Apr 17, 2018
Gun control has been the “third rail” of American politics for decades, stirring such passionate argument and deep division that compromise on gun-safety measures sometimes seems impossible, gun-control activist Brina Milikowsky ‘96 told Upper School students.
But once you move past messaging from politicians and powerful lobbyists, there is much greater hope for agreement among Americans on both sides of the issue, says Brina, who recently worked as chief strategy officer for Everytown for Gun Safety, and is now a political consultant. She was invited by students to speak about gun control after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Apr 4, 2018
When political leaders prioritize their party over the needs of the country, they can’t develop solutions to serious problems, Navy veteran and former Senate candidate Gabriel Gomez told Milton students.
The United States faces great challenges, from the debates over gun control and immigration, to complex foreign policy problems, and division down party lines will prevent meaningful resolution, says Mr. Gomez, who visited campus as this year’s Conservative Club speaker.
“All these issues need strong leadership, and that’s not going to come from Washington, D.C.,” said Mr. Gomez, who said he’s encouraged by the unity and organization young people have shown since February’s mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida. “All of these issues and their solutions will be driven by your generation.”
Mar 29, 2018
Born into “the most hated family in America,” Megan Phelps-Roper grew up believing that she was working to save people from eternal damnation with her church’s extremist messages. By the age of 5, she was on the picket lines with the Westboro Baptist Church, protesting everything from plays to military funerals with profane signs and slogans.
Ms. Phelps-Roper, who left the Westboro Baptist Church—and most of her family—in 2012, told Milton students that meeting people on social media who thoughtfully challenged her church’s narrow and contradictory interpretation of the Bible helped her walk away from hate. Ms. Phelps-Roper visited Milton as this year’s Class of 1952 Religious Understanding Speaker.
Feb 28, 2018
The United States is home to five percent of the world’s population, but comprises 25 percent of the world’s prison population. And while Massachusetts is often heralded as a haven for progressivism, its ratio of black to white inmates is higher than the national average, said Rahsaan D. Hall, the Racial Justice Program Director for the ACLU of Massachusetts.
Mr. Hall visited campus as the Onyx Assembly speaker in recognition of Black History Month. A former prosecutor, Mr. Hall described policing, courts and the prisons as the “criminal legal system,” as opposed to the criminal justice system.
Feb 20, 2018
The student-directed one-act plays are a campus tradition that challenge drama students to follow a production from licensing to casting to performance. This year, three students will present one-acts, opening Thursday, February 22.
“I like that the one-acts give students an opportunity to try on the role of director and see the process through fully,” says Peter Parisi, director of performing arts. “They have to understand the audience and select pieces that will appeal to them. There’s a lot that goes into creating a cast.”
Jan 25, 2018
The things that separate people from each other are manufactured, but human beings have few fundamental differences, educator and activist Dennis Febo told students. Mr. Febo was on campus as the Latinx Association’s visiting speaker.
Jan 18, 2018
Focusing on two central goals—creating a better place to work, and a better way to source food—Irene Li ’07 shared with students her mission for responsibly operating her popular Boston restaurant.
Irene owns the Mei Mei Street Kitchen and Restaurant, along with her brother and sister. As the primary owner and chef, Irene balances environmentally sound kitchen practices, the use of fresh, local ingredients, and ethical labor practices.
Jan 3, 2018
“The arts are not just ephemeral,” Harvard Professor Sarah Lewis told Milton students. “They carry real weight in the real world.”
Professor Lewis visited Milton as this year’s Margaret A. Johnson Speaker. An assistant professor in Harvard’s Department of Art and Architecture and the Department of African and African American Studies, Professor Lewis works “at the nexus of visual representation, racial inequity and social justice.”
Nov 15, 2017
Mental health advocate and spoken-word artist Hakeem Rahim was a freshman at Harvard University in 1998 the first time he had a panic attack. By the end of his sophomore year, he was hospitalized in a psychiatric unit, where he received a diagnosis of bipolar disorder and began his journey toward wellness.
Mr. Rahim, this year’s Talbot Speaker, shared his story as part of a presentation to destigmatize mental illness, encourage students to reach out when they’re hurting, and to be supportive friends when someone they know needs help.
“Many people are suffering in silence, and it doesn’t have to be that way,” Mr. Rahim said. “It’s OK to talk about mental illness. There is no shame in seeking treatment, and a diagnosis is not the end.”
Nov 2, 2017
For the second year, Milton students volunteered to mentor middle- and elementary-school students at HUBweek’s Girl Hackathon, a Boston event that encourages young girls to develop a love of computer programming and coding.
