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Milken Mini Stories: Poetry Slam, Donor Reception, Art Project, Case Studies Night, and Writes of Passage
Poetry Slam
The library held its third annual open mic poetry event on Friday, May 4. Poets from Get Lit, a poetry education program for high school students, stopped by for the poetry slam. Hannah Harris and Marcus James enthralled the audience with their spoken word poetry featuring elements of rap and hip hop and current issues such as gay and lesbian identity, discrimination, and natural disasters. Following their performance, students, faculty, and staff stepped up to the mic to read their work, or those of their favorite poets, in front of their peers.
Afterward, Harris and James conducted a workshop with students in Substitute Director of Creative Writing Rebecca Brown’s creative writing class. They read and discussed Jimmy Santiago Baca’s poem “Ten.” Students wrote a poem in response that either agreed or disagreed with ideas in the poem, and used the first line of the poem as a starting point for their own original poem or wrote a “self-interview” poem in response that questioned the claims of Baca’s poem. After drafting their pieces, they shared their work with another student for feedback on technique as opposed to content. Then after doing quick revisions, they shared their work with the whole class.
Milken Donors Honored at Reception
Parents who donated to Milken at the Advocate level and above were honored at a special donor reception on Monday, May 14. Guests gathered on the patio outside the Guerin Family Institute for Advanced Sciences to celebrate their generous contributions to the 2017-2018 Annual Fund. Attendees were thanked and honored with opening remarks by Head of School Gary Weisserman, incoming Chair of the Board Lise Applebaum, and Rabbinic Director Rabbi Gordon Bernat-Kunin.
Two faculty members shared the impact of these families' generous donations on their day to day work. Photography Teacher Bonnie Ebner shared how her photography students at the Upper School have every tool they could ever need at their fingertips because of the parent donors’ generosity. Middle School Math Teacher Dimitri Hodgkinson spoke about the meaningful ways he engages students in his math classes. He described how he uses classroom time to not only cultivate students' understanding of mathematics, but also to guide them through the social and emotional aspects of their middle school journey.
Guests enjoyed a lovely dinner by Ronen Levy Events. There was a good mix of families ranging from new families to those with students who are completing their last year at Milken. "I was inspired by the depth of our conversations and the profound level of commitment to our school," said Rabbi Bernat-Kunin. It was a beautiful evening where the spirit of community and celebration was felt by all.
Students Participate in Pomegranate Art Project
Milken students participated in a community art project, decorating two giant 4-foot pomegranates, for the Celebrate Israel Festival sponsored by the Israeli American Council. The festival took place on May 6, at Rancho Park. The goal of the project was to design and decorate the pomegranate with images and artistry that represented the culture, art, and diversity of Israel. Using a collage method to wrap the pomegranate with the map of Israel in an abstract expressionist style, Director of the Architecture + Design Institute Debra Sokolow worked with juniors Alexis Golbahar, Adam Harris, and Jaden Pressman to design and decorate the giant pomegranate. Middle School Art Teacher Deborah Lanino worked with eighth grade students Shoshie Nagibi, Abby Sosnow, and Dylan Yohanan. All of the pomegranates were on display at the festival and were available for purchase through a silent auction. Students, faculty, and staff got to view the pomegranates while they were displayed at the Upper School and Middle School prior to the festival.
Case Studies Night
On Tuesday, May 8, the Office of College Counseling & Academic Planning hosted Case Studies, a program for junior students and parents from Milken, Archer, Wildwood, and Marymount, to learn insights into the college admission process. Students and parents were assigned to classrooms where two college admission officers facilitated a mock admissions committee discussion as they reviewed three mock college applications from students applying to a fictitious school, Red Brick University. As a committee, each room discussed the applicants and the institutional priorities of Red Brick and voted on who to admit, deny and waitlist. The purpose of the exercise is to pull back the curtain a bit and demystify the admissions process so the juniors can start preparing for their own journey through this process. Following the classroom case study, the 70 college admission officers representing colleges and universities from all over the US and Canada, hosted a college fair where families could talk to reps and learn more about these colleges. The 700 person event was a great success.
Writes of Passage
Samantha Frohlich ’20 was the Spotlight Storyteller at the recent Writes of Passage. Froholich read five poems and a short story, “The Passenger and the Rear View Mirror.” Set in a southern, homophobic town, the short story was written from the point of view of a popular high school football player who is struggling with a closeted relationship with an openly gay boy.
Frohlich’s writing is often informed by current events, and she said the inspiration for the story was anger she felt after hearing about homophobia in some conservative areas. Frohlich enjoys writing dark poetry and short stories, she says because “I like to write using emotions I don’t access on a daily basis.” Currently enrolled in the Creative Writing class, which she loves, she has been writing since the sixth grade and has been taking classes in creative writing for three years.
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