“On Saturday, members of the Hindu faith—including many in our own Roxbury Latin community—began the celebration of Diwali, one of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, which symbolizes the spiritual victory of light over darkness, good over evil, and knowledge over ignorance—virtues to which we can all aspire,” began Headmaster Brennan in virtual Hall on November 17.

The morning’s Hall continued a time-honored RL tradition of recognizing, and celebrating, the particular faith lives of members of our community. Joining the RL students and faculty on November 17 was Swami Tyagananda, who spoke about the tradition and celebration of Diwali, as well as the virtues of spiritual strength and how we might all work toward it. The Swami is a monk of the Ramakrishna Order; he is head of the Vedanta Society in Boston, and he also serves as the Hindu Chaplain at MIT and Harvard. He became a monk in 1976, soon after graduating from the University of Bombay, India. He has presented papers at various academic meetings and offers lectures and classes at the Vedanta Society, MIT and Harvard, and other colleges in and around Boston.

Swami Tyagananda acknowledges routinely that some people in the West find his name unusual. As he explains: “’Swami” is the epithet used for Hindu monks, and the word means master. It points to the ideal of being a master of oneself, or being in control of oneself. The second part of his name was given to him when he received his final monastic vows. “Tyagananda” is a combination of two words, tyâga and ânanda: tyâga means detachment or letting go; ânanda means joy. Taken together, the word means “the joy of detachment.” It points to the ideal of letting go of all the nonessentials in order to focus on and hold on to the essentials.

In Hall, the Swami not only enlightened his audience to the history of the Diwali celebration, and the story of King Rama’s defeat over Ravana; he also reminded us that while the body and mind have limitations—that they can feel weak or strong—the spirit is limitless, and perfect. He spoke about the virtues of focusing on one’s spirit, and sharing that internal light with the world. He also reminded us that while our external markers vary greatly—our genders, skin colors, languages, religions—our spirits are universal, and it is often in learning about this great diversity of the world around us that we can help to understand our own identities and traditions anew. You can view the entirety of the Swami’s Hall presentation here.

On November 10, Roxbury Latin celebrated its annual Veterans Day Commemoration Hall—this year via Zoom, allowing alumni veterans from across the country to tune in. Headmaster Brennan welcomed students, faculty, staff, and guests as we, together, honored, “those veterans who are with us, and also all those others who have served our country in peacetime and wartime over the past 250 years. Their commitment, loyalty, and service to our country, to the values for which it stands, and for each one of us ought never to be forgotten.”

Featuring pre-recorded renditions of America, I Vow to Thee My Country, and God Bless America—as well as a moment for the Pledge of Allegiance, and the traditional passing of the peace—the Hall featured guest speaker Mansoor Shams. Mr. Shams is a U.S. Marine veteran, having served four years in the Marine Corps, where he attained the rank of corporal (non-commissioned officer) and received several honors. He is also the founder of MuslimMarine.org, where he uses his platform of both “Muslim” and “Marine” to counter hate, bigotry, and Islamophobia through education, conversation, and dialogue.

Dressed in traditional Pakistani garb, adorned with an American flag pin, Mr. Shams began by addressing some misconceptions related to his Muslim faith. He continued by answering questions related to his experience in the military, the relationships he formed, and his mission to help unify people in an increasingly divided world. He spoke about some of the conversations he had and individuals he encountered during his “Ask Me Anything” tour, during which he carried a simple sign across America (25 states to be exact), that read “I’m a Muslim and a U.S. Marine. Ask me anything,” to engage the public in conversation and dialogue.

Mr. Shams has been featured by PBS, NPR, BBC, and the New York Times, and has made national TV appearances as a commentator on CNN and MSNBC. He has delivered talks and presentations not only at schools and colleges, but also for the National Security Agency, the U.S. Marine Corps, and state government agencies across America.

He has led various national initiatives including the 29/29 Ramadan Initiative, in which he teamed up with Veterans For American Ideals, to have military veterans spend a night at the home of Muslim families across America during Ramadan, to encourage fellow Americans to get out of their comfort zones to get to know each other. Mr. Shams is a term member on the Council on Foreign Relations.

In his opening Hall remarks, Mr. Brennan listed those RL alumni currently in active duty—graduates ranging from the Class of 1976 to the Class of 2017. As is tradition, the Hall program included a list of the 37 Roxbury Latin alumni who were killed in service to their country, dating back to the Revolutionary War.

“Through these RL men we can draw a direct and impressive line to those WWII vets honored by the school several years ago, to four RL alumni casualties in the Civil War, and to RL’s most famous veteran, General Joseph Warren, Class of 1755, who lost his life at Bunker Hill. The inclination to serve our country is a natural extension of John Eliot’s admonition to serve as he said, ‘in Church and Commonwealth,’” said Headmaster Brennan.

