Academics

An Examination of Cultural Revolutions

and Fundamentalism in World Literature

Sophomore students in English Teacher Alexandra Hyman’s World Literature class read the novel “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi. This memoir follows the author’s experience growing up in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution in the late 1970’s and early 80’s. During their discussions of the novel, students analyzed the effects that cultural revolutions may have had on citizens’ public and private lives. Students witnessed the main character, Marji, as she experimented with rebellion after the fundamentalist regime restricted women’s access to education and established decrees that all men and women must dress in accordance with their views on modesty, including mandatory headscarves for women. The class explored the ways in which the government’s extremism affected Marji’s childhood and made her question her own identity as a young Muslim woman. Coincidentally, as students read the novel, Switzerland and France both passed separate laws banning full-face coverings in public. The assignment attempted to help students explore connections between the novel and the world we live in. Students were asked to take a stance on whether veils—which include traditional burqas, niqabs, and hijabs—should be banned in public places, similar to the laws passed throughout Western Europe. They were given four articles relating to various worldwide bans on headscarves that explored multiple perspectives on such legislation. They then identified claims that supported arguments both in favor of and against those bans. As a final assessment, students wrote an argument essay in which they defended their position on whether headscarves should be banned in public places, developed counter-arguments, and made connections between the mandatory decrees in “Persepolis” and the current ban on veils. This project is essential in that it helps students build bridges between their course material and the world they currently “ experience. This is a critical exercise in World Literature in which students explore diverse cultures and environments that are often quite different from their own. As young women, Mercy students are developing their own voices on important cultural matters including topics that may or may not directly impact them. Our future depends on their leadership and their education should reflect that. Students have developed skills in argumentative writing—a skill they will continue to practice in their junior year. It requires students to acknowledge that there are multiple perspectives in any debate, and that one must consider all sides before making an informed and balanced decision. —Alexandra Hyman, English Teacher “

Congratulations to Nancy Astabie ’21!

She was named a Commended Scholar by the National Merit Scholarship Program. Students are recognized for their exceptional academic talent and promise. Nancy placed among the top 3.5% of more than 1.5 million students that took the PSAT. Nancy will be attending West Point in the fall.

Congratulations to Mercy’s UNICEF Club! They won first prize from UNICEF for being a highly involved and active club. A highlight was receiving a box full of UNICEF USA merchandise with t-shirts, stickers, masks, and more! Mercy’s UNICEF Club will be highlighted on UNICEF's Instagram!

We had the honor of hosting Elizabeth Eckford as an all-school guest speaker by Zoom this

year. Eckford was one of the Little Rock Nine, a group of Black teens who first integrated the historically all-white Little Rock Central High School in 1957 after the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Eckford and eight other students were met by a furious mob assembled to block them from getting into the high school, along with news reporters and photojournalists covering the momentous day. An iconic image of Eckford as she is screamed at by white students has come to represent the violent bigotry of the school desegregation era, after the Supreme Court overturned the “separate but equal” Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896, ruling. After President Eisenhower intervened a month later, Eckford and the other eight students were finally allowed into the school when they were escorted by members of the 101st Airborne.

The Social Studies, Religion, and English departments designed units to teach students about the lasting impact of segregation in the U.S. Students discussed a number of issues including the findings of and EdBuild study that nonwhite school districts receive $23 billion less than white school districts despite serving the same number of students. It’s important work of our Social Studies Department that Mercy students understand this history and the landscape of American segregation today as a way to examine what progress has been made, what work is still needed, and how to build a better future.

Teachers asked students to reflect on “Why was the Brown v. Board of Education Supreme Court decision significant in U.S. history?” and look at how school segregation is still present in the United States today. They read the articles “School Segregation, the Continuing Tragedy of Ferguson” and “The Resegregating of U.S. Schools,” and watched the video “Why Are Schools Still So Segregated?” in class.

Mercy’s Social Studies Department Chair Ryan McGoron says, “It was an honor to have Elizabeth Eckford, one of the Little Rock Nine, speak to our students about school segregation. By connecting this historical event to current inequities in America’s education system, Mercy students learned about the echo of history through the ages, and all the work that still needs to be done to build a more just society.”

Robotics Team Earns Think Award 2nd Prize at First Tech Challenge!

The Robotics Team took home the Think Award 2nd Prize at the FTC Tech Challenge Sacramento

Qualifiers! This is a great accomplishment for a rookie team. Credit goes to Mercy’s Robotics class, Science teachers Dr. Pat Bradley and Jen Lambdin, and team mentor and Mercy parent Stephanie Menner.

This judged award acknowledges the removal of engineering obstacles through creative thinking. The engineering content within the portfolio is the key reference for judges to help identify the most deserving team. Engineering content must focus on the design and build stage of the team’s robot.

Students in Robotics class go from having no expertise to actual “hands on” experience with robot building. They gain skills in mechanical engineering and computer science through coding and AutoCAD. Students have the opportunity to work closely and collaborate on projects from ideation and concept to production, building leadership, and teamwork competence. The class emphasizes creativity, problem solving skills, and critical thinking as students approach robotics projects with outside-the-box thinking.

Congratulations to Mercy’s Robotics Team:

Bharathi Arivazhagan ‘22, Nancy Astabie ’21, Amaelia Bringas ’22, Anna Dawes ’21, Niamh Dawes ’23, Natalie Dean ’22, Carolina Gutierrez Rodriguez ’22, Kelley Han ’21, Joanne Hui ’21, Anadi Mehar Purewal Legha ’22, Luna Zhou ’21