Signature Magazine - Fall 2020

THE ADMISSIONS MAGAZINE OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL FALL 2020

12 S ee that the World is Moving

21 1960s: Forging the Way

14 When Women Organize

26 1970s: Wisdom across the Decades

The complex legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1832)

TH E A DM ISSION S M AG A Z IN E OF EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL

F E AT U R E

08 Hear Our Voices: Visionary Leadership through the Decades

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, we explore the contributions of over 10 decades of visionary Emma Willard School alumnae.

The impact of the League of Women Voters

16 1940s: Leading through War Pitching in during a time of crisis

18 1950s: Good Trouble

Getting “in trouble” is a catalyst for change

A time of change that propelled students to lives of meaning

Fifty years after graduating, the Class of 1970 reflects on the similarities between then and now

28 1980s: Making a Difference

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’84 puts learning into action

M I SS I O N

Honoring our founder’s vision, Emma Willard School proudly fosters in each young woman a love of learning, the habits of an intellectual life, and the character, moral strength, and qualities of leadership to serve and shape her world.

FA LL 2020 Jenny Rao

Head of School Meredith Legg, PhD

Assistant Head of School Virginia Arbour

Chief Financial Officer Ann Dejnozka

Head of Advancement Suzanne Romero Dewey

Head of Strategic Communications Jamie Hicks-Furgang

Head of Enrollment Management Shelley Maher

Dean of Students and Wellbeing

30 1990s: Action Figure

Leslie Mac ’94 uses her voice and amplifies others

32 2000s: Understanding in the Moment

Sierra Crane Murdoch ’05 shapes readers’ thinking

34 2010s: Speaking Up and Fostering Change

Influencing school curriculum and campaigning for change

38 2020s: Looking Toward a Bright Future

The 2020s focus on positive change

DEPARTMENTS

02 Leading In

Head of School Jenny Rao

03 F rom the Triangle An abbreviated time on campus led to Virtually Emma

06 Remembering The legacy of Alice Dodge Wallace

40 Admissions

E D ITO RIA L STA F F Suzanne Romero Dewey, Melissia Mason, and Kaitlin Resler

Editorial Team Julie Clancy and Bridget McGivern

Contributing Writers Robin Prout

Contributing Writer and Honor Roll Editor Kaitlin Resler

Photography Margaret Clark ’98 Sara Niemiec

Class Notes Lilly Pereira

www.aldeia.design Designer R. C. Brayshaw & Company

www.rcbrayshaw.com Printer

Please forward address changes to: Emma Willard School 285 Pawling Avenue Troy, NY 12180 518.833.1787 alumnae@emmawillard.org or emmawillard.org/alumnae Signature, the magazine of Emma Willard School is published by the Communications Office two times each year for our families, alumnae, employees, and friends of Emma Willard School. The mission of this magazine is to capture the school’s values and culture through accurate and objective stories about members of the Emma community, past and present, as they put Emma Willard’s mark on the world.

Emma Willard School is a nonpartisan organization. In the spirit of honoring the individuality of our community members, we encourage featured individuals to share their authentic selves. Views expressed are entirely their own.

O N THE COV E R Each year, students have the opportunity to take part in activism and awareness events in our area. In January of 2018, Emma Willard School students participated in the Women’s March in Albany.

This “signature” is by Director of Library Resources and Research Caroline Buinicky, a member of the faculty task force working to raise awareness and engagement around the November election.

Leading In HEAD OF SCHOOL, JENNY RAO

The Work of Our Lives

Head of School Jenny Rao with her mother, Veronica Arias, last year.

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This issue is a celebration of progress and generational change. We mark and honor the 100th anniversary of the passing of the 19th Amendment in the midst of a global pandemic and long-standing turbulence around racial justice. As I hear our students and alumnae raise their voices, I’m heartened to see the decades of activism that have brought change and growth to our institutions and our homelands. Just like the passing of the 19th Amendment was a point in time, there is more work to be done. For most Emma Willard School graduates, this work that remains to be addressed is the work of our lives.

Looking back since the passage of the 19th Amendment, the stories of women through the decades, Emma graduates, are reflective of determined individualism united by purposeful endeavors. Whether as voices shouting for women’s suffrage, building a civic organization dedicated to furthering interest in public affairs, serving in the war effort, protesting for human rights, participating in government, or bearing witness to wrong-doing, Emma Willard School graduates have been a force for good.

The stories themselves also reflect a kinship through the generations. I couldn’t help but think of my mother, a generation away and one of my own personal heroes. My mom has been a passionate advocate for women her whole life. She has worked tirelessly to help women in Mexico City be able to balance a career and family life. In a society that does not advantage women, particularly if they are uneducated, unmarried and older, she has given preference in her company’s hiring specifically to the women who society pushes aside. She offers her employees an education and a flexible schedule that allows them to take care of their families and their work. As a result, she has a remarkably committed and productive workforce. Most importantly, she has given the opportunity to many women in Mexico to find their voice and have a dignified life for themselves and their families.

E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

Having role models and mentors share their experiences and reflect the values of leadership and activism will help our current students choose pathways that will be fulfilling and impactful. I know my mom’s example helped me consider the work that I’ve come to love.

She taught me to always align my words and actions with my values—to always believe in a better future and not let setbacks become reasons to stop. My mom taught me that when I am challenged, it is an opportunity to prepare for a stronger and more decisive step.

It is life’s way of preparing me for the important work ahead. My mom’s approach to seeing the lesson in every challenge has allowed me to remain optimistic and committed to working for progress.

Our current students already stand up for change.

Last spring, bus loads went to the capitol in Albany to protest climate change, connecting to fellow protesters around the world led by one young woman, Greta Thunberg. Our LGBTQIA+ students voiced their concerns about being supported, seen, and heard directly to the school; and after a spring and summer of unrest, students and alumnae of color pushed the school to listen and take action. It is this work—the naming, claiming, and taking responsibility for change—that creates transformative progress. Demonstrating courage and commitment will embolden others to stand up.

I salute my mother and all the women who have provided examples of change-makers, who have not been passive, who take community and purpose to new realms. Our students and alumnae share this legacy: a confidence borne of Emma Hart Willard’s own pioneering work in establishing this school. The skills and character traits that our academic pillars seek to build in today’s students are the qualities needed to overcome today’s challenges. We will continue to foster a safe learning experience that highlights the best of an Emma Willard experience by enticing curiosity, developing intellectual passions, and serving and shaping the world.

DE PA RTME NT

From the Triangle Back in March, we would never have imagined that the theatre department’s production of The Wolves would be one of the last in-person events of the school year. This play, written by Sarah DeLappe, depicts the poignant sideline conversations of a ninemember girls’ soccer team. Theatre Director Erica Tryon shared, “This play is a rare occurrence in that it passes the girl-affirming Bechdel Test with flying colors. The Bechdel Test is used as an indicator for the active presence of women in the entire field of film and other fiction. We were thrilled to perform a play at Emma Willard that so deeply aligned with our mission, as it was exclusively and triumphantly about teenage girls.”

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FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Girl Rising One of the last all-school events before students left for spring break 2020 was a viewing of the short film “Brave Girl Rising.”

The community gathered in the chapel for a talk with Girl Rising CEO Christina Lowery to learn more about the organization’s mission to ensure that girls around the world are educated and empowered. Students were able to ask questions and discover the particular challenges of creating the film, and finding your own path by following curiosity.

Girl Rising CEO Christina Lowery takes questions from students following a viewing of “Brave Girl Rising.”

V I RT UAL LY E MMA Beyond the not-so-simple act of moving classes online, one of the greatest challenges of the spring semester was maintaining a sense of Emma community during our time apart. We kept up our weekly Morning Reports gatherings via Zoom, although with a revised schedule to accommodate global time zones.

Beyond these weekly all-school gatherings, several aspects of Virtually Emma helped the school stay connected.

MAI N TAI N I N G W EL L N ESS I N A PA N D E M I C Whether it’s wearing a mask, maintaining physical distance from friends, or managing your emotions, maintaining physical and mental wellness during a pandemic can be quite a challenge. This year saw students and staff alike stepping up to provide virtual movement classes, including basic strength workouts, yoga, and Zumba. Counseling Services provided weekly mindfulness exercises, which could be done together (virtually) or on your own time. On the MyEmma portal, Emma Moves and Emma Mind, Body, and Soul groups provided a steady stream of resources for staying active and centered.

myEmma

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E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

Liz S. ’22 reads “Goodnight Moon” by Margaret Wise Brown for the “Emma Explains!” YouTube channel.

CO M M UN I T Y E N GAGE M E N T O P P O RT UN I T I E S As the community around Emma Willard began to feel the economic impact of COVID-related closures, we continued to encourage families to be a part of helping others through Community Engagement Opportunities.

Donations to local food banks were encouraged and volunteers were asked to help out at the RISSE Refugee Center.

At the end of April, the community was introduced to “Emma Explains!”— a virtual community engagement opportunity in which Emma community members created brief instructional tutorials for communities and individuals in need of connection, community, and lifted spirits. The result was a YouTube channel populated with videos shared by students to help others learn a new skill or discover a new passion.

S P R I N G S H OWCA S E : Signature and Emma Artists In a normal year, Emma Willard School welcomes grandparents and other family members to come on campus in May to enjoy recitals, view art installations, and hear students present their Signature projects. Since 2020 has been anything but normal, it’s no surprise that the Spring Showcase shifted to a virtual platform. The silver lining is that the Signature projects, artwork, dance performances, and musical exhibitions

FROM THE TR IA NGLE

Left to right: A Covid Quilt: weaving students created drawings that were placed together to create a whole ’woven’ piece while at a distance. Drawings by Isabelle B. ’23, Nicola B. ’22, Katie E. ’22, Neris G. ’23, Anna J. ’21, Magdalena M. ’21, Sofia P. ’22, Sophia P. ’22, Clare R. ’21, Eva S. ’22, Sam Y. ’23, Abby Z. ’22. • Bethany Q. ’21 plays “Horn Concerto No. 1, Allegro”

by Richard Strauss. • Alice D. ’21’s painting “The Closest Stranger” features her grandfather as the main subject.

continue to be live on our website long after the Spring Showcase weekend. Visit emmawillard.org/ spring-showcase to see the amazing work that our students are doing.

DAILY INSPIRAT I O N When Virtually Emma began on April 6, the Emma community was welcomed back from the long spring break with a video message from Head of School Jenny Rao upon logging into MyEmma. These daily pops of inspiration continued throughout the spring semester, with members of the entire community submitting their moments of laughter, learning, and reflection.

Students Melina A. ’22 and Natasha W. ’21 shared their organizational systems for online learning. Barbara Todd’s weaving students shared their drawings for woven creations they didn’t get to make before COVID pushed us all online.

Science and History Instructor John Ball stretched his video-creation muscles to entertain as well as educate. Director of Research and Library Resources Caroline Buinicky (and several others) shared what was growing in their gardens.

These daily connections served as a constant reminder of our strong community bonds, and kept us bonded to one another in new ways.

Above: Visual Arts Instructor Caroline Valites introduces the school community to her cat Rico for one of the inspirational messages on MyEmma. Right: Mathematics and Computer Science Instructor Chiara Shah shares her daffodils with the community.

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Remembering Alice Dodge Wallace ’38 “ In March 2020, the Emma Willard community lost a magnificent alumna and advocate in Alice Dodge Wallace, Class of 1938. Gracious, wise, and devoted to lifelong learning throughout her 100 years, Alice thought deeply about her role as an agent for positive change in the world. Over eight decades, her philanthropy has touched the lives of every member of the Emma Willard community. Last year, it was my great pleasure to sit with Alice in her Colorado home and forge a friendship I will treasure always. Alice’s story is offered here to inspire each of us as we work boldly on behalf of Emma Willard School.” With admiration, Jennifer C. Rao, 17th Head of School Alice’s path to Mount Ida began in the winter of 1935, in the darkest days of the Great Depression, when her father wrote gratefully to esteemed educator and Principal Eliza Kellas, thanking her for the scholarship that had “made it possible for Alice to go to the school of our choice.” The pronoun is telling.

Described as “extremely homesick”

by Miss Kellas, Alice may not have viewed leaving her adored family in Norman, Oklahoma, with the same enthusiasm shown by her father. Nonetheless, she dutifully accepted her parents’ wishes, and embarked on a threeyear career at Emma Willard. She was, overall, an excellent student, even earning an elusive A+ (in room care). By her senior year, Miss Kellas concluded, “Alice is very intelligent and well balanced…a very refined, gentle girl… she is Vassar material.”

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E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

Although Vassar was her mother’s alma mater, Alice headed to her beloved west after graduation, to “O.K. Oklahoma!,” her designation in the 1938 Gargoyle. She went home to Norman and enrolled in the university where her father was a highly respected physics professor and dean. Her Emma Willard training proved to be good preparation.

Margaret Dodge proudly wrote to Eliza Kellas, “Alice is one of twenty members of the junior women’s honor class (out of nearly 500 girls).” A year later, Alice had not only earned a B.A. in French, she also possessed a Phi Beta Kappa key.

Over the years Alice’s gratitude for her Emma Willard education never wavered. As her philanthropic capacity grew, so, too, did her gifts to her alma mater. An early and steadfast donor to the annual fund, she readily responded to reunion appeals and specific capital requests.

While the degree of her philanthropy was awe-inspiring, the principles with which she framed her

gifts were even more compelling.

