Loomis Chaffee Log APRIL 16, 2016 Founded 1915 Volume XCIV, No. 6 thelclog.org A Special Interview Editorial: Who Benefits with Sheila Culbert Mary Anne Porto ’16 using ran out of batteries. trips are given the tools to says that in the planning and Our very own Head of School talks about the Directorfrom of Design Eventually, “Voluntourism”? the group lead- educate themselves about preparation for LC service ers decided to hire three lo- the issues related to foreign trips, the Center carefully future of Loomis, her favorite TV shows and cal carpenters who worked aid. Two of the supplemen- considers who will benefit Having attended an inter- quicker and more efficiently tal readings trip-goers read from the service learning. more. national school for four years, than the students. “We real- this year include Ivan Illich’s “Is it to make us feel good there is the school aspect, and I tend to look back on my Isabel Gorton ’18 and ized how absolutely useless speech, “To Hell with Good about going somewhere, or Kenlee Danner ’18 what is nice about be- time in sixth to ninth grade we were,” she recalls with re- Intentions,” which addresses do those people actually ben- and use the trips that I took Contributors ing the Headmaster is also efit from this being the head teacher. as benchmarks to distinguish experience and between each year. There is also the whole this exchange?” What does being a head- sort of being in charge of the International travel was she asks. “What master entail? What do a cornerstone of my middle education and the moral devel- we’re trying to you see as the most chal- opment of the students here. school experience, my favor- do at Loomis is lenging part of your job? ite trip being the two and half At the same time, this is a actually flip it small business and there is a weeks I spent in the Kwazu- SC: Although it does say to a new peda- budget every year. There are lu-Natal Province of South “Headmaster” on my door, gogy, which is all sorts of outside contractors Africa. Those two and a half my title is Head of School. A ‘learning ser- and projects going on: rela- weeks hold some of my most Headmaster is generally seen vice.’ We try to tionships with parents, alum- fond and foundational mem- emphasize the as male, and I really do not ni, trustees, and with the fel- ories, but they also harbor a learning aspect like the female version, which low community. It is my job to lot of guilt. for both par- is “Headmistress.” There- oversee all of [these affairs]: Last month, The New ties.” fore, I am the head of school. York Times’ Jacob Kushner in other words, to be the CEO “I think for I am essentially in charge of ev- published a piece called “The of the Loomis Corporation. a lot of Loomis erything. My job has two sides; Voluntourist’s Dilemma,” students, [the (Cont. on page 4) criticizing the common prac- Dominican tice of volunteer trips abroad. Republic trip] Voluntourists “come for a was a big eye week or two for a ‘project’ — opener,” agrees Editorial: Are a temporary medical clinic, Tatiana Lovera an orphanage visit or a school ’16, who went construction,” he writes. “To on the 2016 many of these people, sim- DR trip. “The basic part of Microaggressions ply experiencing a foreign the community service was culture is not enough. They building a house, but a bigger must change that place for part was being able to con- Really “Micro”?even more mental harm to the better.” His main problem nect with people and learn Lily Liu ’17 historically disenfranchised with voluntourism lies with about their culture and how it News Editor students than that of overtly the usual lack of long-term compares to ours.” discriminatory acts. Accord- thinking and the self-serving Is it racist to wear a turban I spoke with Pippa with fake explosives on Hal- ing to Columbia University’s aspects. Biddle last year, and she of- psychologist, Dr. Derald On my trip to South Af- loween? fered the following advice: “I During November Wing Sue, victims of micro- rica, we visited two schools believe that travel is, in and aggressions are caught in a and an orphanage that our of 2015, the New York Times of itself, a wonderful thing reporter Liam Stack report- catch-22 where responding or school helped through fun- that all young people should not responding to discrimina- draising every year, and our ed a racially charged debate have the opportunity to ex- spurred by an email from the tion both result in emotional service consisted of playing perience. Rather than going distress. Sue asserts that if vic- with the children for a total Intercultural Aff airs Com- straight for volunteer trips, mittee of the Yale Univer- tims confront perpetrators, of three days, one for each of I encourage young people to “they are labeled