Students gathered in Walker Auditorium on February 17 for the first in-person Community Conversation of the year. This mandatory event focused on the importance of respect in the ways community members treat each other, talk to each other, and talk about each other.
 
Earlier in the week, the community was encouraged to submit anonymous stories detailing moments in their Hotchkiss experience when people have felt respected or disrespected. This input helped level-set the presentation, which began with defining the difference between dignity and respect: dignity is the state of being valued, while respect refers to one’s appreciation for the value of others.  
 
The event included a student panel onstage, with students and members of faculty and staff also invited to speak. The discussion addressed respect as a community value, individual experiences of both respect and disrespect, opportunities for students to demonstrate respect for others, and in particular, opportunities to build a respectful culture in the dining hall, on athletic teams, and in the dorms.
 
Overall, students agreed that Hotchkiss is a very supportive community. According to one, “We sometimes remember the bad things more than the good things, so try to remember the good things.” The student added that the majority of the time, members of the community show respect for each other, that this creates a foundation for becoming increasingly sensitive to the feelings of others, and that “we have all felt embraced and supported here.”
 
Committee members and student panelists included: Sydney Goldstein ’22, Margie Bowen ’22, Shayne Bjorn ’23, Nell Dwyer ’24, Will Groot ’23, Sydney Jean ’23, Aleema Kelly ’22, Jack McGlinn ’22, Jack Morvillo ’22, Jacquo Pierre ’24, Jason Shan ’23, and Isabel Su ’22. They were assisted by faculty members Christy Cooper, instructor in English, prep class dean, and sexual misconduct prevention and response coordinator; Dr. Nilaja Green, mental health counselor; Carrie Smith, human development coordinator, and guest Amy Wheeler from Learning Courage, an organization with which the School partners on building and strengthening culture.
 
Community Conversations provide a safe space in which students, faculty, and staff engage in meaningful dialogue about sensitive topics. Previous discussions have addressed religion and religious identity, racial ethnicity, sexual orientation, and privilege. The conversations are part of the School's commitment to enhancing learning, growing empathy, and creating an environment in which students feel safe, seen, and supported even when discussing challenging ideas.