Economically savvy, Alice had a keen and sophisticated understanding of the role of endowment in insuring the future of the school.

She rallied fellow alumnae, declaring, “We should give the school at least the same amount as was paid for our years there. If every EWS graduate who was able would do this, what an endowment fund we would have.”

In more recent years, she coupled her concern for the endowment with a focus on people. As she wrote in 2003, “I have chosen to give to the people who make up the school.” For students, that meant scholarships. Always mindful of her own scholarship, she explained, “I have thought of scholarship aid more as a loan than a gift… with the receiving of it, I accepted a moral obligation to have the process continue.” In 1995 she established the Avenir Foundation Scholarship Fund for the Daughters of Educators, which has enabled

R E ME MB E R ING

“ Much of Emma Willard’s strength lies in the truly diverse student body, one that is not based entirely on the parents’ ability to pay. I have chosen to give to the people who make up the school.”

ALICE DODGE WALLACE

dozens of outstanding girls to attend Emma Willard. In crafting this fund, Alice melded her belief in giving back with her respect for her parents’ and grandparents’ work as educators and her conviction that “much of Emma Willard’s strength lies in the truly diverse student body, one that is not based entirely on the parents’ ability to pay.”

Not content merely to help educators pay their children’s tuition, Alice Dodge Wallace’s enduring respect for her father and mother inspired her to improve the overall financial position for Emma Willard teachers; she was particularly sensitive to the financial burden educators often shoulder when they devote their talents to teaching rather than more lucrative fields. “A school is no better than its faculty,” she proclaimed in 2003.

Reviewing salary comparisons that showed Emma Willard to be woefully behind competitor schools, she declared, “EWS just should be at the top!” To that end, she led the Avenir Foundation to provide unprecedented endowment support for faculty.

In addition, she created the Homer Levi Dodge Chair in Science and the Margaret Wing Dodge Chair in Literature to ensure the employment of superb professionals in each of these critical disciplines. In 2015, she once again led the Avenir Foundation to enhance endowment for faculty support with a landmark grant, calling attention to the importance of compensating all teachers in a manner that reflects their impact on their students’ lives and their value to society. At the same time, she encouraged the school to establish The Founder’s Circle to recognize and foster philanthropic leadership on an annual basis.

The Tangeman Medal was created by the Board of Trustees to recog-

“ We are ever grateful to Alice for her joyous labor on behalf of Emma Willard School. Her enduring legacy will touch the lives of every student and teacher for generations to come. Semper fidelis.”

SUSAN HUNTER ’68, FORMER CHAIR, EMMA WILLARD SCHOOL BOARD OF TRUSTEES

nize individuals who best exemplify through service to Emma Willard School those qualities of community involvement, dependability, and strength of character that characterized the life of Honorary Trustee Clementine Miller Tangeman, Class of 1923. It was with great pleasure that the Board of Trustees honored Alice Dodge Wallace, Class of 1938, by awarding her The Tangeman Medal in May 2010.

In recommending Alice Dodge to Emma Willard, one of her teachers wrote, “She is never content to leave anything undone or not well done.”

No institution has benefited more from her resolve to do things well than Emma Willard. Intellectual, philanthropist, and sage, Alice Dodge Wallace unstintingly fulfilled her promise to give back to her alma mater. All of her philanthropic endeavors have been beacons for fairness and responsibility.

Alice Dodge Wallace lived Emma Willard School’s mission.

A thoughtful and humble leader, she embraced the habits of an intellectual life throughout her 100 years, believing “much of the world’s future will depend on the efforts of intelligent and capable women.” We celebrate her life and her legacy, which continue to serve and shape the world, and our Emma Willard community, through the great promise of welleducated young women.

Spring 2020

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HEAR OUR VOICES S EAR Y 0 10 20 –20 0 2 19

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E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

VISIONAR Y L E A D E RS H IP THROUGH T H E D E CA DES

100 YEARS 1920–2020

Senators are women and 101 women are serving in the THE ROLE OF WOMEN in American society has 435 seats in the House of Representatives. been evolving since the founding of the United States Looking more globally, while women have made con(U.S.). This 100th anniversary of the passage of the 19th siderable progress in holding political office around the Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a single point in world, the United Nations reports that representation in time, marks momentum toward change. A more recent national parliaments is only 24%. The United Nations and modern lens might ask: suffrage for whom? The also reports that only 52% of married women around passing of the amendment on August 26, 1920, marked the world are allowed to make their own decisions about progress toward inclusion but not yet the attainment. their health care, sexual relations, and contraceptive use.

The ratification was a great victory for suffrage. As many Women in all sectors of government and industry citizens were still left out of this basic democratic right, have made a positive impact on society and yet there’s the anniversary might be considered an engine toward still hard work to be done. Even today, voter suppression change and movement toward equality and political and the quelling of marginalized voices diminishes our power rather than the arrival at a destination. There is society. Empowerment comes through raised voices and still work to be done. Our voting rights are precious to small steps. Emma Hart Willard was one who spoke up our citizenry and worthy of protection; our call toward and worked for change. Her vision and efforts changed equality remains a modern endeavor. the trajectory of girls’ education and led to the foundThe struggle for women’s suffrage officially began in ing of our school. Her vision, put into reality over the Seneca Falls, New York. Troy Female Seminary alumna decades by other leaders and by generations of Emma Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1832) figured prominently at Willard students, now proudly offers a legacy of change the convention and afterwards, yet the history of the and social contribution. women’s suffrage movement in the U.S. is more complex Emma Willard students have taken on their right and not quite so neat and tidy. Containing the words to vote and to speak up. Their empowerment showed “...the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall during World War II when they devoted their time to not be denied or abridged by the United States or by the war effort both on campus and in the service. They any State on account of sex…,” the 19th Amendment were instrumental in establishing the League of Women gave white women the right to vote and was eventually Voters. They have become political leaders themselves. followed by the Indian Citizenship Act of 1924, the Their roles may be small yet pivotal, great and influenCivil Rights Act of 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of tial, short though sustaining. They may be stay-at-home 1965. The important and subsequent Acts worked to moms who serve their communities by raising their remove the legal barriers preventing women of color and voices in volunteer endeavors. They may be activists who indigenious people from voting, but voter suppression in have embodied the mission of serving and shaping the general is still a factor in 2020. Time and the rising value world. They may use their voices by recording stories of of an inclusive society have led to a more honest repreothers. Or they may be pushing Emma Willard School, sentation of the women who fought for women’s rights and places like it, to be better versions of themselves. and the right to vote. Names like Sojourner Truth, Mary The stories that follow are representative of the decades Church Terrell, Ida B. Wells, Nina Otero-Warren, and of Emma empowerment since the 19th Amendment Zitkala-Sa now take their rightful place in the telling of passed. These are just some of the stories of Emma alumthe struggle toward equality. nae, along with a current student, who by raising their The story continues not in gaining the right to vote voices foment change and create societal value. but in demonstrating the power of that vote and of As we mark the 100th anniversary of the 19th raising one’s voice for change. The U.S. Bureau of the Amendment, let’s celebrate the lives and legacies of peoCensus Current Population Reports ple like Shirley Chisholm (an honored speaker at the indicates that since the 1980 Class of 1973 commencement), who U.S. presidential election, and was the first Black woman elected to all subsequent federal elections, IN CE LEBR the U.S. Congress and later the first women have cast the majority of AT I O N Black woman to run for president. ballots. In the 2016 presidential Or Sonia Sotomayor, the first Latina election, 53% of the votes U.S. Supreme Court Justice. Or the were cast by women (Center Notorious RGB, who needs no introfor American Women and duction. Last but not least, let’s celebrate Politics, Eagleton Institute everyday women and girls who stand up, of Politics, Rutgers University). While speak up, and serve and shape their world. not equal to the 51% of the population that women represent, women are also making gains in holding elected positions in the U.S. —SUZ ANNE RO ME RO D E WE Y federal government. Today, 26 of the 100 U.S.

MOME TOWAR NTUM D CHA NGE

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TIMELINE

100 YEARS 1920–2020

Making one’s voice heard through voting has been an elusive right in the United States. From the very first vote (where only 6% of the population—white male land-owners— could vote), the people have struggled to be heard. Women are one of many groups who have pursued suffrage. The following timeline, although not comprehensive, provides a glimpse into the gradual achievement of suffrage and the challenges faced along the way.

1924

The Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 declares all non-citizen Native Americans born in the USA to be citizens with the right to vote. Many states nonetheless make laws and policies prohibiting Native Americans from voting.

1912–1913

Women lead voting rights marches through New York and Washington, DC.

1866 1848

Women’s rights convention held in Seneca Falls, NY. At the conference, 62 women—including Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1832) and Eunice Newton Foote (1838)—and 32 men signed the Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions which called for the equal treatment of men and women under the law, and voting rights for women.

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The American Equal Rights Association was formed “to secure Equal Rights to all American citizens, especially the right of suffrage, irrespective of race, color, or sex.” The organization later divides over disagreements in strategies to gain the vote for women and African Americans.

E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

1919–1920 1869–1870

The U.S. Congress passed, and the States ratified, the 15th Amendment. The right to vote is extended to all male citizens regardless of “race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Jim Crow laws and amendments followed, disenfranchising African American and poor white voters through poll taxes, literacy tests, grandfather clauses, and other restrictions, applied in a discriminatory manner.

Congress adopts, and the states ratify, the 19th Amendment.

The right to vote is now extended to all citizens regardless of gender, though many barriers still prevent many from voting.

1926

While attempting to register to vote in Birmingham, Alabama, a group of African American women are beaten by election officials.

1970–1971 1964

1957

The Civil Rights Act of 1957 authorizes the U.S. Attorney General to file lawsuits on behalf of African Americans denied the right to vote.

The 24th Amendment guarantees that the right to vote in federal elections will not be denied for failure to pay any tax. President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 which outlaws discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.

1965 1960

The Civil Rights Act of 1960 is passed, making collection of state voter records mandatory and authorizes the U.S. Justice Department to investigate and access the voter data and history of all states in order to carry out civil rights litigation.

The U.S. Congress passes and the States ratify the 26th Amendment which extends the right to vote to all citizens age 18 and over.

The amendment is largely a result of Vietnam War protests demanding the voting age be lowered on the premise that people who are old enough to fight are old enough to vote.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is signed into law. This Act prohibits any election practice that denies the right to vote to citizens on the basis of race. It forces jurisdictions with histories of voter discrimination to submit any changes in its election laws to the government for federal approval prior to taking effect.

2002

The Help America Vote Act creates minimal standards of election administration, provides for provisional ballot voting, and sets aside funds to help states improve outdated voter systems.

1993

The National Voter Registration Act makes registration available at the Department of Motor Vehicles and public assistance and disabilities agencies.

2006

The Voting Rights Act is extended for another 25 years.

1990

The passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act ensures that election workers and polling sites provide services designed to ensure that individuals with disabilities can vote.

2006-present Despite decades of work to protect access to voting for all citizens, voter suppression prevents many vulnerable populations from voting: the fight for the vote continues.

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

See That the World Is Moving

The Complex Legacy of Elizabeth Cady Stanton

BY K A IT L IN R ESLER

“ Wipe the dew off your spectacles, and see that the world is moving.”

The Woman’s Bible, E L I Z AB E T H CADY STA N TON

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E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

On August 26, 2020, coinciding with the centennial anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, a bronze statue was unveiled in Central Park. In the park’s 167-year history it is the first to feature three real, historical women: Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, and Troy Female Seminary alumna Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1832).

As a leading activist and intellectual of the 19th century women’s rights movement, Stanton’s unwavering commitment to securing the rights that would establish women as equal and independent citizens alongside men made her an iconic presence in American history. Introducing contemporary readers to Stanton in Elizabeth Cady Stanton: An American Life, Lori D. Ginzberg characterizes her as “to many, a dangerous radical, whose words threatened the stability of marriage, the sanctity of religion, and men’s exclusive control over politics” (3). Stanton changed the rights of citizenship for American women with an important caveat—for women who were most like herself: educated, white, middle class. Her vision, and the rhetorical choices in those early days of the women’s rights movement, set the foundation for both the good and regrettable facets in the feminist movement of our own era.

Born in 1815 in Johnstown, NY, the experiences of her early life certainly set the tone for her activism: biographers consistently describe a staunch, determined child and adolescent. Though excluded from attending Union College, she benefited from changes in girls’ education that were popular during the earlier part of the

century and attended the Troy Female Seminary, now our own Emma Willard School (in her Reminiscences, she dismisses her years at school as ‘fashionable,’ despite the quality of the education, even as she writes with admiration of Madame Willard herself ). The Declaration of Sentiments, penned for the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, shows off her sharp intellect and linguistic boldness. Her text mirrors the language of the Declaration of Independence, a move that underscores the unquestionable tradition of rights owed to both women and men.

The document contains a resolution that speaks directly to “the duty of the women of this country to secure to themselves their sacred right to the elective franchise.” Not permitted to vote, she declared herself a candidate for Congress in 1866 (the first woman to do so) against both the Democatic and Republican candidates. She received 24 votes.

Suffrage was not the singular goal of the convention, or of Stanton, who denounced the many ways she was disenfranchised: from owning or purchasing property, signing a contract, serving on a jury, and the overall rarity of a woman able to live without reliance on a man (father, brother, husband). However, acquiring the vote became the defining feature around which the early women’s movement coalesced and where the eventual schism began. The difference in how the right to vote was viewed

by Stanton versus by Black suffragists illuminates the profound way in which race, class, and life experience shaped her priorities when it came to the fight for equal rights. For Stanton

the vote was a symbol of true citizenry illustrating that, as written in the Declaration of Sentiments, “men and women are created equal.” For formerly enslaved people however, suffrage was an urgently needed tool that could empower Black communities in the face of the violence they experienced during reconstruction (all of which continues far beyond that era, but the immediate protection the vote could provide was particularly important in the discourse surrounding suffrage at the time).