Jessica Wang (I), Charlotte Moremen (II), Amaya Sangurima-Jimenez (II) and Jen Zhao (II), served as mentors during the hackathon. Using Hopscotch, a kid-friendly coding app, teams of two created games, later presenting their projects to the group. It’s not a competition; it’s a chance for girls to explore the possibilities of coding in a collaborative and supportive setting, and to be proud of their creations, says mathematics faculty member Emily Pries.
Sep 20, 2017
Young people have the power to stem the tide of anti-Semitism and other hateful incidents, said Robert Trestan, executive director of the Anti-Defamation League’s Boston Office.
“The most powerful thing you have is your voice,” Mr. Trestan told students. “Speak out. If you do it collectively, you can make a huge difference.”
Sep 8, 2017
“Know, and be known,” Head of School Todd Bland urged Milton students during Convocation on Friday morning, asking them to not run from difficult conversations, and instead seek to understand each other.
“I’m a believer in the truism that author Andrew Solomon is well known for saying: ‘It is nearly impossible to hate anyone whose story you know,’” Mr. Bland said. “I would carry that a step further: It is also far easier to maintain good faith in those whose stories you know. Let us do that for one another.”
Jun 5, 2017
Exploring the intersections of race, gender, sexuality and immigration, poet and activist Franny Choi read several of her poems at an assembly sponsored by the Asian Society and GASP student groups.
Ms. Choi, the author of Floating, Brilliant, Gone, shared work about life as the queer daughter of Korean immigrants. Ms. Choi recalled coming out to her parents, a process that took years, as they adjusted to her identity.
May 16, 2017
This spring, four students represented Milton for the first time in the National Economics Challenge, after winning their division in the statewide competition.
Class II students Jaime Moore-Carrillo, Dhruv Jain, Quincy Hughes and Jeffrey Cao were invited to the Massachusetts statehouse on May 15 to be recognized as state champions. The first Milton students to compete in the challenge, they also placed 16th out of 35 teams in the semi-finals of the David Ricardo Division in the national challenge. Their entry, held online in April, was the result of their independent research into forming a student economics club at Milton.
May 2, 2017
A revenue-neutral reduction in carbon emissions is within reach for the United States, former U.S. Representative Bob Inglis told students recently. He says that achieving it, however, will require politicians who deny mankind’s effects on the climate to change their tune.
“There are people who say that humans aren’t responsible for changes in the climate, but that is contradicted by the research and opinions of 97 percent of climate scientists,” Mr. Inglis said. “Frankly, we’d better hope that climate change is human-caused. If it’s human-caused, we can do something about it. If it’s not, we’re hosed.”
Apr 19, 2017
To better understand humanity and where we are today, young people should seek out the stories of older relatives and loved ones, Holocaust survivor Doris Edwards told students.
“If you have an older person in your family, ask them to share their life with you,” Ms. Edwards said in an assembly sponsored by the Jewish Student Union. “Once they are gone, those stories disappear.”
Apr 14, 2017
When you find something you love, you’ll never be bored, Matt Trammell, Milton Class of 2009 told students during their Craft of Non-fiction class. Matt is a music writer and the nightlife editor for The New Yorker. His work includes following both rising and well-known artists through New York City’s concert scene; reviewing new albums; connecting good music to the culture that it reflects; and sharing that perspective with the world.
“Being jaded is a choice,” he told students. “If you’re truly interested in something, then you will always find a way to stay interested in it. The older you get, the more you tend to hold on to the music of your past. You think music is not as good as it used to be. But music you like is being created all the time, and you’ll find it if you’re invested in finding it.”
Apr 5, 2017
Victories in pharmaceutical research may be life-changing, or they may be very small. Just four stairs, climbed by a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), are motivation for Dr. Angelika Fretzen to continue pursuing a drug to regenerate muscle and lessen the effects of the devastating genetic illness.
Her company, Catabasis Pharmaceuticals, measured a 4-step climb as a timed function test and it improved numerically for the boys in the MoveDMD trial. The ability to climb four stairs means a child can board a school bus, which is why it is so meaningful to the patients and their parents. “Hearing something like that makes my heart leap,” Dr. Fretzen, senior vice president of product development at Catabasis, told students at this year’s Science Assembly.
Mar 10, 2017
“One little piece of advice for the writers: Anything that anybody tells you to do, don’t do it,” award-winning author Jamaica Kincaid told Milton students this week. Ms. Kincaid was this semester’s Bingham Visiting Writer.
Ms. Kincaid spent two days on campus, in which she spoke to most Upper School students during an assembly, answered questions, and visited English classes, where she workshopped some student pieces. Traditionally, visiting Bingham writers speak between readings of their work. Ms. Kincaid did read a short piece from a 1980 issue of The New Yorker called “Expense Account,” in which she criticized the economist Milton Friedman, but she took an opportunity on Wednesday, which was International Women’s Day, to reflect on her career and on womanhood.
