MLK: Analysis

While some students felt that they benefited from a day to discuss Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy, many others voiced criticisms about the irrelevance and lack of interactive elements in some of the workshops. Although they appreciated the thorough organization of the MLK Day Committee, some students questioned the relevance of the workshops to King’s legacy of social equality and justice.“I felt like the content was underwhelming,” senior Lily George said. “I liked the topics, but the delivery on some weren’t as much as I had hoped for. For example, I thought that the consumerism workshop would be about race, but it was mostly about animal rights. That said, I think the MLK committee put a lot of thoughtful work into thought-provoking and unusual topics this year, which I admired.”Upper Montana St. Pierre raised a similar concern, noticing disconnect between the holiday and the seminars offered. “I attended the Hip Hop workshop, which I thought was great, but the speaker said in the beginning that he wouldn't connect it to MLK day,” St. Pierre said. “So why run these events on MLK day if they aren't even going to commemorate him and what he did? We could just have an assembly to discuss how Hip Hop allows people to express themselves.”Lower Jeffrey Qiao cited the students’ lack of concern to the inefficacies of the seminars. “Some students don’t seem to care too much about the workshops. A lot of them chose to watch the documentary on rape because ‘we can just watch a movie’. This day is about promoting awareness and acceptance of minority groups and bringing their past and present plights to light, but some of the workshops did not do that.”Adding on to the relevance of the day’s lectures, students said that while they generally enjoyed many of the workshops, their content could have been improved with more in-depth analysis, reaching into cultural implications and possible solutions.“I think that the [‘Hair Me Out’ workshop] could have related more to the greater cultural issues rather than just talking about the terms—for example, the issue of natural hairstyles being considered unprofessional and why that would be,” upper Emily Lemmerman said.Upper Lazaro Cesar agreed, adding that a talk about possible solutions would have been helpful. “It seemed to be a lecture, and a bit basic,” Cesar said. “I wish he had gone into more depth about solutions.”St. Pierre raised concern about the various social stereotypes that Derrick Gay, speaker of the “Hair Me Out” workshop, brought up during his lecture. “Mr. Gay brought up offensive stereotypes and didn't explain many of them, such as dumb blonde. I actually felt that with his nonchalant and humorous take on the subject, he ended up reinforcing some of the stereotypes,” he said.Students generally had mixed feelings about the formats, as some enjoyed the lecture-style workshops and others being left disappointed.“I think attending the workshop is a great learning experience and also a non-Exeter experience,” lower Jacob Pressman said. “We listen and reflect, rather than [engaging in] Harkness and constant discussion.”Upper Rachel Sachs disagreed. “I really enjoyed the hip-hop workshop; I signed up for, but I wished that the two workshops could have been more interactive,” Sachs said. “I learned a lot from the workshops, but they seemed a lot less personal than actual workshops should be.”Some also raised concerns about whether other national occasions such as 9/11 and Veteran’s Day should receive more commemoration.“I think MLK day is very important but other days such as the Veterans Day must be celebrated. I believe that it is important to celebrate and commemorate events in American history such as 9/11,” lower Jeff MacArthur said. “I was extremely disappointed by the fact that nothing was said on 9/11, and that instead, a dance assembly was held.”Others, however, felt that the day touched appropriately on Veterans’ issues. “I really think that I benefited from this year's MLK Day,” upper Nicky Don said. “It made me think about different forms of social injustice across society, particularly from watching the documentary on sexual assault in the military. It documented the lives of veterans who were seeking justice in a system rigged unfairly against them.”Most, however, agreed that MLK day at Exeter reached a level of thought not common at other institutions. “I think it's definitely a lot more engaged and focused on what I feel like is the real work of Dr. King. It's viewed with a more holistic view, while others have a more comfortable view of Dr. King,” speaker Amer Ahmed said.