You can view the entirety of this year’s Veterans Day Commemoration Hall here.

On October 29, students and faculty gathered not in Rousmaniere Hall, but over Zoom, tuning in from home for an unusual—but edifying—Founder’s Day celebration. In this historic year, with a consequential presidential election forthcoming, the day’s programming focused on various elements related to the election process in the United States—both in this year, and in decades past. Topics ranged from the Electoral College to polling, from the 19th Amendment to running a campaign, from the right to vote to what to look for on Election Night in 2020.

The day began with a pre-recorded rendition of “For All the Saints,” featuring the vocals of former RL boys, and with a traditional Founder’s Day introduction by Headmaster Kerry Brennan, which honored Roxbury Latin’s founder, John Eliot, and his legacy. Dr. Alex Keyssar—the Matthew Stirling Jr. Professor of History and Social Policy at the Harvard Kennedy School—began the day with a keynote address focused on two foundational topics: the history of the right to vote in the United States, and the Electoral College—its origins and its viability today. An historian by training, Dr. Keyssar specializes in the exploration of historical problems that have contemporary policy implications. His book, The Right to Vote: The Contested History of Democracy in the United States, was named the best book in U.S. history by both the American Historical Association and the Historical Society and was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. In 2004-2005, Dr. Keyssar chaired the Social Science Research Council’s National Research Commission on Voting and Elections, and he writes frequently for the popular press about American politics and history. Dr. Keyssar’s latest book, titled Why Do We Still Have the Electoral College? was published this year by Harvard University Press. Dr. Keyssar delivered a rich and engaging address, and stayed on for a lively and extended Q&A session with the students. You can view the entirety of Dr. Keyssar’s presentation and Q&A here.

After lunch, students heard from Dave Paleologos, long-time director of the Suffolk University Political Research Center, where he leads efforts to conduct statewide polls and bellwether survey analyses in Massachusetts and elsewhere. Suffolk’s presidential primary polls have predicted outcomes in many key battleground states, and their survey results have been reported on by hundreds of major news organizations. Its bellwether model, authored by Mr. Paleologos, is used both locally and nationally and has an 85% accuracy rating in predicting winners. Mr. Paleologos talked with students about how polling is done, as well as what to look for in battleground states—and what towns and counties, in particular, to keep an eye on as bellwether voting areas, as we anticipate results on Election Night. You can view the entirety of Mr. Paleologos’s presentation here.

Later in the afternoon, students and faculty enjoyed a panel discussion on what it takes to run for public office, and how to run a successful campaign. Panelists included Former Massachusetts State Representative Marie St. Fleur; former Massachusetts State Treasurer and former national chairman of the Democratic National Committee Steve Grossman; and RL alumnus Dennis Kanin ’64, who served as campaign manager for the presidential campaign of former U.S. Senator Paul Tsongas and served as Tsongas’s Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. After the panelist presentation—and after our guests answered lots of good questions from the boys—Mr. Kanin treated all to a preview of “What to Look for on Election Night.” His presentation focused on key battleground states; the various pathways to the presidency—to securing the required 270 electoral votes—for both Trump and Biden; and the potential scenarios if the election remains contested for many days or weeks. You can view the entirety of the panel discussion and of Mr. Kanin’s presentation here.

Rounding out the day was a session—and various online media—related to the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment and the Women’s Suffrage movement, led by Mrs. Berg, as well as a report on the results of RL’s own mock election by Mr. Piper. Students competed in Kahoots! quizzes throughout the day in homerooms, testing their knowledge on past presidents and national elections through questions crafted by Mr. Brennan. In the closing moments of the day’s program, the top winners in each class competed for the Kahoots! championship, which was secured by Frankie Gutierrez (II).

This fall season has proved an excellent showing for the Roxbury Latin Debate Team. Early in September, David Sullivan (II) competed in the World Individual Debate and Public Speaking Championships. His After-Dinner speech—a hilarious depiction of a time traveler from the future speaking to a group of tech executives in the present—propelled him to the finals of the competition. The pandemic, of course, poses a new challenge for David and his fellow RL debaters this year. “I had planned to be in front of a live audience in Shanghai,” David said. “Instead, I was in front of my computer screen in my living room.” While the lack of audible and visual reactions made the competition more challenging, David did say recording his speech mitigated some stress. “Plus,” he added, “I loved wearing pajama bottoms with my suit jacket.”

Later in the month, RL hosted the Interscholastic Parliamentary Debate (virtually, of course), which yielded even more good news for our boys. RL’s team placed second overall with eight wins. Theo Teng and Vishnu Emani (both of Class II) delivered particularly strong performances, placing third in Advanced Speaking (Theo) and Advanced Team (Theo and Vishnu). In the recent virtual debate tournament hosted by the Hotchkiss School, Alex Nahirny (III) earned a second-place finish in Impromptu Speaking and a respectable third place overall in the Novice Speaker category.