Mar 7, 2017
Knowing and being consistently yourself—in private and in public—is the key to making healthy choices, says Cindy Pierce, this year’s Margo Johnson Endowed Speaker.
Ms. Pierce, a social sexuality educator and comic storyteller, discussed the pressures that come with “hookup culture” on high school and college campuses, telling students they have the power to set boundaries and build healthy relationships that fit their lives, instead of focusing on meeting external expectations.
Mar 1, 2017
All history is global history, says Kimberly Cheng, this year’s Hong Kong Distinguished Speaker. Ms. Cheng presented an overview of her research on Jewish refugees living in China during World War II, explaining that a confluence of world events led 20,000 migrants to flee persecution in Europe.
As Hitler rose to power in the 1930s, Jewish people fleeing Germany faced immigration restrictions across the West, including the United States, in countries where propaganda and stereotypes fueled anti-Semitic policies. The Jewish migration to Shanghai is largely unstudied in World War II history, Ms. Cheng told students.
Feb 14, 2017
Beginning with a single suggested word from the audience, “ravioli,”, the 3Peat improv troupe rolled out a series of hilarious scenes for students at King Theatre. Five members of 3Peat, an acclaimed part of Chicago’s vibrant improv comedy scene, came to Milton as a Melissa Gold Visiting Artist. They performed for students, held a master class in the basics of improv, and visited several classes, including improvisation and public speaking. Students had several opportunities to perform with the professionals.
“The students were way ahead of what I was expecting,” 3Peat member Torian Miller said. “They didn’t hesitate to get up and participate. As a group, we don’t judge one another. It’s a space where you can feel safe to be silly and just have fun.”
Jan 19, 2017
After trekking through a snowstorm to deliver her first pints of Little G Ice Cream to a specialty grocer in Boston, Grace Connor (I) had a flash of doubt. “I was putting it into the freezer and thinking, ‘What did I put all my time and money into?’” she remembers. “After a week, they called and told me that all my ice cream sold out, and they wanted to order more.”
This was in January 2016, six months after Grace landed a spot in the start-up food production space CommonWealth Kitchen at the age of 16.
Jan 4, 2017
You can find humanity and make social progress along any career or academic path, Milton alumna Jovonna Jones ’11 told students. “If justice and equity aren’t part of your life, you should examine that. That’s a problem.”
Jovonna is a doctoral student in African and African American studies at Harvard, where she researches critical race theory, American art history, performance studies and cultural practice. She joined fellow alumni Osaremen Okolo ’13 and Kevin Collins ’10 in a discussion about race and service sponsored by Community Engagement Programs and Partnerships and the student club Onyx.
Dec 14, 2016
Knowing who will help you along your life path is impossible, so it’s best to show kindness to everyone, television and film choreographer Danielle Flora told students on Monday.
Ms. Flora, who has choreographed sketches, monologues and performances for “Saturday Night Live” for 17 years, said that connections she made throughout her career as dancer and choreographer opened doors to incredible opportunities. “Be nice to everyone, from the person who gets your coffee to the director. Being respectful really makes a difference,” Ms. Flora told students. Leaving a good impression matters in the entertainment industry, where word about personalities and work ethic travels quickly.
Nov 17, 2016
“You can talk yourself out of something really easily,” media artist Deb Todd Wheeler told Milton students Wednesday morning. “Ideas sometimes need a little bit of sideways thinking.”
Ms. Wheeler visited Milton as part of Catalyst Conversations with artist Deborah Davidson, technologist Eric Gunther, and scientist Andrew Berry. Catalyst Conversations, which Ms. Davidson founded, explores a dialogue between art and science. As the world becomes increasingly technology oriented and visual, the connection between art and science has grown, evident in artistic demonstrations of scientific concepts and in the use of science and technology in art.
Nov 11, 2016
“For what belief, cause or position would you risk unpopularity? What do you care about?” Rod Skinner, Milton Class of 1972 and director of college counseling, asked students these questions on Wednesday as this year’s Veterans’ Day speaker. He continued, “If we confront the real tests of our lives without heart, we are lost.”
Rod told the heroic story of his uncle and namesake, Sherrod E. Skinner Jr. ’47, a Medal of Honor recipient who served in the Marine Corps during the Korean War, where he gave his life for his country. Reading a citation from President Dwight D. Eisenhower, Rod said the Medal of Honor—the military’s highest award—recognized his uncle’s “indomitable fighting spirit, superb leadership and great personal valor in the face of tremendous odds.”
Nov 3, 2016
“The change in stereotypes about computer programming and coding is heartening,” says Jessica Wang (II). Last month, Jessica—along with several female classmates and friends—mentored fellow coding enthusiasts during HUBweek’s Girl Hackathon in Boston. The program, which provides middle- and elementary-school girls an introduction to coding, is a signal of forward momentum that Milton faculty member Chris Hales hopes will increase female participation in computer programming.