The divide in the suffrage movement grows out of Stanton’s rejection of the 15th Amendment. She had been an ardent supporter of the abolitionist movement, but her priorities were singular when it came to women’s suffrage. “Asked straight out whether she were ‘willing to have the colored man enfranchised before the woman,’ she answered ‘no; I would not trust him with all my rights: degraded, oppressed himself, he would be more despotic with the governing power than even our Saxon rulers are’” (Ginzberg, 122).

The harm of those words, choosing to appeal to an unquestionable racism towards Black men (the full text includes a slur, and her posture towards Black women is dismissive when not actively offensive), set the early women’s rights movement on a course towards a feminism based on race, class, and respectability centered on the white woman’s experience above all others. In 1869, two competing organizations emerged: the National Women’s Suffrage Association (formed by Stanton and Susan B. Anthony, alongside others) and the American Woman Suffrage Association (joined by Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, and other abolitionists).

How does an institution like Emma Willard School celebrate the legacy of one who, even as she dedicated her life to gender equality, so unflinchingly excluded Black women from her vision? Tomisin Akinyemi ’16, is one of many alumnae grappling with this difference. “It’s

difficult, and certainly something to struggle with,” she says of the dissonance between aligning oneself “with feminist ideals that find their roots and history in someone that would not support me.”

That questioning and acknowledgment of disconnect, Akinyemi says, is key to growth. We have to “see people as not just good or bad, and not place them on pedestals.

That allows you to push forward,” adding that confronting this difficult history is one way to help prevent it from being repeated. It is a history that, she observes, hasn’t been fully grappled with until more recently. A foray into the school archives unearths various publications on Elizabeth Cady Stanton as an alumna, but most of them don’t engage with the threads of her story that fail to align with the mythology of one who advocated for all.

Investigating the decisions of one of the founders of the women’s movement allows us to ask questions as we shape our own activism: What compromises are worth the achievement of a more immediate goal? How do race, class, and gender influence the leaders of a movement? Emma Willard School’s recent undertaking to set the institution

on a more equitable course through Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) and antiracism initiatives requires an in-depth examination of our history to foster real growth and transformation.

To bolster that systemic change, there must be action beyond professing awareness of the faults found in an individual or institution.

That act alone does not take away the power exerted over the historically vulnerable. Awareness alone does not absolve. The work—to use a vague, but popular, phrase—is much harder, continuing, and will involve not only the acknowledgement of racist words and behaviors, but tangible actions and choices to make true equality a possibility. As a radically outspoken woman driven by her own sense of worth and a commitment to her larger ideals, her contributions seen as pivotal though not inclusive, Stanton challenged the country to think of women’s rights in a new way and became an inspiration for generations of activists to continue in fighting for the rights of all.

The Declaration of Sentiments was considered the “grand movement for attaining the civil, social, political, and religious rights of women.”

The Declaration of Sentiments was signed by another Troy Female Seminary alumna: Eunice Newton Foote (1838). A member of the editorial committee for the 1848 Seneca Falls Convention, she was one of the five women who prepared the text detailing the event for publication, though her contributions extend beyond her presence at that important meeting.

In 1856, her paper Circumstances affecting the Heat of the Sun’s Rays reported the results of her elegant experiment on the influence of the sun’s rays on different gasses: a cylinder filled with moist air and carbon dioxide became warmer than one with dry, regular air and also took more time to cool. “An atmosphere of that gas would give to our earth a high temperature,” she wrote, theorizing that changes in carbon dioxide could affect the Earth’s temperature.

The experiment focused on the visible spectrum, and later scientists would go on to use technology that allowed them to measure the infrared spectrum (producing a more accurate reading of exactly how this warming would happen). Their research never referenced Foote; most likely, they had not even come across her work. Although she is finally being recognized for her theory in recent years, the omission of her contribution underscores the work across generations of women that is overlooked and lost. As the first person to note her observations that higher carbon dioxide levels contribute to a warmer planet, Eunice Newton Foote’s experiments in climate science links her to recent alumnae, and current students, working and advocating in climate activism at Emma Willard School.

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

L E A G U E

O F

W O M E N

V O T E R S

When Women Organize By the time the 19th Amendment passed in 1920, women in the United States were wellorganized around issues of suffrage. In the years leading up to the 19th Amendment vote, suffragist leaders began to realize that “the vote alone would not be enough to advance the rights and interests of women.” In 1919, New York State founded its League of Women Voters, and soon after, in 1920, the national League of Women Voters was born with the goal of helping America’s newest voters exercise this great responsibility.

↗ To learn more about the League of Women Voters, visit lwv.org.

Over 100 years after Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1832) and Eunice Newton Foote (1838) signed the Declaration of Sentiments in Seneca Falls, Emma Willard School graduates were still highly motivated to take on this new challenge of winning and exercising the vote. Eunice Burton Armstrong (1904) was a founding member of the Carrie Chapman Catt Organization, which later became part of the League of Women Voters, and many Emma Willard alumnae followed in her footsteps.

This grassroots movement was one way that women (who were often at home in the early years) could

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E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

be a part of educating and influencing others to become politically active. Rachel Goodstein ’70, a life-long activist whose mother first took her to a League meeting when she was in 3rd grade, recalls that women were passionate about their civic responsibilities. “Going back to the 50s and 60s,” she shares, “many women ended up not having jobs commensurate with their abilities. They turned their focus to this kind of work—volunteer, political, civic work—and took it very seriously.”

Involvement in the League of Women Voters was, for many, the predecessor to holding office.

Elizabeth Taintor Shepard (1919), who listed the League among her volunteer activities, would go on to serve as a State Representative in Connecticut.

Martha Maynard McKeehan (1922) also served as president of the Connecticut League of Women Voters prior to her election to the Connecticut General Assembly. Over the years, dozens of Emma Willard School alumnae have reported on their connections to their local Leagues, from Alaska to Colorado to Michigan to New York. Some, like Frances Hart Snelham ’34, even held national office.

The League of Women Voters remains a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, works to increase understanding of major policy issues, and influences public policy

NATIO NAL PHOTO COMPANY COLLECTION, LI BRARY OF CONGRESS

BY M E L ISSIA M A SON

← National League of Women Voters, September 17, 1924. ↓Laura Ladd Bierman heads up the League of Women Voters of New York State. New York’s League was founded even before the national League.

through education and advocacy.

The membership of each chapter decides on its own issues to support and promote. “Women are more politically engaged than ever before,” says Laura Ladd Bierman, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New York State. “An individual woman is a powerful force, but a group of women working together toward a common goal can change the course of history. This was as true in 1920 as it is today with the League of Women Voters.”

Rachel—who is still a member of her local League of Northeast Michigan and has recently become chair of the Democratic Party of Presque Isle County, Michigan— says that League involvement helped shape her life-long activism.

“What I like about the League is that it’s non-partisan, highminded, and focused on civic

education,” Rachel explains.

“They really study the issues so they can help other people understand them.”

Today, women as young as age 16 can join the League, even before they themselves can vote.

“It’s something young women should think to do,” Rachel shares, “because it’s one way that they can influence the conversation and is a stepping stone to a lifetime of civic engagement.”

—(special thanks to Kate Jankowski)

“ An individual woman is a powerful force, but a group of women working together toward a common goal can change the course of history.

This was as true in 1920 as it is today with the League of Women Voters.”

L AU RA L A DD B I ERM A N, executive director of the League of Women Voters of New York State.

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We can do it!

100 YEARS 1920–2020 ↑ “We Can Do It!” is an American World War II wartime poster produced by J. Howard Miller in 1943 for Westinghouse Electric as an inspirational image to boost female worker morale.

16

1940s The 1940s at Emma Willard School saw the students doing their part to support the war effort. With the student-led War Relief Council direction “to give until it hurts and do as much as we can in welfare work to help,” students, faculty, and alumnae contributed to serve their world in various ways from Mount Ida and beyond.

WAR PROJECTS “ As their contribution to the war effort, students volunteer to take first aid and home nursing courses. . . . The students are generous purchasers of war bonds and stamps, and the school contributes to the Allied Communities War chest.

Bandages are rolled up and scrap is collected.”

Emma Willard School Bulletin June, 1943

THE CLO CK

Volume I, No. 4

War Relief Begins Tonight

Left: Students and members of the faculty frequently sponsored “Victory Bazaar,” war-drama plays, carnival roller-skating programs, and art-show events to raise funds. Pictured are students at an Armistice Day War Stamp drive at Emma Willard School. Right: Betty Cloke Curtiss ’49 shown weaving a scarf to be sold at a Victory Bazaar on November 28, 1942 for the benefit of the USO.

S.S. EMMA WILLARD Named for our founder, the Liberty ship S.S. Emma Willard launched April 5, 1943 from Portland, ME. Anne Hazelwood Brady ’43, President of the student government, christened the ship at the launch. According to The Clock from Dec. 6, 1946 the vessel was “the first schoolsponsored ship to slip into the water” and was to serve as a cargo ship to British and American troops. → Several Emma Willard School students attended the launch, and 16 students were also present (along with a cadre of gifts purchased with a dormitory collection for the crew) following a refitting in March 1944, when the ship was to be used for troop transport. The ship was decommissioned in 1946 and used commercially until 1968. A mural of the ship, by Ruth Harvie ’45, is numbered among the Slocum basement murals. →

E M M A WI L L AR D SC HO O L

WAR RELIEF

EMMA WILLARD

SCHOOL, TROY, N. Y.

“ Did you notice the display of 3 comforters, 6 dresses, 12 sweaters, 20 pairs of socks, and many afghans in the War Relief Exhibition in Kellas Hall two weeks ago? Everything there, except a few squares, was made by the faculty. Let’s top their good record. To do it, we will have to take more serious interest in our war relief knitting.”

The Clock, February 22, 1946

October 12, 1945

What will Miss Harris mean to little the coming winter To Give Recital girls our own children, boys and age, and grown-ups Miss Donna in the liberated , Harris, a new countries of ber of the Emma mem­ rope? They Eu­ face the bitter AVillard Music Department without clothing cold and a graduate to keep Oberlin College, warm or food will entertain of to keep them them faculty and starvation. the from students in recital Saturday a piano Our War Relief 13. Her program evening, October Council gives you the opportuni will be as follows: Fantasie and abundance with ty to share your Fugue in Tonight our these unfortunates. ........................... G minor Bach-Liszt Intermezzo, Op. gin six projects:relief work will be­ Behind him lay the gray La Soiree dans 117 No. 2 Brahms Azores, 1. The Yugoslavs Behind the Gates Grenade Dehussy of Hercules; The Fountain and French Before him have already of the Cecqua not the ghost Paola ers, socks and sent yarn for sweat­ of shores. ..................

Before him only caps. shoreless seas.

Variations and ......................GoiJJes 2. An urgent Fugue on a Red Cross appeal —Joaquin Miller theme by Handel.... requests hundreds .... Brahms afghans for w'oundedof squares for Navy J.G. Describ veterans.

3. We are Turning the es Clock Back clothes from asked to make baby Typhoon on Okinaw Miss Dunn’s a the Yugoslavsmaterial furnished by organ music .

Mon­ Dearest Betty, September 18, 1945 day morning was just the 4. Local hospitals start the week thing to depend upon Probably you us for a minimum right.

Washingto read of 500 bandages typhoon a week. that hit Okinawaabout the After Mr. n, here we come! weekend. I was this Noble’s inspiring 5. In the craft in it, and whatpast on leadership, talk shoj) menu experience will be made we an will for Christmas cards weather ! According to be the next expect one of us for the Navy; the dinner predictions the China has a President. storm w'as shoes made from for the French, to pass about firm ally felt hats. away, but it one hundred miles ica since we heard Dr. in Amer­ 6. A class in changed course Thursday’s chapel.

Hsieh in be taught by Home Nursing will passed directly and ing After discover­ Mrs. across that Tuck. the there In details of our island. every preparation (Further are three sides for the year’s program to appear in a will loose gear was battened blow all be so question, perhaps we won’t later issue.) cocksure. down, un­ necessary equipment Friday found removed from topside, extra “March of Time” food stowed sonal inventory. us taking a per­ so that the crew forward Miss Lott Film To Be Shown impossible for could eat if it was nail on the head when she hit the Oct. ed them suggest­ that 12 to we go the galley, and look aft to those The first life jackets critical eyes. homeward with “March of of a series of eight broken out. were Time” films The tea house Early Sunday presented in will Friday morning be to go we were ordered ing its face lifted. is certainly hav­ sembly. Appropria to sea The as­ te to Columbus but before to ride out the typhoon, wonderful, committee juke box is Day, the first . Gee, kids, we reached just film will show of daily activities shots entrance, the storm the harbor home!like the corner drug back in the various couldn’t see broke. AVe government bureaus in Washing­ Speaking of cause the rainwhere we were be­ ton. During the new and ferent, what dif­ do readjustment this period of social winds blew up was so heavy. The Cl o c k ? Almost you think of Th e than ordinary this film has more hour velocity, to 120 miles an Thanks again, professional, eh?

