July 7, 2020

Dear Loomis Chaffee Students,

Greetings from the Island! I hope that you are all well and that you are able to spend some time this summer resting and relaxing. Please do also continue to pay attention to the health guidelines surrounding COVID-19, wear a mask, and wash your hands regularly. All of the evidence suggests that wearing a mask and handwashing have an enormously positive impact on reducing the spread of the virus.

I am writing today not to give you an update on our fall plans but rather to reflect on the national conversation that is taking place about racial discrimination and to share with you the impact that conversation is having on the school. I have written two letters that detail some of the actions that we will take over the next year to become more inclusive and actively anti-racist, and I hope that you will read those closely. The initiatives we are undertaking are also outlined on Loomis' updated DEI webpage. In this letter, I want to focus on what each of you can do personally to create a fully inclusive school. What can you do when you return to school, whether in person or online, to nurture the community that we aspire to be?

One reason that students choose a school like Loomis—one reason that you chose Loomis Chaffee—is because of the diversity of our student body. Last year we enrolled a total of 735 students, of which 215 (29%) self-identified as US students of color (71 Asian American, 46 Black/African American, 27 Latinx/Hispanic, 7 Middle Eastern American, 63 Multiracial, 1 Native American). In addition, we enrolled 111 international students and the total student body represented 48 different countries. Our students are also from different faiths and are male, female, nonbinary, straight, gay, bi, and questioning. And, one third of our students are on financial aid—although all students are subsidized through the Annual Fund and the endowment.

We are an intentionally diverse community because we believe that such diversity builds on our Founders' wishes, reflects our wider community, affords opportunities for students to learn from one another, and prepares you for a diverse world. The benefits of living in an inclusive community are multifaceted and obvious. Since cultural competence is a necessary life skill, you will be better prepared for college and for life if you are able to operate successfully in a diverse and inclusive community.

Numbers alone, however, are not enough. If we want to create a truly inclusive and equitable community, we need to ensure that all students feel respected, valued, and welcomed. The Loomis Chaffee mission statement asks us all to be our best selves and to serve the common good. I am asking each and every one of you to think about what this means for the school today and for the way you conduct yourself within the school. Your personal behavior and your willingness to welcome difference and to lean into discomfort will make all the difference in our ability to be a truly inclusive school.

To our students of color and international students, I would say that this school belongs to you as much as to anyone. Like all of our students, we invited you to attend Loomis because we believed that you would prosper here and that you could not only thrive in our rigorous academic community but you would also contribute to the vibrancy and intellectual vigor of the school. We admitted you because you are curious and smart and motivated. We wanted you to come to Loomis and we are committed to making you feel like you belong. Loomis is your school. If, at any moment, you feel unwelcome or disrespected by a fellow student or by a teacher or staff member, please tell someone—your advisor, your teacher, your prefect or RA, your counselor, your dean, or any other adult in the community whom you trust. We have changed our protocols regarding how we will react to such situations to be more consistent and responsive.

If you are an international student, you have the added complexity of navigating a different society with possibly different values or mores or standards of behavior. Some of these differences may feel liberating, others may be confusing or even in direct contradiction to what you have learned. We are here to help you navigate this landscape, so please do not be afraid to ask questions or to learn from those around you.

If you are a white domestic student know that this is also your school. Be aware, however, that the burden for making the school inclusive rests more on your actions than anyone else's. Loomis is a historically white institution and so it is up to those of us who are white to ensure that we change and that we welcome diversity and difference. The following advice is primarily for you.

The do's:

Understand the privileges that come from simply being white and use your privilege for good. (Here's a helpful document to help understand what white privilege looks like and what it is not.)
Call out racism or homophobia or other behaviors that are hateful, disrespectful, or demeaning wherever you see them—in your friend groups, your dormitory, your classes, your teams, and elsewhere.
Listen and try to understand the issues; ask questions, educate yourself. Also, though, be aware that sometimes we say something that just lands wrong or we realize is inappropriate—acknowledge that fact, apologize, and learn from your mistake.
Be welcoming and respectful of all people. Nathaniel Batchelder, the school's first head, wanted Loomis students to be good and to be kind—these are underrated attributes, but if you practice them they will carry you far.
Make friends with people who are different from you—reach out, be inclusive, be friendly.

Some don'ts:

Don't ask inappropriate personal questions or make statements that are demeaning or ignorant.
Don't make assumptions about where people are from or the kind of environment they come from.
Don't question anyone's right to be here at Loomis. Every student here has earned their right to be here and has met a rigorous academic standard.
Don't use racial, homophobic, Anti-Semitic or any other kind of slur—ever.
Don't touch people's hair or comment on their appearance.

Of course, practicing these "do's" and "don'ts" alone won't make the complicated issues of bias, discrimination, and racism disappear. Systemic racism is deeply entrenched in U.S. society and will require an unwavering commitment by all of us to dismantle it. It will be challenging and often times uncomfortable, but it is the right thing to do and we will be a stronger community for it.

Some people have tried to politicize the issues surrounding racism and to suggest that this is a partisan issue. It is not. Republicans, Independents, and Democrats alike abhor racism. Recently, James Mattis, former Chief of Staff, Secretary of Defense, and Marine General, described those protesting the deaths of Black people in police custody as "tens of thousands of people of conscience who are insisting that we live up to our values—our values as people and our values as a nation." And, I would add, our values as a school. Former President George W. Bush has decried the systemic racism he sees in our society. Whatever your political persuasion, it should not include racism.

"May you live in interesting times," says the proverb. Well, that you do. Pay attention to everything that is going on around you; read, read, and read; keep a journal; and get involved. I look forward to hearing from you and to welcoming you back in the fall when we will work together to build a better, stronger, and more inclusive school.

Ne cede malis,

Sheila