Oct 5, 2016
We should challenge the concept of “normal” and instead embrace the things that make us different, this year’s Talbot Speaker, Jonathan Mooney, told Milton students Wednesday morning. Mr. Mooney, an author and lecturer who advocates for people with learning disabilities and attentional disorders, urged students to draw upon their unique skills and personalities to make their mark in the world.
“We have this idea that the ‘good kid’ is the compliant kid; the ‘good kid’ is the kid who sits still and learns quietly,” Mr. Mooney said. “But that’s a narrow definition of what constitutes intelligence, and it leaves a lot of people out. The best innovators and creators are not compliant people. They’re questioners. They challenge what is considered normal.”
Sep 21, 2016
Recognizing and respecting one another’s differences—rather than using them as ammunition in debate—is the key to civil discourse, Massachusetts State Representative Keiko Orrall told students on Wednesday. Rep. Orrall spoke at the invitation of Milton’s Conservative Club, and she acknowledged that the tact she describes is notably absent from national politics today.
Sep 19, 2016
“The most effective way to do good work is when the work you’re doing speaks to the things you love,” Jeannine Kayembe told students on Thursday. Artist and executive director of Philadelphia Urban Creators, Ms. Kayembe was the first speaker in this year’s new Dream Series—a set of community conversations, hosted by the Office of Multiculturalism and Community Development. She encouraged young people to follow their own passions—as she did—to create important social change, and leave a lasting mark.
Aug 17, 2016
Workers made a special delivery to the Milton campus, as the restoration of the four white, wooden columns in front of the Robert Saltonstall Gymnasium (RSG) began on Wednesday. The crews will carefully remove the building’s historic columns this week and replace them with replica structures that hold true to the building’s century-old design.
The existing columns were original to the RSG, which was built in 1921. After 95 years of lending support to the building’s entrance and portico, they were in need of replacement, says Jim Selman, Milton’s associate director of construction and standards. The column to the far right had been previously repaired as it began to fail, but now no longer matches the other originals.
Jun 20, 2016
Almost four years to the day he earned a national title in speech and debate as a middle-schooler, Milton’s Marshall Sloane (II) repeated the feat, this time becoming High School National Champion in international extemporaneous speaking at the National Speech and Debate Association Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Marshall delivered 13 speeches over the course of the tournament, rising to the top of the 250 students from across the country who competed in his category. He earned awards for winning the finals as well as the entire category.
“This is a huge award. Marshall has worked very hard to get to this point,” says faculty member Susan Marianelli, Marshall’s coach and advisor. “History means everything to Marshall. Being aware of what’s going on in the world is important to him.” Marshall’s months of preparation involved a voracious study of current international events, along with skills that would help him best connect with his audience and the judges.
May 26, 2016
Milton seniors Domenic Cozier and Nat Deacon each earned one of the top awards in high school football on May 15. Both were recognized as outstanding Scholar-Athletes by the Jack Grinold Eastern Massachusetts Chapter of the National Football Foundation and Hall of Fame.
“Coach Mac nominating us is a huge honor,” Nat said, referring to Coach Kevin MacDonald. “The night of the awards, there was a banquet at the Boston Marriott, and we heard from people who have been involved with high school sports in Massachusetts for a long time, which was incredible.” Domenic added, “This award is such an honor, because it recognizes not only your athleticism, but also your academic abilities and who you are as a person.”
May 23, 2016
Discussing topics ranging from Revolutionary battlefields to post-World War II fashion, student winners of the Bisbee Prize gathered with history department faculty last Thursday afternoon for tea. The 12 winners, selected by their teachers for outstanding research on their U.S. History papers, gave brief introductions to their work and fielded questions from faculty and their peers.
Several prize winners were inspired in choosing their research topics by this year’s Henry R. Heyburn ’39 Speaker, Professor Bonnie Miller, who talked about how images and other popular images can shape the politics of gender and race. Brie Lawson (II) researched the role that propaganda and mass media had in leading the United States into the Spanish-American War, saying, “The American media pushed the U.S. into the war by influencing popular opinion with sensationalism and entertainment.” Students also studied how negative, stereotypical images of racial and ethnic groups played a role in systemic discrimination and oppression, as well as how propaganda stirred up mass fear of communism and nuclear war in the mid-20th century.
May 6, 2016
“You can make a difference. You may not know what that is today, but keep your ears open as you’re learning, as you’re growing, to how you can make an impact,” Dr. Emily Reichert told students Wednesday morning. Dr. Reichert is CEO of Greentown Labs, a clean technology startup incubator. She encouraged students to think about the environmental problems facing the world today—climate change, energy deficiencies, water scarcity, deforestation, waste management—and the actions they can take to solve them.
