CLASS DAY CELEBRATION

MONDAY, MAY 29, 2023

Berlind Theatre at McCarter Theatre Center

A Note from Judith Hamera Chair, Lewis Center for the Arts

Welcome to the Berlind Theatre in the McCarter Theatre Center, where we gather with family, friends, and members of the Lewis Center for the Arts community to celebrate a milestone in the lives of our student artists. Every Class Day is the culmination of both the usual demands of an undergraduate career at Princeton – the challenges, achievements, resilience, and resourcefulness – and those unique to each specific class. Our LCA Class of ’23 has shown us what it means to think deeply about, and creatively negotiate, art making in radically different contexts: from a global pandemic to its long, waning aftermath. You’ve pressed us to become a more genuinely welcoming place, and you’ve surprised us, challenged us, and partnered with us in so many wonderful ways. On behalf of the LCA faculty and staff, hearty congratulations to you. We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next!

Land Acknowledgement

The Lewis Center for the Arts is working to create a living land acknowledgement, one that is embodied in its consideration of—and engagement with—the past, present, and future. As we continue this work, we acknowledge that this building sits on land considered part of the ancient homelands of the Lenni-Lenape peoples and that this campus was built on this land with no recorded consultation with the Lenni-Lenape peoples. We acknowledge that learning about history and making this statement isn’t enough. Equally important is our ongoing work to understand past harms; build awareness in present relationships and actions; and bring imagination, creative problem-solving, and community-building to the future of our programs. We are taking actions towards these goals within our curriculum, pedagogy, and programming. We invite you to learn more about the Native American and Indigenous Studies Initiative at Princeton: indigenous.princeton.edu.