American citizen.interest for every tossed around and the ship was Mrs. We anchored like a match stick. for “The Keys of the Thompson, best. Then there hoping for the How did you know weKingdom.”

Book Sale in a all love came steaming huge supply ship Gregoiy Peck?

E. W. Library we knew what along, and before wind blew it had happened, the reefs, and many men were

By John Mistletoe crushing it in right into our bow, the side. Everyone sighed lost over Bookshop Thursday, October tunately thereabout two feet. For­ of relief when the winds a prayer 18 abated and 8:00 A. M. to sea Monday holes. All that were no serious 6:00 P. M. Select books day and night I must break afternoon. rode off now. Drop we a line Christmas. All and cards now for ships out the storm while me or two if purchases must other were paid in cash. be eral S.C.’s sending out S.O.S. Sev­ chance. I’d love to you have the hear from you. broke up, a Y.M.S. several ships Lots of love. were blown up sank, on the D (Betty Mead’s i m brother)

ON THE HOMEFRONT

↑ “Under the guidance of the War Council the school has emphasized war work as one of the main interests this year. The campus groups have continued in bandage rolling, home nursing, making scrapbooks, knitting and sewing, and the making of toys for children and articles for service men. . . . Also, clothing was collected for war relief, and Christmas boxes were sent to injured soldiers in hospitals. . . . We participated successfully in the War Fund and Red Cross drives and for the first time the school earned the privilege of displaying the Minute Man banner.” (Gargoyle, 1945)

↑ The 1944–1945 War Council as photographed for the yearbook. First row: Katherine Van Der Werken French ’47, Nancy Kahn Ryan ’48, P. Stansbie ’48 Second row: Virginia Calhoun Frost ’46, Charlotte Cherry Nelson ’45, Carol “Dedee” W. DeMond Downs ’45, Christjane “Kiki” Thom Goodwin ’46, Anne Summers Siesfeld ’45, Jeanne Dubois-Schwarz Merrow ’45, J. Smith Third row: Miss Bisbee, Miss Wilson

“[The Sophomore] class project this year was a program to promote the sale of war bonds. It was a presentation of living posters, under the direction of Kiki Thom.” (Gargoyle, 1944) This “Back the Attack” program featured living posters such as this one, at right, titled “Army Nurse” featuring Elisabeth “Betty” Evans Anderson ’46 and Virginia “Fitzie” Fitzgerald Walker ’46. Admission to the presentation was by War Stamps, and the proceeds were added to the schools “Jeep Fund.” →

Graduates in the Service

↑ The series of murals throughout the walls of the basement in Slocum was a wartime project: “There was gas rationing, so we weren’t allowed to travel too far from the school. One break we stayed, and the art teacher decided we should have something to do,” said Marion Frazer Garland ’45 in a 2003 Bulletin. A reference to the war years is also found in a mural by Mary Bresford Matthews ’45, depicting a history book open to a list that finishes with World War II.

Many Emma Willard School graduates served during WWII. The October 1944 Bulletin noted that “of the fifty recorded as actively in the service themselves, sixteen are WAVES, seven are WACS, and a dozen are with The Red Cross overseas.” Three are also identified in that same issue as being members of the Marines, three in both the Army Nurse Corps and Cadet Nurse Corps, and many other appointments.

This Press Association photograph shows Harriet Bensen ’30 (center) and Nancy Kimberly ’38 (left) on active Red Cross duty in Italy. → Inset circle: Joan English ’40, one of the representatives from Emma Willard school in the Marines.

↑ Clementine Miller Tangeman ’23 serves as a Red Cross worker in Italy, taking dictation from a wounded soldier writing a letter. The photo appeared in The New York Times Magazine for February 27, 1944.

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“What better way to spend time in the social justice realm than hanging out with prisoners?”

18

1950s GOOD TROUBLE

BY B R ID GET M CGIV ER N

Christina Bellamy’s life as an activist started early—in the third grade. Classmates were quick to encourage her to speak up. “I was raised in enormous privilege, as many of us at Emma were. I could see that there were people around us who had a fraction of what we were blessed with. It hit me pretty early that that inequity was wrong, and I set out to do something about it. In third grade, the other kids would say, ‘You go to the principal, you’re not afraid of her!’” And so Christina began her career of being ‘in trouble.’

At the Class of ’59’s 50th reunion, longtime EWS music director Mr. Russell Locke, who “squeezed the very best of anything musical out of all of us,” was present. “He shuffled slowly over, interrupted the conversation, pointed at me with his arthritic finger, and asked, ‘Hey, 2nd Alto, are you still getting into trouble?’” Christina admitted that she is, but says, “Now I do ‘good trouble,’ as [Rep.] John Lewis encouraged us to do!” “[Back then] I realized, if I was grounded I couldn’t do anything positive while stuck in my room for two weeks. One of the ways I’ve grown up as an activist is [I’ve learned] to not get caught in the crossfire. I’ve learned how to protest without going to jail. I’m more

E M M A WI L L AR D SC HO O L

effective now, in my small little frog-pond way.”

Christina credits Emma Willard School with developing her alreadybudding sense of community responsibility by offering her the opportunity to volunteer with young girls at Vanderheyden Hall, then an orphanage near campus. “Over and over again, we were told: you are privileged, and you need to give back. I took that very seriously. I knew they were telling the truth. For me it was already in there, but the repetition at school anchored for me the importance of giving back some of what we were so freely given.”

In her early twenties, as a young mother, Christina crossed the line between racially segregated neighborhoods near Cleveland, Ohio,

to volunteer in a Title I elementary school adjacent to a Federal Housing Authority project. The students needed tutoring, and although Christina felt underqualified, she quickly discovered she could meet one of the most urgent needs: listening to what students asked for.

A student needed help with spelling words, but really craved a trusted adult to help her process that there had been another shooting death in her neighborhood. Bellamy took dictation from the young student and what emerged was a poem with the line: The sidewalk was red again last night.

“This very young student had poetry in her heart—she couldn’t read or spell very well yet, but the kids would tell me what they needed. For me it was amazing.

That volunteer stuff feeds us! I went to prison even though I was working full time and had a huge family, because if I didn’t do something outside of all that, I would feel constricted.”

Christina also believes everyone needs mentorship—people in our lives that can support and guide us. Learning from others and the ability to set appropriate boundaries have been key to doing this important work without burning out.

“I felt called, pulled, invited, appreciated; one project always led me to another.”

Christina began working in prison reform after moving to Florida. “What better way to spend time in the social justice realm than hanging out with prisoners?

In many cases they are unjustly incarcerated, or their sentence does not match what they did at all. For 18 years I volunteered two to three days per month in the largest federal correctional facility in America, which is FCC (Federal Correctional Complex) Coleman.”

Working and training peer facilitators through the Alternatives to Violence Project (AVP) has given Christina front-line experience surrounding the issue of voting rights.

100 YEARS 1920–2020 ← Four generations: Christina Bellamy ’59, with her daughter, granddaughter, and week old greatgranddaughter, Bellamy, in June 2020.

“In Florida we voters passed an amendment that restored voting rights for released felons. It was an all-out effort for a huge cadre, including a couple of million previously incarcerated people.”

It passed, but the Governor has mandated that any fines or penalties owed to the state must be paid before registering to vote, resulting in a “poll tax” of sorts that many people are not able to pay.

Christina notes that voter suppression in some areas of our nation is “no better than the 1920s” because people must wait in long lines, and barriers to fair voting for immigrants and citizens in urban areas are numerous. “It’s hard not to see racial injustice at work when some communities are represented and others are not. I take my right to vote extremely seriously. I belong to a spiritual community, the Unitarian Universalist Society, and they have collaborated with the NAACP, League of Women Voters, and other local groups to get people registered. For the first time, I’m starting to feel positive.”

AVP’s prison program was suspended in March due to safety concerns with the COVID-19 pandemic. Christina is not sure when, or if, it will be safe to return: “I miss those people deeply, but I

can’t get sick either.” The residents of Coleman experienced the highest incidence of COVID-19 in the country for weeks in August.

At Emma, Christina was a hardworking student. In retrospect, she thinks she may have had an undiagnosed learning difference. “I had to work twice as hard.” An intense athletic competitor, and member of five musical groups thanks to feeling accepted and respected by Mr. Locke, she became Vice President and then President of her class.

Christina is remembered most infamously as the organizer of a surprise “all talents show” that happened (very much against regulation) during evening study hall time, and involved every single student. Far from being supportive of such shenanigans, the headmistresses told Christina that she wouldn’t know if she was allowed to graduate until she unrolled her diploma at graduation!

Christina attended college as an adult learner, while parenting and continuing her avid volunteer vocation. She earned an advanced degree in psychology and became a psychotherapist, trainer, and successful small business owner. Now that she is retired, she is sometimes known as “Composting Christina” because she has “a lifelong appreciation for what compost really is: literally

nourishing, transformational, diverse, inclusive, mysterious, and for me, a spiritual practice. Plus, it is FREE! And a lot of good work.”

Christina has some suggestions for current and future activists: “Know yourself first. Don’t immediately go to Rabbi Google asking ‘Where’s the nearest volunteer project?’ They need to know who they are first. What kind of activities and experiences feed you? What kind of people do you care about? What do you dream about before you go to sleep—not goals, but do you think about refugee women in your town, do you wonder what their life is about?

What inside you feels like a refugee, even though you haven’t had that experience? Is there a place in your belief system, or social activity, or interactions with people where you feel marginalized, unheard? What are those places inside you? Start there, and if it takes a little time, it’s okay. If you don’t do that, you’re going to be pulled in by something that has nothing to do with you, and it’s probably not going to light your fire. It might, you might get lucky, but why not look at the fire within you first? Go from the inside out. In the therapy world we call this the internal locus of control— knowing what my internal compass is telling me.”

emmawillard.org

↗ To learn more about the Alternatives to Violence Project, visit avpusa.org.

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1950S Jane and Head of School Jenny Rao at Jane’s induction to the National Women’s Hall of Fame ↓

USING INFLUENCE FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE

BY B R ID G ET M CGIV ER N

Jane Fonda ’55 began her career as an activist having already found success as a model, a stage actress, and then an acclaimed movie and television actress.

In the mid-1970s Jane faced criticism from Hollywood’s casting directors as production companies responded to her outspoken opposition to the Vietnam War. She found a different way to leverage her star power to bring attention to the important issues she was interested in, refusing projects that didn’t seem weighty or relevant. By portraying sex workers or people with drug addictions, Jane brought her considerable talents to bear on some of the crises of the day.

In her autobiography, Jane suggests her social justice activism can be traced to an event shortly after she began performing in the controversial FTA (Free the Army) tour with Fred Gardner and Donald Sutherland. FTA was an antiwar response to Bob Hope’s USO shows with the goal of changing the hearts of soldiers headed to Vietnam.

While giving a speech about GI rights, Jane was confronted by Beat poet Gregory Corso, who asked why she hadn’t addressed the breaking news: Four students at Kent State had been killed by Ohio National Guard.

The students had been protesting the US escalation of the Vietnam War via

encroachment into neutral Cambodia, as well as increased National Guard presence on their campus.

Although Jane did not respond in the moment, it served as a catalyst for her to join a protest later that day, and also inspired her to work closely with Vietnam Veterans Against the War and ultimately, to visit Hanoi, in stark criticism of US military policies. At the time, this was controversial and her actions led to scrutiny by the federal government, including a drug offense when pills that turned out to be vitamins were found in her luggage. Her personal correspondence and communications were monitored by the NSA. Nevertheless, Jane persisted, continuing to speak out against civilian casualties.

In 1995, when Georgia had the highest teen birth rate in the nation, Jane founded GCAPP, then known as the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention. In 2012, GCAPP changed its name to the Georgia Campaign for Adolescent Power & Potential, expanding its mission beyond teen pregnancy prevention to include other teen empowerment and wellness issues.

In 2005, with Robin Morgan and Gloria Steinam, Jane co-founded the Women’s Media Center, “a progressive, nonpartisan, nonprofit organization working to raise the visibility, viability and decision-making power of women and girls in media.”

In 2016, Jane appeared in a powerful video from the Human Rights Campaign honoring the victims of the Pulse nightclub shooting, demonstrating her commitment to LGBTQ+ rights.

In 2019, Jane was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame in Seneca Falls.

Frustrated by the lack of sweeping political response to the climate crisis and inspired by student activists like Greta Thunberg, Jane moved to Washington D.C. to lead weekly protests on Capitol Hill. In October 2019, she (in cooperation with Greenpeace USA’s Annie Leonard) instituted Fire Drill Fridays, encouraging people to use their privilege to bring attention to this crisis through their arrest for civil disobedience. Fonda has been joined by Hollywood costars, friends, and even Emma Willard School alumnae in drawing attention to the need for systemic reform to counteract climate change.

Fire Drill Fridays continue with weekly virtual programming in light of the pandemic.

In her video remarks for Emma Willard School’s 206th Commencement in May 2020, Fonda stressed the urgency of action to halt climate change and strongly encouraged young alumnae to get involved.

In September 2020, NY Times columnist Maureen Dowd’s headline described Jane as “An Intergalactic Eco-Warrior in a Red Coat.” The interview coincided with the release of Jane’s latest book, What Can I Do? My Path From Climate Despair to Action, which stresses the importance of placing her body on the line in defense of our fragile environment at this crucial time. Scientists have reported the highest-ever concentrations of environmental greenhouse gases, and climate change authorities have stated baldly that the window for human intervention is closing. For Jane, this has meant many arrests for civil disobedience or protesting in front of the White House in an effort to bring awareness to what she calls the “looming disaster of climate change.” One hundred percent of the author proceeds from the book go to Greenpeace USA.

