91̽��

Using research conducted on three continents, Jana Amin ’21 has been working for nearly two years to deepen the understanding of a twentieth-century Egyptian princess whose story was only partially told.

Princess Fawzia Fuad, at one point the queen of Iran, received worldwide attention for her beauty—she was often compared with Western movie stars—during the glamorized coverage of her 1939 political marriage to Iran’s crown prince, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi.

It’s been an impressive season for the girls’ swim team, who have won their last five meets. This past weekend at the Eastern International Swimming and Diving Championships in Pennsylvania, the team placed 12th out of a field of 28. Team captains Mary Howley ’20 and Leydn McEvoy ’20 both placed in the top 8th in their individual events–Mary with 2nd in the 100 butterfly and 4th in the 100 backstroke and Leydn with 6th in the 500 free and 8th in the 200 IM.

Both the girls’ and boys’ teams are often out of the spotlight, practicing and competing off campus throughout the winter season. These dedicated swimmers spend long hours in the water, working hard to improve their form and times. So Mary and Leydn make it a point to instill some fun into the practices and meets.

“This year, to get our team members more excited to do well at meets, we started offering candy prizes,” said Mary, who competes in the 100 backstroke, 100 fly medley and the 400 relay. “Everyone who swims the 500, the longest race, gets a ring pop. And after every meet on the bus ride home, we choose an MVP for boys and girls, and there are more prizes.”

The student one-act plays are a venue for student directors and actors to showcase their wide-ranging talents on and off stage. This year there are three one-acts, completely directed, performed, and tech-supported by students.

Brie Lewis ’20 and Eloise Maybank ’21 are directing No More Mister Nice Guy featuring four actors: Owen GwinnLandry ’23, Alex Paulino ’21, Talia Sherman ’22, and Nancy Tao ’23.

Eloise said the play is centered on the character Sheldon Grimes. “He is the pinnacle of goodness, but he finds himself in serious trouble with the law, his crime being this very virtue of kindness. Sheldon must work to rectify his behavior, with help from two cops and a ‘professional.’”

Eloise said that the dystopian society reflected in the play, which is written by Jonathan Rand, “not only lends itself to hilarity but presents underlying commentary on corruption within today’s justice system plagued with profiling. It begs the audience to ponder what truly is good—the law or what you personally believe to be right. We chose this play because of this nuance and, of course, because it made us laugh really hard. We hope everyone enjoys it!”

Straus Library will be filled with song this Friday night as the annual Gospel Explosion unfolds with performances and praise.

Gospel Explosion started when Lami Olatunji ’10 approached Gospel Choir Director Lori Dow with the idea of celebrating gospel music in coordination with Black History Month. Over the years, the program has evolved, with some events featuring performances by outside groups, and others featuring combinations of 91̽��’s musical ensembles. Last year, 91̽��’s chamber singers and orchestra musicians collaborated on some pieces.

“Every single year, the program changes,” Lori explains. “We’ve had great parent participation and support, and we’ve had alumni come back to perform with us. It’s always been about more than just 91̽��’s Gospel Choir. It’s about taking this love of gospel music and sharing it with the whole community.”

Three-term U.S. Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky discussed his translation of Dante’s Inferno with students taking Founding Voices: Literature from the Ancient World through the Renaissance.

In a free-flowing conversation, an affable Mr. Pinksy answered students’ questions about his translation, which they are reading in class. He explained how his full translation came about after he was invited to translate one of the Inferno cantos for an anthology. He also helped another poet with his assigned canto and realized how much he enjoyed the work.

“I’m very interested in difficulty—a worthy difficulty—not trivial or canned. I realized with this, I had a difficulty that I really loved,” said Mr. Pinsky.

In a sunny room at the top of Warren Hall, students gather around the Harkness table to discuss Alice Walker’s The Color Purple. Teacher Abby Cacho reads two passages from the novel, then the students write reflections on what they’ve heard. Water for tea warms in an electric kettle, and Sade provides some background music.

Big questions emerge from the reflections, sparking thoughtful debates: “In a relationship with God, or in a relationship with another person, where do we draw the line between commitment and submission?” one student asks.

Another continues the thought, asking,“Is there ever a relationship completely devoid of a power dynamic?”

Samantha Bevins ’21 testified before the Joint Committee on Election Laws at the Massachusetts State House on H.4161, her proposed legislation to allow young people who are 17 to vote during primary elections if they will turn 18 in time for general elections.

“We are simply trying to give those of us old enough to vote in the general election the right to pick the candidate for whom we will ultimately vote,” said Sam, who spent hundreds of hours researching and gathering support for the bill. Sam is a day student who lives in Hingham, Massachusetts.

Ben Simpson ’21 and Josie Vogel ’21 also testified with Sam, surrounded by classmates, a map showing the 24 states that already allow this, and the bipartisan support of Democratic State Representative Joan Meschino and Republican State Senator Patrick O’Connor.

“How would you engage in your life if you knew you were wonderful just as you are?” Dr. Adia Gooden asked 91̽�� students. “I want you to think about what you would have the courage to do if you knew you were worthy.”

Dr. Gooden, a licensed clinical psychologist, visited campus as this year’s Talbot Speaker. She is the director of community programs and outcome measurement at the Family Institute at Northwestern University. She spoke with students about the issues of imposter syndrome and low self-worth, things that make even the highest achievers feel as if they are unworthy in their day-to-day lives.