special it is to be in a minority group and that it is okay to embrace my ethnic uniqueness. I am different, and Many Voices Day has helped me to be proud of who I am.
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In feedback submitted after Many Voices Day, another student wrote: “Meeting for Worship this year made me feel really good. I liked hearing about others’ experiences and it made me want to voice my opinion and lean into discomfort, which I believe is the point of the day.”

Another student wrote, “This was a great day because I felt so safe expressing who I am. I leave this day with no regrets, but hope that this will continue into the future.”