Video: We asked five students what they thought of Teju Cole's visit and the themes presented in his work.
This year's Cor Unum Week, a time dedicated to having our K–12 community seek deeper understanding among people through dialogue and keynote sessions with guest speakers, was highlighted by a series of talks with Teju Cole and children's book author Grace Lin.
Mr. Cole, a photographer, art historian, critic, essayist, curator and author of five books, engaged Grade 7–12 students, faculty, parents and alumni in a webinar and then led a small class session with high school students. Following his visit, Sharanya Naik, Studies in Literature & English Language Department Chair and Grade 9 Chair, asked five students to reflect on their experience and the themes presented in his work. Their conversation covers a lot of ground.
In the 7-minute video below, students discuss:
- What stood out to them about Mr. Cole's talk
- What it means to be a global citizen
- How innocence differs from involvement in an era of interconnectivity
- Why staying silent or neutral can be harmful
- Their role in fighting back against injustice
- How Mr. Cole's art builds connections between personal, social and political concepts
- What gives them hope for the future