By Sanya Bery ’17, Staff Writer

The Kaltenbacher is the Narnia of Newark Academy. No one really knows what goes on there – but those who go through those doors come out quite a while later. Word on the street is that the few brave souls to venture in have been quite amazed at their discoveries.

One of the many uses of the Kaltenbacher Hall is to serve as an area for Global Speaker breakout sessions. Four to five global speakers come to Newark Academy every year and highlight a wide variety of topics, ranging from bullying to foreign relations. On November 12th, Stephen Baker visited Newark Academy, making him the second global speaker of the year. Baker graduated from the University of Wisconsin and earned his master’s degree from Columbia School of Journalism. He then became a Senior Technology Writer at BusinessWeek. During his presentation he focused on journalism and the future of technology, sharing some interesting stories about robots. However, as interesting as a given speaker’s presentation may be, there are many benefits of breakout sessions:

1. Fewer People

• Because the whole school isn’t there, you can actually hear what’s going on, see the speaker, and share the space with people who care about the topic.

2. More Comfortable Atmosphere

• Everyone is generally more comfortable in a smaller space; in fact, Peter Lu ’17 believes that “breakout sessions allow a student to be in an intimate environment and have a personal talk with the speaker. It’s a different tone.” The sessions aren’t lectures, but rather a conversation between speaker and students.

3. Questions

• Jessie Williams ’16 thinks that during presentations there are too many people in the auditorium: “It is hard to speak. Breakout sessions are more personal in a way because they allow one to express [his or her] opinion.” Questions are limited during presentations partly because students are embarrassed, they don’t get called on, or there is not enough time. Breakout sessions allow one to ask questions freely.

4. Location

• The Kaltenbacher is mystical. Breakout sessions, if nothing else, are a good excuse to explore the unknown area.

All in all, breakout sessions have benefits, and before you graduate, you should go visit the Kaltenbacher for a one-of-a-kind experience and to learn more about an interesting topic.