the ASPect - American School of Paris

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14/visiting author Girl Power at ASP! by Virginia Larner, US English Department Poetry is said to be a “voicing, a calling forth”. It is in this register that guest speaker Elline Lipkin addressed the ASP community last month. A research scholar at UCLA’s Center for the Study of Women, Ms. Lipkin is the author of the prize-winning 2006 poetry anthology The Errant Thread, as well as the acclaimed 2009 Girls’ Studies, a “clear and easy-toread guide to the emergent and diffuse field of girls’ studies in the United States.” On these two days Ms. Lipkin ran studentbased sessions that engaged IB psychology candidates in the research skills she used while conducting case studies, questionnaires, and observation surveys that fed her insightful work on teenage girls. Likewise, drawing from her doctoral thesis in creative writing, she beautifully read a number of her own poems to IB and AP English students, evoking stark memories of her mother’s childhood in Rwanda, her father’s strong European roots, and her own personal narratives of yearning set in Paris and New York. One afternoon about ninety people— students, faculty and staff, and parents— gathered in the Cube to listen to Elline’s informative talk on key issues of empowerment, body image, and media impact on teenage girls, as discussed in her recent Girls’ Studies. The Q and A session that followed was lively and convivial with comments ranging from a father’s concern about how to best encourage his young daughters’ sense of self to a student’s admission that she felt good about who she was, thanks to the efforts of a supportive mother. Ms. Lipkin has continued to correspond with members of the ASP community and express her appreciation for such a warm and open welcome at our school. She would like to keep the conversation going by having you write in comments about teenage issues (affecting girls and boys) on her website www.girlsstudies.com that is now up and running. Let’s respond to her beckoning invitation. ‘‘I thought Elline Lipkin’s talk was interesting and thoughtprovoking. Even though she has such an accomplished career, I liked that she was so friendly and open to our questions when she talked to us. My favorite poems that she read were the ones about Paris and life abroad.” Emma WillemS (Grade 12) ‘‘I was incredibly impressed with the pieces of the poet. I find that she awakened in me a pride in the city of Paris where I live.” Claire Agius (Grade 12) The Aspect - November 2010
school news /15 ASP talent tops out in China ASP seniors Rob Seeley and Lukas Papenfusscline have just returned from Beijing, China, where they were among the most outstanding performers at the AMIS International Jazz Festival. Both were selected via very competitive auditions last spring, Rob for the Big Band and Lukas for the Vocal Jazz Ensemble. ASP Band Director Neal Yocom was also busy at the festival working with the top jazz combo, which happened to include Rob Seeley. One memorable moment for the ASP group came at the Friday night combo concert where both students were featured as soloists in a crowd-rocking version of Stevie Wonder’s “Sir Duke.” Rob Seeley writes, “Although I predicted the week to be an extremely memorable experience, I underestimated how much you can learn about someone’s character through the music they play rather than what they say. It was a fantastic opportunity to play with high class musicians from around the world and was the perfect excuse to visit Beijing.” Lukas Papenfusscline notes, “Being surrounded by a mélange of culture, appreciation and togetherness under the umbrella of jazz performance is an unforgettable experience. Put it in China and you’ve got a recipe for a once-in-alifetime thing. Understanding a different culture and its relationship with the arts as well as appreciating the subtle differences which underscore all peoples truly fed into the inspirational and invigorating experience which the music created.” Supporting Excellence The Excellence Fund 10-11 was launched this month. With each invitation to participate in annual giving, parents were given an invitation for coffee with Head of School, Mark Ulfers and Director of Advancement, Michael McNeill to ask any questions they might have with regard to school fundraising. We are looking forward to a successful second year of annual giving at ASP! Please join in support of: l Academic Excellence: Innovative Programs that push the limits for student learning l Tools for Excellence: Ensuring technology for tomorrow l Teaching Excellence: Investing in teachers you remember for life Coffee dates at 8.30am in the Advancement Office. RSVP to mmcneill@asparis.fr l November 18 l December 2 The Aspect - November 2010
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