Before students headed off to Mardi Gras Break, Newman’s Upper School held its Annual DEI Film Festival on Wednesday, February 26th, planned by the ACTIONS Committee.
The day started with everyone gathering in the Henson Auditorium for an introduction of the day by the ACTIONS Committee and a panel of two New Orleans jazz musicians from Preservation Hall and the nonprofit Girls Play Trumpets Too who work to preserve and expand the reach of traditional New Orleans Jazz: Troy Sawyer and Victor Campbell. Here, students got to get a glimpse into each artist’s mind, learning how their involvement in music from their childhood shaped their current jobs in the industry today. The Upper School also had the opportunity to see these two musicians—who had just met for the first time two days before the panel—play together without any preparation, engaging in improvisation and feeding off of each other’s energy. Troy Sawyer played powerful notes from his trumpet, and Victor Cambell even played the piano with his hands behind his back!
After the assembly, students split off into their respective film locations and watched their films. The movies were as follows: Mountain Queen, Out of My Mind, 26.2 to Life, Shirley, Uproar, The Fablemans, and The Battle of the Sexes. Each room had student facilitators who led students in meaningful discussions about the importance of each movie. Many teachers and facilitators described how students in their rooms had great conversations and seemed comfortable discussing complex topics and issues. After several Community Conversations throughout the year, where students from different grade levels had a range of discussions, students felt prepared for the day and ready to engage in civil discourse. After the discussions, each room made a movie review poster, showcasing the key takeaways from the film and their discussions.
During lunch, the World Languages department held a carnival celebration with activities in the Krohn Foyer. The foyer was decorated by posters made by students, introducing a variety of different Latin American countries. With an assortment of food and drinks from countries around the world, students were able to participate in activities, such as creating their own Mardi Gras mask out of glitter glue and feathers.
After lunch, students returned to the Henson Auditorium for the first Cultural Showcase. Similar to the format of the Arts Week Assembly, the Cultural Showcase included performances and presentations from a variety of different groups that represent different aspects of our shared and unique cultures at Newman. It started with a film created by Henry Haber ‘26 and Ian Provosty ‘26 about Newman’s culture of growth, highlighting students in Newman’s athletic and arts programs. It was followed by “Hues of India,” a presentation and performance led by Aditi Shridhar ‘26 and the Indian students. With a video in the background (created by Aria Jolly ‘26), the students discussed the history and cultural heritage of India, while performing several dances in between the information. After a few students from Senora Sanchez’s Spanish VI Honors class read a poem written in Spanish by Garrison Franks ‘26, inspired by visiting Cuban artist Piki Mendizabal’s artwork. Next, a group of Chinese students, led by Wendy Sun ‘27, shared a presentation on Chinese Mythology and Ne Zha 2, a recent Chinese animated fantasy adventure film. Then, the Jewish Cultures Club, led by Eli Friend ‘25, performed two Israeli dances choreographed by Mr. Johnny Lake. Finally, we closed out the showcase with the Black History Through the Decades Showcase in honor of Black History Month. Directed by Morgan Price ‘26 and Tay Young ’25 and emceed by Mr. Greg Spencer and Ms. Ashley Adams, the showcase included a timeline of Black History with dances from each decade. Overall, the showcase was a great way to bring everyone together and celebrate the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion within our community.
Overall, the day was a great success!