as oversensi- the sites. While it was reward- sity, which advised students look for organizations that to avoid “culturally unaware tive,” but if victims don’t pro- ing seeing where the money provide adventurous young test, “turmoil stews” making from bake sales and donation and insensitive” costumes on PHOTOS OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC TRIP COURTESY OF TATIANA LOVERA ‘16 people with immersive expe- Halloween. When a psychol- them even more incapable of drives at my school was going riences that give back to com- combating aggressions. to, and I enjoyed being able to ogy professor Erika Chris- gret. the problem of paternalism in munities without relying on takis criticized that the note In fact, microaggres- help out and connect with the The issue of voluntour- service activities, and Pippa volunteer work. One organi- sions are not innocuous. Th ey children, I couldn’t help but infringed upon free speech ism is especially prevalent Biddle’s article, “The Problem zation that does this, and that and left “no room” for young penetrate like the “invisible” wonder whether the cost of for today’s teens. Aside from with Little White Girls (and I am very passionate about, is gamma rays but have a very my airfare would have been people to be “a little inappro- good intention and the desire Boys).” Onwards (www.onwardsinc. priate,” many students, profes- damaging impact. Th e Jour- more beneficial to give than to help others, some students Pippa Biddle, a boarding org).” nal of Negro Education ex- my (probably unqualified) sors and administrators pro- may feel the added pressure school alum herself, writes I do not personally think tested, condemning Professor amined these “subtle” but of- time, not to mention the ad- as community service is seen of a similar experience to that I will be participating in fensive comments and actions dition to my carbon footprint Christakis for overlooking the more and more as a require- Claire’s: “We, a group of high- any more formal community devastating harm of microag- as causes of “a negative racial it took to get there, and then ment in some instances for ly educated private boarding service abroad trips; how- climate and emotions of self- the weird, uncomfortable gressions — subtle, usually applications, resumes, and school students were so bad ever, I do hope to continue “unintentional,” but off ensive doubt, frustration, and isola- juxtaposition of our visits to graduations. at the most basic construc- travelling internationally and tion” that cumulatively may impoverished areas and our comments or actions resulting Voluntourism isn’t ill-in- tion work that each night the seeing how I can help. The from underlying discrimina- result in elevated morbid- safaris, our tour of the World tentioned. Travel helps form men had to take down the tools that the Alvord Center ity and “fl attened confi dence.” Cup stadium, and our moun- tory views and stereotypes. relationships, build a greater structurally unsound bricks provides students going on Th is controversy poses sig- Th ese seemingly invisible tain activities that required understanding of different we had laid and rebuild the their trips, a discerning and forms of discrimination not expensive hiking equipment. nifi cant questions: should cultures, and cultivate empa- structure so that, when we skeptic eye when it comes to universities address microag- only permeate in college cam- At the same time, my thy. And it’s not a bad thing to woke up in the morning, we voluntourism and an inquisi- puses, but also high schools. friend Claire Ternes was in gressions? Does political cor- want to help others and give would be unaware of our fail- tive outlook towards who rectness infringe upon free- For instance, when I Moshi, Tanzania, and she re- back. Loomis Chaffee has u re .” reaps the benefits of service, went to the CMEA All State counts being tasked to build dom of speech? its own international trips, Mrs. Marley Matlack, are helpful and important for Professor Christa- choir, many high schoolers desks for a school. After a with one geared specifically Director of International Ed- all students, especially in our commended my “extraor- while of toiling with metal kis is certainly correct that towards community service, ucation Programs and Asso- world that grows more inter- students are free to express dinary” accomplishment of frames and planks of wood the trip to the Dominican Re- ciate Director for the Alvord connected by the day. qualifying for All State choir as (they were not previously themselves. However, univer- public. Center for Global and Envi- sities must speak against those an international student from trained), the electric screw- Students going on the ronmental Studies at Loomis, China.