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E M M A WI L L AR D SC HO O L

100 YEARS 1920–2020

1960s Forging the Way

BY J U L IE C L A N CY

The 1960s were a decade of change and movement in the United States. Civil rights held necessary space at the forefront alongside the vital role of women in every aspect of life—family, career, activism, and influence. As our Emma Willard School students graduated, these shifts and their Emma experience shaped their paths and those of future generations. We caught up with three such alumnae—Tonnie Katz ’62, Jane Wales ’66, Franciena King ’68—to learn from their life experiences.

Tonnie Katz ’62 THE TRUTH-TELLER

In mid-September—while fires raged across California, while the pandemic continued to ease and swell, while the presidential election loomed large, and while movement toward justice and equality continued to be unmistakable—Tonnie Katz ’62, a lifelong journalist, took time out to share her life’s work.

When you think about someone working her way through a male-dominated field, throwing elbows, and insisting on her capability and place, think of Tonnie.

It was a natural outflow of her upbringing. Tonnie’s mother and father set an unforgettable ritual of buying every print newspaper they could in town, and then set about reading each paper “stem to stern” through the week. Tonnie’s father came home from work each night and dinner was not served until he read the paper and completed the crossword. Her father daydreamed of being a journalist, though it was Tonnie who felt the path was hers. She could imagine no better career and no better work. So, she got after it.

Growing up, Tonnie worked at the local paper as a copy boy (there were no copy girls). Imagine this: Tonnie worked with all men and ran proofed pages from editor to editor, so that the presses could be corrected in real time with each new edit. Corrections had to be made on paper which was cast into a bucket and raised to editors sitting high overhead on a platform.

These men would correct for final copy to then be sent down to the men changing the iron slugs which formed the iron sentences that were tightened into a picture-

frame-like form for the paper and presses to then run over. There was boiling lead, there was shouting, there was a process, and Tonnie was hooked.

It was Miss Prescott, at Emma Willard School, who “changed my life,” Tonnie shared. Miss Prescott was unfailingly supportive of Tonnie’s dream to be a journalist and it was through that support and extra bout of confidence that Tonnie went on to Barnard and Columbia Journalism School. It was also during that time that she worked at a number of papers, moving her way out of the copy boy role to writing about weddings for the “women’s pages” to writing the column centered on the “man on the street question of the day.” It was this last posting that showed Tonnie the power of community connection, that the paper was a unifier for the community, that people looked forward to seeing who would be asked the question, and that people looked toward that paper as the source for information. The paper held responsibility and purpose in its ability to inform and connect.

As Tonnie moved on to different papers, she landed her dream job, working for The Boston Herald, serving as both a political reporter and metro editor. It was admittedly hard, being one of only a handful of women in the newspaper industry, and even harder, as she was in charge of a motley band of men. Still, Tonnie was driven by her passion, by the work, and by the powerful effects of authoritative reporting. She was meeting people, telling their stories, all while remaining “of the people.” Tonnie stated that being of the community in which you write offers a different perspective (arguably fuller and with some shorthand) than for a reporter who

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100 YEARS 1920–2020 When you think about someone working her way through a maledominated field, throwing elbows, and insisting on her capability and place, think of Tonnie. ↓

simply “parachutes in” to cover an event, an experience, or a person.

Regarding the role of media in today’s world and how it’s changed, Tonnie, ever frank, reflected that much of the media has transformed into entertainment media due to two changes: the birth of the 24-hour news cycle—both relentless and lacking discernment of content to fill its hours—and a shift to entertain rather than strictly inform. Talking heads came into being and opinion shows came to hold as much presence and command as much funding as objective news reporting.

Tonnie goes further to say that the majority of people can’t tell the difference between news, propaganda, and advertising. It all seems to present the same.

What’s more, there is so much information demanding attention every minute of every day. It’s overwhelming. And, Tonnie says, there is a way to cut through, in teaching media literacy so that students can grow

We must insist on better questions, on greater transparency, on clear labeling of the information that comes our way. “We can look to the people who have been in the thick of this work to help us find our way forward.”

Retirement does not mean loss of knowledge; it does mean more opportunity to connect to community.

Tonnie is ready for more. into adults who can discern between fact and fiction, between authoritative reporting and opinion, and between truth and swaying. Tonnie highlights the impressive and necessary work of Howie Schneider (Tonnie’s friend and classmate from Columbia), who is currently the Executive Director of Stony Brook University’s School of Journalism's Center for News Literacy. There is essentialism in this work and in bringing this education to schools around the United States, including Emma.

Tonnie also recognizes the role of social media as a mechanism that CAN inform, protect, and inspire. In thinking about its most immediate impact, social media has helped people learn more about registering to vote, where to vote, and why their vote matters. Social media can also inflame, insult, and influence. As consumers of information and utilizers of various platforms, we are charged with answering the “how” and the “why” of our own practices. We must insist on better questions, on greater transparency, on clear labeling of the information that comes our way. Tonnie adds, “We can look to the people who have been in the thick of this work to help us find our way forward.” Retirement does not mean loss of knowledge; it does mean more opportunity to connect to community. Tonnie is ready for more.

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Jane wales ’66 THE DECISION-MAKER

Jane Wales ’66 is very nearly peerless. Her years since graduating brim with work that put diversity of thought and the teasing out of complex problems at the heart of everything she did and continues to do. Jane served the Carter administration as Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, and the Clinton administration as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director of the National Security Council. Jane led multiple philanthropic organizations, founded the Global Philanthropy Forum, and is now Vice President of the Aspen Institute and Executive Director of its Program on Philanthropy and Social Innovation (PSI). And, she just got a new puppy a few weeks ago.

An intentionally-open conversation with Jane gave margin for story-telling, reminiscing, and future-planning. How did Jane chart the course of her life’s work?

How do values and voting determine our citizenry, and the collective work we have ahead?

Jane chuckles as she recalls that she accepted positions that fed her curiosity, spoke to her values, and advanced her learning. Better yet, they allowed her to make a contribution. While she would love to claim that she had been strategic in charting a career path, it only looks that way in retrospect. This decisive value system was hers from the start, something born out of the classroom at Emma. Jane reminisced about her philosophy class, taught by Ms. Harriet Taylor, and the limitless discussion that would take place inside and outside the classroom. The class insisted on more, and Ms. Taylor insisted on more: more excavation, more thought, more consideration, more communication.

It made Jane’s heart sing to be challenged in this way.

Jane’s learning at Emma was about coming to love the very process of learning—that the process held the truest joy and that it was in every day of life after Emma. Her life, she believes, is one cultivated of constant learning, rooted in a very clear decision-making process: Does the work resonate with personal values?

Will I learn more? Will I become more effective by doing this work? Am I to be a better family member and friend because of the process? And with those four guideposts firmly in place, Jane held the clarity needed to follow an unclear and deeply fulfilling trajectory.

As for the role models she has had in her life since Ms. Taylor at Emma, there’s Archbishop Desmond Tutu, who Jane worked with and described as someone who “leads and lives with heart, a truly generous leader.” The Archbishop is so firmly grounded in his approach that it was he who inspired and worked with Nelson Mandela so he could become a generous, peaceful leader, effecting South Africa’s transition from apartheid. There is also former President Bill Clinton, who absorbs information like a sponge and has an intensely active left-and-right-brain approach to life and work.

Jane notes the effectiveness of his ability to lean on the information gleaned from his emotional intelligence as well as his own reading, research, and conversations.

The two strengths make for their own kind of compelling leadership. His world view was both clear and deeply informed.

When asked about the heart and purpose of voting, historically and currently, Jane confirmed that voting is a way to signal both your value and your values. It’s also a necessary function of governance and role of the citizenry, with governance being the responsibility of all of us. In its fullest expression, it’s what we do together.

“Each vote,” Jane shared, “delivers power to the collective action of voting and the aggregate is what becomes determinative. Social change depends on the proper

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← Jane believes it is not enough to do no harm; we must also be sure our efforts improve lives.

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

Jane knows well that shifts don’t happen in one bang; rather it is through insistence and deliberate, exhausting, and relentless work that societies advance. accessibility and functions of democracy. As citizens, we vote to ensure our own democracy.”

Jane has the great gift of the long view. Having worked all her life to weave the conceptual with the practical, she knows well that shifts don’t happen in one bang; rather it is through insistence and deliberate, exhausting, and relentless work that societies advance.

We are very much at a point of reckoning with a very clear need to build ourselves back in a way that delivers better. Social and physical infrastructure must be resilient, dependable, and adaptable. Institutions, processes, technologies, and security measures need to be nimble enough to respond rapidly and effectively. We learn through the experience itself to do better. And with that privilege, Jane believes, it is not enough to do no harm; we must also be sure our efforts improve lives.

The answers for Jane, along with the joy, are always found in the process of doing.

Franciena King ’68 THE PACE-SETTER

Franciena King ’68 is in good company. Her daughter, Makini King ’99, and niece, Camilah White ’08, are both Emma alumnae and her granddaughter, Amina, is a current 10th grader. When asked to chat about her life experience, Franciena very cheerfully replied that she didn’t think there was a story here. Having done our research, we insisted. Wholly gracious, she agreed.

Given Franciena’s wonderful connections to Emma, her own start at the school was noteworthy. Having grown up in the 1950s and 60s, Franciena lived in segregated Tennessee. “It was a time,” she says, “of finding out what you couldn’t do.” It was also during this time that Project: A Better Chance was coming into being and recruiting talented youth across the United States for admission into independent schools.

Franciena applied and was selected to participate and was accepted at Emma Willard School with financial aid. This was an enormous moment for Franciena and her family. She had never been out of her hometown further than neighboring Alabama, and certainly had

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never been 1,000 miles away. Three of Franciena’s teachers came to her home to convince her father to let her go to Emma, where she began school in the fall of her 10th-grade year.

In a place of deep recollection, Franciena remembers being one of only four Black students in her class and one of ten in the entire school. She remembers feeling a very strong support system from her teachers, from Mr. Dietel, and from Ms. Tuttle. She remembers how the economic disparity was minimized through the wearing of uniforms. She remembers how challenging it was socially, with white boarding and day students gravitating towards each other. She remembers an acute feeling of isolation and loneliness as well as an unmistakable sense of purpose that she was there to take advantage of an opportunity of a lifetime that wasn’t available to other Black students who were just as deserving and talented. That purpose felt greater than her discomfort.

Franciena paused in the leafing through her memory to share that long weekends would have been particularly painful and isolating if it weren’t for her teachers, Ms. Wilmot and Ms. Harper. Ms. Harper warmly welcomed Franciena to her home on Elmgrove for the long weekends. Ms. Harper was aware, Franciena said, and stands as a role model of someone who was committed to the vision of the school all while committing to the day-to-day details of living that vision. It’s what you pay attention to.

Back home in Tennessee, in Franciena’s hometown, the public school system was being desegregated.

Franciena learned that her younger brother and sister, friends, and classmates had been scattered throughout the city and county to predominantly white high schools, where they were constantly subjected to overt racial hostility from their white classmates. The experiment of integration, Franciena recalls, did not equal justice or equality. She points out that we must examine integration for what it is—integrating the minority into the majority with an insistence to assimilate into white culture.

When asked how she felt at Emma—if she felt like she had to hide who she was—Franciena smiled and shook her head no. Later, she clarified. Though she didn’t hide her authentic self, she did feel that her white classmates didn’t take the opportunity to get to learn about her and her culture, in the way she was learning about them and their culture. Franciena shared that it was in her writings in English, history, and religion classes that she was able to share authentically and bring her perspective into the open. It was in that act that Franciena learned to use her insight and her voice in tandem.

After Emma, Franciena attended Swarthmore, where she and others combined forces to protest the lack of support for Black students at the school. A sit-in lasting eight days led to the first African American

← Franciena and her daughter, Makini King ’99, returned to campus for Fall Family Weekend 2019.

← Franciena made her way to Emma Willard School from Tennessee at a time when the United States was just beginning to desegregate. Her legacy here impacted generations of family members who would follow in her footsteps.

faculty being hired, the first Black Cultural Center, an increase in the enrollment of Black students admitted to Swarthmore, and the development of a Black Studies program and curriculum. Franciena went on to Syracuse University and then went to work as an economist shift-

ing into a not-for-profit workforce agency where she still consults today.

Reflecting on how her work overlapped with the work towards The Voting Rights Act of 1965, Franciena shared, “At its core, a vote is a voice in how we wish to be governed and a signal that everyone counts. What happens if you are not counted in this process? What happens if that process is a constant reminder that you are of lesser value?” The country was formed on a promise of equality for all that still has not been realized. We must insist on our value through our rights and then not take any rights frivolously. Franciena reminds us that a vote is for the present, for all who come after us, and a nod to the tireless work of those who came before.

Like many, Franciena’s activism exists to serve both her immediate family and her community. She became a role model for her family, all of whom engage in activism. Franciena also offered that during the 1960s and 70s, it seemed like there was enough momentum to carry the movement further. In fact, she found, in the 1980s, 90s, and 2000s, there was not. The focus was threatened and allowed to shift away from the dedicated work to which she and thousands of others contributed.

It is now her hope, Franciena shared with a hopeful smile, that the momentum is back.

