Upper School Sees "September Echoes"

This educational performance has been very well received by institutions, schools and colleges in the US and abroad. Their Tower Hill performance was no exception. September Echoes was a truly thought-provoking assembly in which the voices and events of September 11 were evaluated and outlined.

The 50-minute dramatic presentation featured three actors who read numerous political speech excerpts and selections from personal diaries and newspaper accounts. The assembly gave special emphasis to the backlash against Arab-Americans and its parallels to the Japanese-American internment. It also delved into the issues of national security versus civil liberties, racial profiling, bigotry and prejudice.

The last portion of the assembly connected September 11 and the Iraq War. The actors read from an anonymous web diary of an Iraqi man in the days before and during the American invasion. The piece was underscored by piano selections of 19th and 20th century composers.

As stated by Harry Themal, News Journal writer, "September Echoes should be widely presented, not just to sympathetic audiences, but to groups that differ sharply with the issues it raises. Such stimulation of thinking and discussion would foster the kind of debate on which our country is founded." The event was followed by a post-assembly discussion at lunch with Danny Peak, writer and director of September Echoes. Most Diversity Club members, along with interested students and faculty, attended the discussion. Danny freely gave of his time to exchange reactions with us and lead a question and answer session. Tower Hill was privileged to experience September Echoes in the Upper School and to be part of such an enriching post-assembly discussion with Mr. Peak.

By Jorge Pardo, Diversity Director