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Students turn to Shakespeare (and SRC) to keep their school open
The School Reform Commission meeting took a dramatic turn yesterday.
Students turn to Shakespeare (and SRC) to keep their school open
"To be or not to be?" This was the existential question presented to the School Reform Commission (SRC) by a group of students from E.M. Stanton, one of the schools proposed for closure in a Philly School District-wide effort to pare down 70,000 empty classroom seats. Having already attempted garden-variety lobbying and civil rights-style marches, the students were taking a new tack at convincing the SRC to intercede on behalf of Stanton: Shakespeare.
Eighth-grader Ruje Ballard stood first, and recited Hamlet’s “To be, or not to be” soliloquy. Her fellow students Deandre Kraus, Israel Weir, Zabair Cruse, Tatyana Savage, Destiny Gilliam, Rasheda James, Elizabeth Skinner, Marquis Watts and D’Abia Bourgeois backed her up, acting as a Greek chorus. Afterward, students Heaven Thomas and Azzizah Muhhamed gave their own speech about the importance of E.M. Stanton School, explaining: “Hamlet was questioning his existence. I’m asking you, 'Should we exist or not?' I say 'yes.'”
They cited the importance of their arts, sports and technology programs, their excellent teachers and staff, and the community that would be lost without Stanton. In clear and emotional voices, the young women told the SRC, “If you knew what Stanton means to us, you wouldn’t want to close it…Stanton is our home.” Finally, the students gave the SRC holiday gifts: recordings of Stanton arts and performances.
Students were joined by Catharine Slusar, a local actor who has been teaching Shakespeare at Stanton for the last six years. She’s known around Stanton as the “Shakespeare Lady”, a nickname she’s deeply proud of. Catharine praised Stanton’s arts programming for teaching students both self-expression and self-discipline. “We learn and perform Shakespeare, partly because we have been told we can’t. It’s too hard, the language too complicated, and there’s no point of reference for seventh graders. And yet…”
SRC members were patient with the demonstration but whether it made an impact — well, that remains to be seen.
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