“ At its core, a vote is a voice in how we wish to be governed and a signal that everyone counts. What happens if you are not counted in this process? What happens if that process is a constant reminder that you are of lesser value?”

FRANC I E NA KI NG ’68

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

1970s Wisdom Across the Decades

A LETTER TO THE CLASS OF 2020

BY T H E C L A SS OF 1 970

When alumnae were asked to share wisdom and encouragement with the Class of 2020 on the occasion of their mid-pandemic commencement, the Class of 1970 jumped at the chance. They saw many parallels between the chaotic state of the world 50 years prior and the challenges our youngest alumnae face. Their message, “Love Is Coming To Us All,” spotlights the kind of visionary leadership and thought that spurs women to impact the world around them.

Love Is Coming To Us All

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Members of the Class of 1970. First row 3 people: Anna Hill Price, Rachel Goodstein, Barbara Nash. Second row 5 people: Nicola “Nikki” Seibert Coddington, Sally Green, Elizabeth “Buffie” Buchman Weeks, Gale Mosser Spadafora, Elizabeth “Buffie” Clarke. Third row 7 people: Susan “Sujie” Sutler, Betsy Smith, Sara Schrager, Jacqui Williams, Rebecca Martin Evarts, Nannie “Megha” Buttenheim, Kathleen Brownback.

Fourth row 7 people: Pat Chamness, Lisa Cahill Henderson, Sandy Wood Forand, Liz Armstrong, Ann Kennedy, Denise McCaskill, Joan Diaz. Fifth row 5 people: Bonnie Walker, Linda Strohl, Donna Krupkin Whitney, Ann Gambling Hoffman, Vanessa Barbino Rosemond.

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We left Emma Willard in scary times, just as these are scary times. But challenges bring opportunities and breakthroughs.

Like your graduation, our 50th reunion was to take place this June on the green lawns of Emma Willard. Fifty years ago was a time of tremendous political upheaval. We grew up during the Vietnam war, the Kent State massacre had just happened in May, and the Civil Rights movement was in full force, with riots in Detroit and Washington, DC. Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King had been assassinated. As young women, we were facing an uncertain and somewhat frightening future, and for us, one with few role models. Women’s Liberation was in its infancy; women were just beginning to have professional careers outside the home. Awareness of the fragility of the earth was blossoming with the first Earth Day in April 1970.

We were not suffering through a pandemic causing such great upheaval in your lives, but we faced our own suffering with the death of a favorite classmate in a tragic car accident just before graduation, and a suicide by a younger student the preceding fall. We were so buffeted by uncertainty that we probably thought it was normal. We learned to adjust to constantly changing circumstances and to rely on our classmates for support. The brief years we spent together helped to cement our class for all time. We have remained friends and in conversation together for fifty years.

As part of our reunion planning, we discussed what we would tell our younger selves. A classmate pointed out that, with our parents in the background, we helped to raise each other. We relied on each other, and occasionally our teachers, for advice and counsel. Back then, we communicated with our parents by weekly letters or the occasional phone call, but mostly we were on our own to figure things out. We are not saying we did a good job. But we tried to be wise, and search for answers from the experience of others. There was no Google to reference. (On the upside, there was no Instagram or Facebook to judge.)

As we left Emma Willard to start our new lives, we felt a sense of confidence and maturity despite the uncertain future. We parted absorbing the words of our Commencement Speaker, William Sloane Coffin, chaplain of Yale.

Although we “lived under skies eclipsed by evil,” he challenged us to learn to endure the darkness, keep up the struggle, and learn to live in a wintry world.

He urged us to care, to care deeply and to care freely, and without defiance or personal grievance—words that resonate to this day.

So, what would we tell our younger selves? We would say, look forward, be open to experiences and ideas and learn from them, and most of all to care.

Care about yourself, your friends, your family, your passions. Care about those less fortunate. Care about those marginalized by society. Care about the time you have. Fifty years has seemed like a very short time to many of us.

In retrospect, not many of us feel that we lived under wintry skies. We found tremendous freedom to break from the bonds of the past. We found wondrous opportunity not imagined by the older generation in 1970. We’ve had busy, fulfilling lives. We married or stayed single. We had careers, raised children, and sometimes grandchildren, overcame addictions, bad marriages, illness, and financial challenges—just like everyone else. But underneath it all, we, the Class of 1970, still care about one another. And we still look to one another for advice and counsel. [...]

We left Emma Willard in scary times, just as these are scary times. But challenges bring opportunities and breakthroughs.

We were recently reminded of a section of song lyrics that gave us hope and promise.

A new day, a new way, and new eyes to see the dawn Go your way, I’ll go mine and carry on.

Carry on. Love is coming. Love is coming to us all.

(Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young) —Class of 1970

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“Whether big or small, [activism] really does make a difference.”

1980s Making a Difference

BY B R ID G ET M CGIV ER N

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand ’84 has built a career by merging deep listening with active leadership.

While representing New York’s 20th congressional district, Gillibrand was appointed to fill the Senate seat vacated by Hillary Clinton’s appointment as Secretary of State, passing the baton from New York’s first female senator to its second. Gillibrand won a special election to maintain the seat in 2010, and has worked diligently since then, raising the profile of issues such as healthcare for 9/11 First Responders, harassment and sexual assault in the military, and the replacement of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Bold & Brave by Kristen Gillibrand ’84 introduces children to strong women who have raised their voices on behalf of justice—and inspires them to raise their own voices to build our future.

The move from representing a smaller, more conservative district to representing a diverse state was an opportunity for Gillibrand to exercise the importance of listening.

“Listening is a skill I’ve developed over time. In law school and afterwards, while representing clients, I knew I needed to listen to what they needed before responding. If you want to change things, but don’t know what needs to be changed, you won’t be successful. It’s vital to listen to the people you are hoping to serve, and those are definitely skills I began learning at Emma Willard.”

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Gillibrand travels extensively around the state to listen to constituents with different points of view. The biggest shift was in knowing when to lead, and when to represent. “In some cases, I had to lead the rest of the state to follow me on certain issues because I know it’s the right place to be, so all constituents can realize their hopes and dreams and provide for their families. In some respects I learned how to lead more, and how to take on harder problems where perhaps there isn’t a consensus in the state.”

One such example is gun violence.

“In rural upstate New York there is not a lot of gun or gang violence, but a different problem exists in

Buffalo or Brooklyn, where children die from stray bullets. I didn’t lead on that issue as an Upstate House member because it wasn’t an urgent crisis in our community. I should have, but I didn’t. When I became senator, I recognized that I really needed to address this issue much more directly. I wrote legislation to prevent people from trafficking guns into our state because, at that time, 90% of the guns used in crimes were illegal guns from out of state. My experience representing a rural area is what allows me to reach across the aisle, to talk to Republicans from rural and red states, to say I understand hunting rights and the second amendment are important in your community, but these ideas don’t infringe on those concerns.”

Gillibrand views the right to vote as inalienable and urgent. “For me, the right to vote is something that is really important, and something that we must utilize or our rights will be taken away. For many disenfranchised people, they may never regain those rights to vote.”

Senator Gillibrand reminds us that it’s worthwhile to commemorate 100 years of history of women’s suffrage, but it’s equally important that we understand the sacrifices made by generations of women to get there. “[The 19th Amendment] wasn’t a perfect landmark, because Black women did not receive the same kind of suffrage. They were denied the right to vote through oppressive means, and this wasn’t remedied until the Voting Rights Act and the Civil Rights Act were passed [in 1965 and 1964]. Progress for all women took a lot longer than we hoped, but I think celebrating suffrage is very relevant and timely, because women’s rights are being deteriorated every day. Over time women have earned the right to make reproductive decisions, and civil rights for LBGTQ+ Americans and others who are marginalized have been improved. “These rights—the right to vote at the

In 2018, 90 of the 100 women who ran for Congress won.

Groups of women across the country have gotten involved in giving circles—groups of women in different cities operating similarly to a book club, but focused on awareness and fundraising for women candidates as a means of advocacy for meaningful change. Gillibrand aspires to greater levels of representation. “We will reach 51% in Congress, and then our issues will not be afterthoughts. We will actually have paid leave, daycare, universal Pre-K, equal pay, clean air, clean water, and better schools. Making sure our voice is heard through candidates that share our values is one way to implement change, and to

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

ballot box, to be heard, to use your vote to change outcomes in elections—is something really important for women to understand right now, because a lot is at stake.”

Gillibrand created Off the Sidelines in 2011 in response to elections in 2010, when women’s representation in Congress decreased for the first time in 30 years. She wanted women to understand that their voices were vital. Off the Sidelines is a call to action, encouraging women to run for office and to advocate for the issues that are most meaningful to them. To date, $8 million in funding has lifted up the voices of candidates who otherwise might not get national attention. It’s worked.

change our future.” To date, Off the Sidelines has endorsed 106 candidates, 40% of whom are candidates of color.

Senator Gillibrand credits her time at Emma Willard School with helping her develop coalitionbuilding skills. As a senior, she became the student head of the weekend activities committee, planning events and off-campus trips for her fellow students. “In a small way, that really prepared me to listen to the needs of others, to try to make people’s lives better, to understand what needed to change for them to be happier, to be more fulfilled, and to build those communities. It’s very much what I do now, just on a very different level! Now I’m trying to get healthcare, job training, and better schools in the same way that I would try to create a great weekend for the girls when I was a young student. Any type of activity at Emma Willard can be the basis for learning and understanding about how to impact the larger world. It doesn’t matter where your interests lie, there’s always something that you as an individual can do to make a difference. That impacts what kind of person you will be, and how you can help people. These are vital skills to implement in the future, wherever you decide to grow them.”

So how can Emma students and alumnae make a difference? “Look at careers in public service, at how to leave the planet better, or to help others in need and at risk. If you dedicate your life to service, it’s not only completely gratifying, but very inspiring. We make a difference because the issues we choose may well be different than those the national leaders are focused on. Women’s voices and participation can truly change the outcome of where this country goes in the future. I ask Emma graduates to look at ways they can help others, whether impacting a family, a community, or the country. Whether big or small, [activism] really does make a difference.”

← “It doesn’t matter where your interests lie, there’s always something that you as an individual can do to make a difference.”

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

1990s Action Figure

BY J U L IE CLA NCY

Leslie Butler-MacFadyen ’94 is Leslie Mac, a national level organizer, activist, and amplifier of marginalized voices. You may know her as the creator of the Ferguson Response Network or from her many organizing efforts formed online and activated throughout the country. Her days, nights, and weekends are dedicated to fighting and dismantling racist behaviors and practices. Let’s put it this way: Leslie is a first responder to injustice.

#IAMAVOTER (from instagram)

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I interviewed Leslie via Zoom in early September with a great deal to talk about. She and I had worked together for an event at Emma Willard School several years ago when Leslie spent a day working with students and faculty. It was time to reconnect, dig in, and be frank.

I asked Leslie, who is a first generation American of Jamaican heritage, about her feelings on the state of voting in the United States. Leslie identified that in theory, yes, there is the right to vote. In practice, however, it sure doesn’t feel that way. Over the past decades, decisive action has been taken to prevent rural, poor, Black, and immigrant populations from accessing their rights, especially the right to vote. Polling places move or vanish completely. Registering is intentionally cumbersome and confusing for many. There are barriers to that right in place. Those barriers make it difficult if not impossible

E M M A WI L L AR D SC HO O L

for many to exercise their right, to weigh in, to be counted, and to be valued. And, it’s done on purpose.

For Leslie, the energy must go towards pushing back against a racist system, to push people to register, to support them, educate them, and help them overcome the barriers. The energy must go towards sharing widely the different voting option—by mail, by polling place, and by early voting—so that Election Day can be “overwhelmed by people voting and counting.”

Casting eyes and energy to the long term, Leslie believes that the Civil Rights Act must be reworked and fully realized. It’s not an add-on.

It is.

Leslie’s organizing work in communities all around the United States is relentless. She and her fellow organizers make good use of social media platforms, specifically Facebook groups and Twitter, to engage and activate allies, as well as show those who are experiencing trauma, racism, and injustice a clear sign that their presence and support

is the way. This is about showing up. It’s also about using platforms to fundraise, to tell the truth of what is happening up close, and to ensure that the story remains in the hands of those closest to it.

The media is a thorny and divisive apparatus. Mainstream media is a response to consumerism. The success of each media conglomerate is largely tied to the number of views, clicks, and not to accuracy and truth. There are exceptions, of course, namely independent, objective journalism and the platforms that support it. Then, there’s the rest of it which has, in Leslie’s eyes, traded responsibility to the American people for sensationalism and click-bait. There is also an overwhelming number of media outlets who intentionally under-report experiences of marginalized groups.

Leslie shared the example of what happened after the killing of Michael Brown. She started the Ferguson Response Network because the media minimized the response of the people at a protest in Philadelphia to Mr. Brown’s death. The police presence and media outlet reported 600 protestors. There were in fact well over 1000. For Leslie, it is the responsibility of the media to visualize the truth for all who aren’t present to witness it first hand, and when it does not happen, community organizers, allies, and activists work tirelessly to show that truth through social media.

Social media is just as thorny, acting as an essential lifeline, spotlight, and record of what is, all

while having a fraught community of users. We dug into this based on the fundamental question of what do you do when conscience is missing from the CEOs of these platforms? Leslie reminds us that Mark Zuckerberg started Facebook as a tool to publicly rate the looks of women on college campuses.

