This year, the Upper School Council has reinstituted the tradition of organizing a Speaker Day following a one year hiatus due to last year’s focus on revising the cell phone policy. On Mar. 6, students and faculty in the Upper School will spend the day participating in presentations from a wide variety of speakers, in small groups and as the entire Upper School.

This year’s theme, Immigration and Cultural Diversity: Experiences and Identity, was chosen because of the profound affect that immigration has had on American history and culture and its importance to our society today, especially in Minnesota where the rate of immigration has tripled since 1990. After a brief advisory meeting, the day will begin with a keynote presentation delivered by Jaylani Hussein and Ryan Allen. Hussein, who previously spoke to Upper School students as a panelist at the MLK Assembly, is the executive director of the Minnesota Chapter of the Council on Islamic-American Relations (CAIR-MN). Allen is an expert on refugee and immigration policy at the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. Hussein will speak specifically on his observations and experiences as a leader in the Minnesota Muslim community, while Allen will speak more generally about immigration and cultural diversity in America to provide a foundation for the small group sessions.

Following the keynote address, students will split into smaller groups to attend two presentations delivered by one of the 27 small group leaders that have been invited to speak. Each speaker has a personal connection to either immigration or cultural diversity, and will speak about how it has affected their lives. Through their personal stories we hope that students will come to a deeper understanding of the importance of cultural diversity and a more acute appreciation for the process of immigration that has allowed a wide variety of ethnic groups to flourish in the United States.

After the morning’s presentation students will have time to discuss what they heard during the presentations in their advisory before the afternoon program begins. Featuring a Native American speaker and a performance by a Native Pride dance group, the afternoon will focus on the influence that the flow of immigrants from around the world has had on Native American communities. We feel confident that Speaker Day will allow students to enrich their understanding of how cultural diversity and immigration have shaped, and will continue to shape, America. We would like to thank Dean Max Delgado, Annie Harness, and our advisor, Jim McVeety for their help in organizing Speaker Day, and we hope that you enjoy it!