On September 27, at the Stoneleigh-Burnham Debate and Public Speaking Tournament, RL came out on top with a first-place finish out of twelve participating teams. Senior Edozie Umunna was named top individual overall, as well as earning a first-place finish in Interpretive Reading. For the latter event, Edozie chose the poem “Runaway Slave at Pilgrim’s Point,” a piece that, given the current racial tensions in our country, he said, “felt more pertinent than ever.” His overall performance qualified him for Worlds. For Edozie, the virtual format meant even more rigorous prep work. “It is so much more difficult for people, in general, to focus on your speech through a screen,” he said. “It has required extra focus from me to maintain their attention; my job is to make it easier for them.”

David Sullivan also did well at Stoneleigh-Burnham, placing third overall, and tying for first place in Impromptu Speaking. His prompt was an Albert Einstein quote: “The mind that opens to a new idea never returns to its original size.” David used the quote as a jumping-off point to discuss Einstein’s theories, his own exploration of mathematics, and the importance of voter open-mindedness in contemporary American politics. “Often, in Impromptu Speaking, your performance depends on the topics you receive,” said David. “I was grateful when this quote appeared on my Zoom screen.”

There is much for RL debate fans to celebrate, and we look forward to seeing Edozie speak at this year’s World competition. Both Edozie and David hope that they can soon return to in-person debates, so that they can continue to see their friends from all over the world that they have made through debate. “The bonds I have formed through debate are ones I will cherish forever,” says Edozie. “I couldn’t be happier that I made the decision to join the debate program.”

“The United States is coming up on one of the most contentious elections in history—and not just because the candidates support very different policies. In order to address why this election is so unique, I’m going to explain the details of how a presidential election works in the United States.” Thus began senior Ben Crawford, as he kicked-off Hall on October 8. Ben was one of five seniors in Stewart Thomsen’s AP U.S. Government and Politics course—along with Robert Balson, Will Cote, Frankie Lonergan, and Willem Santry—who ably led RL’s first virtual panel/forum-style Hall on the election process in America.

Ben expanded upon his opening statement by describing federal versus state purview when it comes to elections in the U.S., as well as the intricacies of the Electoral College. He walked his audience through a brief history of voting rights in America—from the Voting Rights Act of 1965, to Women’s Suffrage and the 19th Amendment, to the risks inherent in the 2013 Supreme Court ruling in Shelby County v. Holder.

Segueing smoothly to the potential impediments to voting in the 2020 presidential election, Frankie Lonergan took listeners through a state-by-state look back at primary season—particularly in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and in Atlanta, Georgia. “In Wisconsin, statewide elections were heavily impacted by long lines and closed polling locations, thanks in large part to the pandemic. Milwaukee experienced a serious shortage of poll workers, forcing the city to reduce the number of polling locations from 180 down to 5… Some Milwaukee residents waited up to two hours to cast their ballots.”

Frankie described the courts’ role in arbitrating disputes over voting issues, as well as the recent executive order in Texas limiting the number of absentee ballot drop-off boxes to just one per county, effectively forcing some people to travel 47 miles to cast their vote. Finally, Frankie described the changes to the postal service operation that Louis DeJoy has attempted to institute in his new role as United States Postmaster General, and how they could potentially impact people’s ability to vote effectively by mail.

Because some are voicing concern that next month’s election will not be decided on election night, but that rather the results will take much longer to realize, Robert Balson walked students and faculty through the 2000 presidential election of Bush versus Gore, detailing the close race and Florida recount, hanging chads and the Supreme Court decision, and in conclusion played Gore’s concession speech in full.

Will Cote then walked students and faculty through the possible outcomes of this upcoming election: He drew attention to close polls and the reality that the presidential election could, in fact, go either way. He walked through various scenarios—a decisive Biden victory, a decisive Trump victory, a situation in which the race is too close to call in the days following, and that neither candidate concedes, or—worse—casts aspersions on the validity of the election and its process. “Will there be recounts due to irregularities in the process?” posed Will. “Will the courts have to become involved? Will the in-person vote determine the winner? Or will the mail-in ballots counted days later determine the winner? Nobody can say for sure.”

Finally, Willem answered the question What should you do if you want to vote? He shared the very practical tools and logistical steps that someone must follow in Massachusetts so that they are registered to vote, know what their voting options are, and know where to go to cast their ballot—either in person or by mail.

After the boys’ presentations, the entire school moved to one of five discussion Zoom rooms, featuring each of the senior panelists and hosted by members of the history department. In those Zoom rooms the five seniors answered questions from their fellow schoolmates and members of the faculty and staff.

View the entirety of the students’ Hall presentation here. (And vote!)