On the Recent School Meeting

          This Monday, January 8, the Lawrenceville community gathered to listen to alumni Jane Ferguson ’04 and David Ottaway ’57 P ’86 ’91 GP ’24 discuss the Israel-Hamas war. Students learned about the region’s history, the war’s impact on civilians, and the importance for humanitarian causes, encompassing many different experiences of many groups in the region. 

          It was a rewarding experience to hear from two people who have reported extensively in the region, during many past conflicts. Oftentimes, we students get our news from outside and unreliable sources, but Monday’s school meeting was a chance to listen to unique perspectives, allowing us to unpack the complexity of this war from inside sources that give first hand accounts and make the conflict feel more real. The speakers outlined the geopolitics of the region beginning in 1917 as well as the modern-day politics of Israel and Palestine themselves. Students got an opportunity to take a break from the daily stress and learn about the outside world that needs attention. But along with important fundamental information, the speakers also embedded their personal experiences to mix in different standpoints with the heavy facts thrown at us. The timing of the school meeting aligns with New Jersey’s recently updated stance on the war. New Jersey citizens have been demanding congressmen support a cease-fire in Israel and Gaza. It only makes sense that we as a community should delve deeper into the matter and keep ourselves informed. 

          While the speakers did a great job of unpacking the conflict, the school meeting could have facilitated more interaction between students and speakers. For teenagers, it is a difficult task to sit for over an hour and a half to listen to a conversation. 
          
          Though there was time for questions, not every voice got to be heard as time only permitted a few students to share. Furthermore, students did not get a chance to unpack the school meeting because of the cancellation of advisory meetings due to time restraints. Giving students the opportunity to converse with the guest speakers and to share their feelings and knowledge on the topic is vital for discussions that educate our student body. Having this Harkness style meeting could have encouraged students to be more engaged while still addressing the situation in a serious and insightful manner. Meeting in advisory groups would have offered such an opportunity, allowing students to unpack the heavy information and begin to be aware of the cause at hand. Even as a II Former experiencing a school meeting like this for the first time, I understand the importance of having this meeting be mandatory. It is important that everyone is informed and globally aware. People in the Lawrenceville community are affected by this conflict, whether directly or not, and that calls for our support and our being informed on the issue. Lawrenceville is a school that prides itself on sympathy, compassion, and willingness to ally in needed times, and the administration organizing the school meeting proved so.