Jack Dorsey, of Twitter, has dragged his feet on ridding his platform of fake accounts, bots, harrassers, and abusers. And, still, this is how people reach each other with real necessity and urgency. What’s more, these platforms, though excellent in making the amplification of cause and people possible, also are the very place where activists and allies feel deeply unsafe. Leslie shared that radical organizing can’t happen

on social media because the danger is too great. Mark, Jack, do you get it yet?

Which brought our conversation to this past Spring. I asked Leslie if she was exhausted: COVID, killing after killing, protests, riots, harm being done nearly every day.

Leslie said that she has been working 24/7 for direct action all while feeling the effects of whiplash and gas-lighting. The infuriating part (or one of many) is how the mainstream media acted as if the racial injustice was somehow new. As if the work of so many for so many years was just finally being realized. As if the marginalization and the intentional and unintentional racism just caught the right ray of sun exposure. It’s both maddening

and critical for momentum that the media finally took note.

Leslie moved into discussing the killing of George Floyd and how Minneapolis was bittersweetly ready for it. Leslie had taken many trips to Minneapolis over the years, speaking, training, and organizing; readying a response committee who was trained to be savvy with the media; direct support lines of allies and funding; and a large group of white allies who understood how the stories of uprising must come into focus. Mr. Floyd’s death proved to be a catalyst and an unmistakable tipping point for change.

After reflecting on spring, and thereby the future, I asked Leslie to go back in time and tell me about how Emma played a role in her becoming an activist and organizer.

Leslie smiled, “I adored my time at Emma. It’s where I formed my voice, found its importance, and that it needed to be used.” Leslie added, “I also learned that there were rules around it and who and when and where it could be used.”

Emma, like other independent schools, has from Leslie’s vantage point, a “dual-mind”: at once a place of privilege and a place where access is not fully available. It is on us, as a school, to confront, examine, excavate, and eradicate any practice, behavior, or system that perpetuates injustice. Leslie challenges Emma to answer this call deliberately and transparently, with compassion and humility. Emma, with its diverse student body, cannot see itself or treat itself as a homogenous institution, and the vision and day-to-day details must reflect the school’s diverse student and alumnae body.

It is through substantive connective tissue that people feel seen, valued, and part of the whole.

This is true for Emma. This is true for our communities and cities.

And it is true for our country and our rights as citizens. We all have a role in this. The clock started a while ago.

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← Leslie Mac: a first responder to injustice

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

2000s Understanding in the Moment IN T E RVIE W BY SUZA NNE ROM ERO DEW EY

Sierra Crane Murdoch's ’05 book Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indain Country

Sierra Crane Murdoch ’05 is a journalist and essayist whose work concerns communities in the American West. Her first book, Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country, just published this year, is a New York Times Editor’s Choice.

She’s written for This American Life, Harper’s, VQR, The New Yorker, Orion, The Atlantic, and High Country News. Sierra offers a lens as a bridge to understanding. She doesn’t see herself as an activist, but rather one who shapes and shares stories that she hopes will help her readers think differently.

Describe your work. Why are you doing it? I am a narrative journalist and essayist, which means I don’t often report on news. I write stories that try to help us understand the moment we’re living in. I spend a lot of time with my subjects in the places they live, documenting their lives, how they found themselves in the situations they’re in, why they think the way they do. All types of journalism are important, but what I do is a slower kind of reporting which I hope generates deeper, more nuanced, and compassionate stories. Recently, I published my first book, Yellow Bird: Oil, Murder, and a Woman’s Search for Justice in Indian Country, which draws on the eight years I spent reporting in the Bakken oil fields of North Dakota, including the years I lived alongside

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the book’s protagonist, Lissa Yellow Bird, as she searched for a white oil worker who had gone missing from her home, the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.

Can you share a moment of pride from your work? The book is being read widely, and it’s received very positive reviews, including from the New York Times, so of course I’m over the moon about that. But my proudest moment in the course of writing this book came before it went to press. I brought a close-tofinal draft of the book to Lissa, for her to read it. This is not something journalists typically do, because we’re afraid the people we write about won’t like what we’ve written and will ask us to alter it. But in Lissa’s case, I knew through the years we had spent together that nothing in the book would surprise her. In fact her reading it would be crucial in making sure I got everything right. The first time Lissa read it, I could tell that she was happy but not entirely satisfied. She told me I hadn’t made the difficult scenes difficult enough. She felt that since she had trusted me by sharing the hardest things she’d experienced in her life, I shouldn’t hold back or soften them for her sake; it was important that I capture the darkness fully and honestly. So I edited the book once more, and the next time I visited, I read aloud the new sections to her.

Actually, I read the whole final two

chapters. It was 1:00 a.m. when I finished, and Lissa was quiet for a while. Finally, she said, “That’s a pretty fucking deep book.” That was my first proud moment in writing Yellow Bird. She felt that I had written something true and meaningful, and that has played out in the way many in her own tribal community have responded to the book and sought her out to share what it meant to them. That’s the second thing I’m proud of: that I worked hard to get it right, so that the book could make a difference of some kind in their lives.

How have you chosen your subjects? A lot of the reporting work I do is investigative. The stories I choose frequently expose some sort of injustice, often social or environmental. I don’t have a “beat”; I write different kinds of stories that frequently span multiple themes and styles. They are investigative, but they also have “plot” and “character” like fictional stories do. Yellow Bird is a work of investigative journalism, too, but it’s an environmental story and a family saga, and a portrait of a woman, and a true crime. I came to the story in Yellow Bird in 2014 after I had been reporting on the Bakken oil boom and the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation for three years. I was familiar with the place where the crime occurred, and I was familiar with some of the people involved. I thought I would write a magazine

What does the right to vote mean to you? I’m grateful for it. I believe voting is an essential responsibility we have to our communities and country, and I believe it’s not enough to hold our leaders accountable.

story, but then I met Lissa. It was because of her dynamism, her particular lens on this crime, and her willingness to have me along that the story grew into a book.

What keeps you up at night? Do these thoughts lead you toward a specific writing project? A lot of things concern me right now. I’m worried by how the pandemic is disproportionately affecting communities of color. We’ve seen that especially in tribal communities like Navajo Nation. I’m worried by the police violence and the inability of white society to acknowledge or see its own violence. Native Americans are right up there with Black Americans in the number, per capita, murdered by police. These are deep, deep prejudices in white people, spiritually and institutionally reinforced, that can’t just be whittled away with retraining.

I’m not a hot-take writer; you won’t see me blogging or penning a column in a newspaper about these kinds of things. I’m glad some are good at it, but quick thinking and writing stresses me out. But in my own projects, yes, these are things I

think about all the time. Yellow Bird, ultimately, is about this society-scale denial of our capacity for violence— to the land, to each other, and to ourselves. I want all of my writing, however slow it is, to deal with these questions: Why are we doing what we’re doing? How do we create a more just society?

Do you see your work as a way of serving or shaping our world? As a journalist, it’s really hard to predict the impact your work is going to have. I don’t find it helpful to aim for any tangible impact; instead, I try to report and write the best stories I can and hope they move my readers to think in ways they hadn’t before. Journalism is not activism, and that’s an important distinction. I worked as an activist during college, before I became a journalist; activism is essential and has moved the lever and continues to move the lever on so many injustices. But journalism is different. It’s about understanding a story in all of its nuance; my fidelity is not to the cause, but to the truth. There are certain truths which journalism (and science, and other disciplines) make undeniable—like

Did your experience at Emma set you down a specific path? What do educational institutions like Emma need to provide to help the next generation of young women make progress in serving and shaping our world? My teachers at Emma were the first who allowed me the space to write creatively, and the first who really encouraged my writing.

That led me in direct and indirect ways into the career I have now.

There were two things I did not learn in high school (or even in college), which I have had to learn on my own, and which I wish I learned earlier. The first is racial literacy—in particular, understanding my whiteness in the context of America’s historical and ongoing treatment of Black and Native Americans. The second is media literacy—understanding how journalism works, how to read it, how to detect racial and cultural biases, and how to place value on media so it’s preserved as an essential function of our democracy.

If you had a wish for women in the next 100 years, what would it be? For women (and men) to confront the climate crisis with the urgency required if we are to ensure that our planet is inhabitable in a century (or sooner.)­

emmawillard.org

“it was important that I capture the darkness fully and honestly.”

climate change, for example. I suppose that’s how I see my job as a journalist.

As a writer, though, my work feels bigger than that. As a writer, I want my readers to realize a connection with the people I’m writing about.

In Yellow Bird, I wanted my readers to really see Lissa, to not turn away from the ugly things that had happened to her or the ugly things that she had done, and to love her.

↑ Sierra strives to write in such a way that her readers think about issues in new ways

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100 YEARS 1920–2020

2010s Speaking Up and Fostering Change

BY S UZ A NNE ROM ERO DEW EY

For Sarah Foster ’17 growing up as one of few Black students in elementary and middle school, she thought she was obtaining a “blue ribbon” education.

“I only heard the sugarcoated version of American history. Not until I went to Emma, and had the honor of spending a semester in South Africa during my sophomore year, did I truly understand what the Black experience meant.” While studying in South Africa and learning about the culture, Sarah had an epiphany that changed her thinking.

“My host parents’ helpers told me, ‘Other than Mandela and Biko, there were no other leaders for us, but in the United States there were many.’

This shocked me because I thought, ‘Martin Luther King fought for us, so who else was there?’ It was at that moment I realized many pieces of the ‘Black American history puzzle’ were missing for me. That motivated me to read, research, and watch documentaries to know the truth about my people.”

Sarah had her parents’ perspective about Jamaican history, but was dismayed that she didn’t have a more realistic sense of Black history in the United States. “My exposure to African American history was mainly during Black History Month, when I would learn about the accomplishments of Black individuals—like those of the poet Langston Hughes, the scholar Paul Robeson, the scientist George Washington Carver among others. I would learn of tragedies like the Massacre on Black Wall Street and the Middle Passage.

I thought, ‘Why didn’t I learn this in elementary school? Why isn’t Emma teaching this?’”

Sarah considered what other students might be experiencing, and the seed of her activism was firmly planted. “I knew that other Black students from a similar background needed this course to strengthen

their understanding of their history, American history. It was not only for Black and Brown students, but also for non-Black and Brown students who were unaware simply because they did not understand or were never taught. It did not take long for me to decide what I wanted: I needed to advocate for and propose this course.”

Sarah didn’t let the idea of teaching others about the Black experience rest. She asked History Instructor Josh Hatala for guidance. Sarah shares, “I was going to check-in for the night and asked Mr. Hatala if I could ask him a question. Mr. Hatala, being dedicated to his students and always having the time, said sure. I honestly thought he expected it to be silly, because I am a clown by nature. When I asked him if I would be able to propose a course for African American Studies he said, ‘Yeah, that’s definitely pos-sible.’ He said all I needed to do was write a formal proposal and discuss it with Dr. Naeher, the head of the History Department.”

Sarah’s conversation with Dr. Naeher was another highlight in developing the course. “He told me stories about when he was growing up, his interactions with Black people, and how his eyes were opened to the reality of history. He said it was necessary and vital for Emma Willard to have a course like this. Dr. Naeher invited me to present my proposal and vision for the course at a department meeting.”

“It was my personal senior gift; this course is not for me.

Keep in mind that Sarah was in high school. Her experiences in South Africa opened the door for her thinking and she chose to move through that door, pushing for this course to be created to help future Emma students. Sarah recalls, “I was so scared because these history teachers were ​ my teachers. They wanted to hear what​I​had to say. I was intimidated, but honestly I felt honored. My final and most impactful highlight was speaking to the history department during my senior year. They asked me ​when ​I wanted this course to be offered. I replied, ‘Next year.’” Sarah realized for the course to be what she hoped, she would not actually be able to take it. She states, “It was my personal senior gift; this course is not for me. It is for current and future students to learn the truth about American history—how painful and wounded America is. My hope for this course is that it provides students with a passion and determination to assist in the healing and reconciliation that needs to happen.”

The History Department also appreciated the gift that Sarah offered

in her final year at Emma. Dr. Naeher remarked, “Without Sarah’s initiative and follow-through, it is a near certainty we would not have offered the course when we did. We are so grateful for her determination and encouragement!”

History Instructor Drew Levy furthers shares, “Sarah proposed the idea for an elective in African American History and brought ideas for topics, readings, and foci for the course. An idea for an African American History course had been in the works for some time, but it was Sarah’s spark that lit the flame that became the African American History and Literature course that exists today.”

The African American History and Literature course is only one example of how Sarah has used her voice and activism to foster change. When she was in second grade, she reached out to the manufacturer of Cheetos to ask for a more nutritious version and learned that Baked Cheetos were soon to be on the market. “I was so excited that they wanted to listen to what I had to say. That has helped

build my confidence in being an agent for change.” Sarah also shares that her time in South Africa and the Dominican Republic working for medical missions and with children struggling with HIV/AIDS, healthcare needs, and socioeconomic disparities ignited her passion and compassion. She worked to “improve the children’s quality of life by making them feel loved, while educating them on the facts of the virus and how they should be taking care of themselves. This truly humbled me, and these experiences really motivated me to use my voice to bring about change in my community.”

