This Spring Term, St. Paul’s School hosted a special evening event called Spark! It is well-known that at “StressPS” the pressures of a rigorous academic, athletic, and social environment can affect the student body.
Those of you who pay attention in Chapel probably noticed that during April there was a series of announcements about stress, misconceptions surrounding it, and how to relieve it. With the help of Director of Multicultural Student Support Myra Singletary, Director of DEIJ Initiatives Bethany Dickerson Wynder, Associate Dean of Students Kyle Losardo and the consultancy firm Visions Inc., twelve SPS students organized activities and presentations intended to help rekindle passion at the School.
According to Singletary, the event intended to allow students to recharge and recenter themselves. The event featured aromatherapy, s’mores making, meditation and tables sponsored by affinity and alliance groups. The evening focused on a multicultural outlook.
Planning and executing something so complex was not an easy task. Kevin Wu ‘25, as a head of Asian Society, took part in the creation of Spark! “The organizers had to work long hours sitting through workshops and leadership training,” he said. “It was a learning process that consisted of lots of brainstorming.”
Logan Bensadoun ‘25 was another one of the event’s organizers. “The most important part of the event was the presentation prepared by the students,” she said, “since it was the biggest contributor to the action and change that we are still trying to instill within the community.”
“It was awesome,” said George Nichols ‘24. “I loved exploring the different stations and exploring different cultures.” His favorite part of the evening was the scent-making station, as well as the s’mores. “The biggest success was the cologne-making station,” Wu agreed.
“I would love to see another event like Spark! in the future,” said Nichols. “But I would have liked more food options, which relieve my stress the most.”
Fortunately for Nichols, it sounds like Spark! may become an SPS tradition. “We are trying to make Spark! a yearly event if not more than yearly,” said Bensadoun, who said she is hoping that hosting more events in the future could help “bring actual change to St. Paul’s.”
So if you missed your chance to explore what Spark! has to offer this year, it seems like there will be more opportunities in the coming years.