Sarah gives credit to her mother and her aunt, who were her role models. She also is inspired by Serena Williams, relating, “I truly admire her discipline, hunger for excellence, and her mental tenacity.” Sarah also offers some advice for anyone pursuing change: Whenever you have a vision, always go for it, but always know who to tell. I am glad I told teachers, friends, and family I trusted because when your vision is in the smallest phase, it can easily be fractured, perverted, or even dismissed. One thing I have also learned is that a vision is like a relay race. The first runner gets the race started, and might see a promising end, but the baton of ideas eventually gets passed on to the anchor, Dr. Levy, who will keep the vision going. It feels more rewarding, however, because I have heard narratives from students who have taken the course about what they have learned, and how they took the material outside of the classroom.

I believe that a checkpoint for leadership is the fact that you may not see the final product, but you know that your vision and wishes are being fulfilled.

Sarah is currently a senior at Drew University. She has set her sights on medicine and hopes to become a pediatric cardiologist, or an obstetrician. “I want to be a role model and inspire young Black girls and boys in my own little way.”

Sarah continues to give her thoughtful talents to Emma Willard

It is for students to learn the truth about American history.”

← “Let me tell you a little secret: when you are told that your dream is unrealistic, work harder and push harder to achieve your dreams.

They will come true—maybe not in the way you might expect, but they definitely will.”

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School by serving on the DEI Alumnae Task Force. She shares, “Though I had access to faculty members I considered my mentors, I would have loved to have a connection with a Black teacher or alumna who may be in the same professional program I was interested in entering…One of the hallmarks of Emma Willard is a strong and enduring sisterhood. However, I yearned to connect with another Black person who went through the boarding school experience. I just wanted to vent, to get advice on how to handle certain situations. On the DEI task force, we are definitely advocating for a stronger connection between alumnae of color, and between current students and alumnae of color.”

Educational institutions like Emma need to help the next generation of young women of color make progress in serving and shaping our world.

Sarah advises, “Tell the truth. Tell the truth about the painful history of the campus, the founders, and the roles they played in history. Students appreciate when they are told the truth, not when it is sugarcoated.

Also, give students a voice. Students have exceptional ideas. Although at Emma I experienced some of my dreams being squashed, I am thankful that Mr. Hatala, Dr. Naeher, Dr. Levy, Mr. Sundin, and my advisor Ms. McNamara truly listened to my vision, and believed with me that it could happen.”

As a mentor to other students of color, Sarah shares,“Let me tell you a little secret: when you are told that your dream is unrealistic, work harder and push harder to see your vision come true, and enlist mentors that will help you achieve your dreams.

They will come true—maybe not in the way you might expect it, but they definitely will. Don’t let doubt taint your drive, determination, and tenacity. Know your worth, because the world desperately needs you. I already know great things are going to happen.”

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On the Campaign Trail INTE RVI E W BY SUZ ANNE RO ME RO D E WE Y

Laura Gerrard ’11 currently works in Senator Elizabeth Warren’s office as the Director of Scheduling—managing the senator’s DC, MA, and national commitments. She previously worked on the scheduling team of Senator Warren’s presidential campaign, and prior to that as her DC Scheduler. As you can imagine, the past months have been busy but Laura took time out of her schedule to answer some of our questions.

Can you provide a few sentences on the work you are doing today in the political sphere and why you are doing it? Currently I am working as Sen. Warren’s Director of Scheduling. Scheduling is a bit weird in the time of coronavirus, but it’s trying to make sure every day is filled with only the right grouping of priorities and then executed properly. I’m doing it because I believe in Sen. Warren’s vision for change and am honored to be a very, very small part of trying to make it happen.

Do you have a moment of pride that you can share from your work?

I love working for Sen. Warren for a lot of reasons, but one of them is that the staff operates as a team. Everyone is always firing on all cylinders, coming up with creative ideas, trying to come up with new ways to move the needle. I’ve been most proud at the end of events or successes that were full team efforts. For example, on the campaign, the first trip to Iowa was a real ride—it was our first trip as a campaign and truly everyone on the team at that point contributed to pull it off. I definitely had no idea what I was doing and was following the lead of others who had been here before. Sen. Warren was going for three days right after the new year in 2019. Our advance team was there scouting locations over the holiday.

We were sketching and re-sketching the schedule to fit in more stops, making sure all the pieces were lined up. She ended that trip at an event with an overflowing crowd in the middle of a snow storm and I remember thinking, hmmm…maybe we can do this.

With the pandemic, racial tension, and the upcoming election, many are unsettled and taking time to think about things differently. What keeps you up at night and what thoughts do you have about how our daily lives are evolving? Do these thoughts lead you toward taking a specific action or doing your work differently? So much keeps me up at night! These are crazy and unprecedented times and that’s scary for everyone—whether you work in politics or not. I try to hold the stories people tell Sen. Warren close—stories about how these changes affect their lives every day and how Sen. Warren’s ideas and vision for change would help.

Do you see your work as a way of serving or shaping our world? In what ways? I’m only a very small part of a team that is trying to create big, structural change. I do think whether you win an election or a debate—or not—putting ideas for change out into the world is valuable. Even if they’re not completely adopted, just adopting pieces can turn the ship a little and that’s worth it. My job can range from coordinating how staff travel to be where they need to be, sending regrets to events the senator can’t make, to planning the senator’s week’s long RV trip through Iowa, but I see it all as my very small way to contribute to the greater goal.

What does the right to vote mean to you today? It means I have a say!

Voting is how we speak up for what we want for ourselves, and for others. There are so many ways to get involved in politics, but everyone needs to be able to vote. And if you can vote, it’s a responsibility that I do not (and hope no one does) take for granted.

What have you learned about the power of speaking up? There are so many examples of why speaking up is important—not only if you’re a political figure, but if you’re the most junior member on staff. In politics (and in many other fields), there’s no guide with the right answers.

That means any idea is potentially a good one. Or has the potential to spark a good one or a conversation that leads to new insights. For me, it was a learning process to feel like I could speak up in rooms full of people with more experience than

100 YEARS 1920–2020

Those inspire me to continue to try to operate in my lane to the very best of my ability and to be there for my team so they can do the same, even when daily life around us is crazy. It can be overwhelming to think about all that there is to do, but I have to start by doing (or trying to do!) my job well at every turn.

← Laura Gerrard ’11 with Senator Elizabeth Warren pausing for the camera.

I have, who I perceived as smarter than I am. But that’s the benefit of working with people you trust and admire. Sometimes I would speak up with a good idea and of course, that feels great when it works. But even when it’s a bad idea, you just move on, learn from it, and raise your hand again next time.

But even when it’s a bad idea, you just move on, learn from it, and raise your hand again next time.

Did your experience at Emma set you down a specific path? If so, please elaborate. Yes! I interned for Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (then Congresswoman Gillibrand) through a program at Emma Willard School and I immediately caught the bug.

I absolutely credit Emma Willard with introducing me to this field and convincing me it was something I could do. Given the incredible culture at Emma, I also was never afraid to speak up and I think that’s helped me succeed professionally.

with the true gems Ms. Schettino and Ms. Maier—encouraged creative thinking, speaking up in class, and collaborating with your classmates.

As a generally shy and introverted person, I think it was important for me to be able to exercise those skills so early. I know if I hadn’t been able to practice them then, it would have been much scarier for me to jump in at work.

What do educational institutions like Emma need to provide to help the next generation of young women make progress in serving and shaping our world? When I was at Emma, my teachers—especially in classes

If you had a wish for women in the next 100 years, what would it be? It would be that we don’t have to talk about how to make things equal, because they are! I look forward to that being just a normal, expected part of life. But for now, we still have to actively keep fighting for that, so we should until we don’t have to anymore.­

emmawillard.org

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100 YEARS 1920–2020 ↑ Students holding their signs as they head to the School Strike for Climate rally in September 2019 at the NYS Capitol in Albany, NY. → Although Commencement was virtual, the Class of 2020 made the most of it. Left to right: Catherine Lapham, Molly Zahnleuter, Jenn Gonick, Emma Lanahan

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2020s Looking Toward a Bright Future

BY M EL ISS IA M A SON

Emma Willard students from the 2020s face a perfect storm of issues, and they are unafraid of tackling them. From participating in women’s marches to climate change rallies, from Pride parades to challenging the Emma community to consider issues related to racism, they are starting young and demanding change. In the midst of a pandemic, the Class of 2020 led the student body to the very end, up to and including embracing their own virtual commencement celebration.

The classes to follow are equally committed to visionary leadership, as well as leading by example.

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Gabby P. ’23 LEADING THE WAY

As a ninth grader at Emma Willard School, Gabby P. ’23 did something she never dreamed she’d do—she signed up to answer a Rao Rumbles question in Morning Reports. Rao Rumbles is a time when Head of School Jenny Rao and her guest speakers (both employees and students) answer questions submitted by the Emma community. The question Gabby chose to answer was: “Who are you?” She got rave reviews for her insightful talk, and was gratified in knowing she’d achieved something remarkable.

That speech wasn’t the only time that Gabby stepped out of her comfort zone last year. She also tried out for the field hockey team.

She recalls, “I was never a sporty person, but I thought I’d try and see if I liked it.” Gabby became the goalie for the JV team. “I liked that it wasn’t about winning, but more about the team spirit.”

What quality is it in Gabby that made her try these new (and possibly scary) things? She describes her inner dialogue by explaining that rather than saying, “I can’t,” she just asked herself, “Could I? And what would it mean if I could?” This risk-taking open-mindedness is one sure sign of a leader.

Gabby was initially drawn to Emma Willard School because of the arts curriculum. She loves painting, and fell in love with the opportunities to explore ceramics, drawing, and weaving as well. In addition to studio art (where she’s now focused on drawing), Gabby’s favorite class is contemporary world history. “I love focusing on other places in the world and seeing how the things they did impact and shape the world as it is today.” She hopes to study more about art history to understand and appreciate the ways that perspective and personal interpretation impact art and artists around the world.

Gabby’s curiosity about the world is evident in the causes and issues she cares about. As a resident of Cluett House (a residential experience for students who are interested in creating positive world change), she’s looking forward to focusing on climate change and elevating issues related to how the LGBTQ+ community is treated, not just in the United States but around the world.

“I want to promote the idea that all people should be treated with dignity—as human beings.”

When thinking about the responsibility of voting, Gabby says that the conversations in her advisory group (the group of students who share the same school advisor) have been helpful. “In general, my friends and I don’t talk about the election because we’d rather focus on lighter subjects,” she explains, “but it’s been helpful to understand how the election will work.” That’s not to say that Gabby doesn’t reflect on the election.

In fact, the outcome is one of the things that keeps her up at night.

Because she cannot yet vote, she depends on the adults around her to vote for who they think is the best choice. There is, however, a sense of urgency to the matter. “What the adults decide greatly impacts my future, and the future of the world around us.”

In addition to the election, Gabby is also attentive to the dialogue surrounding Black Lives Matter. “I’m

concerned about the information and misinformation about the movement…how it’s being demonized, when in reality it’s just that we want to be treated with respect, like humans,” Gabby shares. She hopes that the movement makes people really think about their actions and how they impact others.

Reflecting on the past 100 years, and the 100 years yet to come, Gabby has high hopes for achieving gender equity, both in the United States and around the world.

Although she sees equal pay as an area that still needs work, Gabby acknowledges how far we’ve come.

“I hope that more and more women show that they can be successful, strong, and do the same things that anyone else can.”

For her immediate future, Gabby has aspirations of becoming a student leader at Emma. She has watched the other leaders at Emma, and felt particularly drawn to the compassion shown by her proctor and PLT (Peer Leadership Training).

“I’ve seen them take the initiative to make sure that people are feeling safe, at-home, and heard. They check in with people to see that they are doing okay and feeling comfortable.”

Because her PLT was so helpful to her, Gabby would like to become a PLT herself next year, hopefully for the ninth grade class. She wants to be a part of conversations that make Emma a better place. Her hope is that Emma will give everyone a place that’s safe, where they won’t be judged for their beliefs or who they are. “Everyone deserves to feel that they are surrounded by people who support them.”

With her open-mindedness toward trying new things, along with her compassion for others, we feel sure that Gabby will be counted among the many visionary leaders who serve and shape our world. In the hands of Gabby and her peers, the future looks bright!

emmawillard.org

← The Democracy Matters Club educates students on voting rights and the impacts of finance, race, and other issues on elections.

← Gabby with her collage painting project, which depicts a woman who has the spirit of a wolf—wild and free, with no boundaries to keep her from running through the vast lands.

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Admissions

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E M M A W I LL AR D SC HO O L

How to Apply

Applying to a new school can be overwhelming. The admissions team at Emma is here to help make the application process as easy as possible. The Emma application process includes the following: APPLICATION This can be completed online at www.emmawillard.org/admissions.

The application includes: ❑ Application Form ❑ Essay ❑ Parent Statement ❑ Application Fee TRANSCRIPTS Should be completed by a school official and contain a minimum of two years of credits as well as the first semester or trimester of the current academic year.

RECOMMENDATIONS ❑ English Teacher ❑ Math Teacher ❑ Teacher of Choice

TESTING As of November 1, 2020, Emma Willard School became test optional. This means that the SSAT, PSAT, and SAT are no longer required elements of the application process. Instead, we ask domestic students to submit a graded English paper and a graded math test. For our international students, we require the TOEFL or Duolingo test results to assist with understanding English proficiency, and a graded English paper and graded math test. More information can be found at www.emmawillard.org/admissions.

INTERVIEW Please contact the admissions office at admissions@emmawillard.org to schedule your interview.

IMPORTANT DATES Application deadline: February 1 Financial aid application deadline: February 1 Admissions decision: March 10 Enrollment contract and deposit due: April 10 emmawillard.org

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