By Jake Faber ’14 and Jake Cohen ’14, Staff Writers 

On Thursday February 21st, the Newark Academy community experienced Dr. Michael Fowlin’s incredible presentation entitled “You Don’t Know Me Until You Know Me.” Students walked into the auditorium for the “Feinberg Multicultural Assembly,” and came out with a stupefied sense of awe. For an hour and a half, Newark Academy was entranced by what “Mykee” had to say, and for the rest of the week, one could not help but feel the ambiance that  took over while the community pondered and recovered from the power of his message. The response of the Newark Academy community to Dr. Michael Fowlin’s presentation on masks and identity was truly unprecedented. For the days that followed his performance, a very tangible sense of emotion permeated the Academy and was exacerbated by a need to address the problems outlined by Dr. Fowlin. But why, of all the speakers that have visited Newark Academy, did Dr. Fowlin have such a robust impact? To what extent was his message clear and well received? And will it have a lasting impact on the school? These are just a few of the questions we are left with that carry great implications for the Academy.

Many have visited this institution attempting to convey a message or teach a lesson to an often times stubborn and intellectual community, but very few have received such blatant praise. Dr. Fowlin, in many ways, exceeded that subcategory of memorable and overtly successful speakers. His presentation style, theatrical acumen, and the pertinence of the topic all coalesced to elicit a vastly emotional and thoughtful reaction.  Zach Gross ‘14 mentioned, “I was surprised by how much people did react so immediately.” This instant reception of Dr. Fowlin’s message was overwhelming to many, but its intensity does not denounce its positive influence. Rather, as Dr. DiBianca put it: “[the presentation] was overall considered a win…to some it was considered a big win and it touched a lot of people.” A “win,” in this sense, being that Dr. Fowlin touched the community in a way quite unlike any other. His success was in his ability to open up and unite each and every student. On the whole, it was the different and unconventional style of Dr. Fowlin, fittingly similar to the differences that he asked us to embrace, that ultimately proved effective.

Though few can deny Dr. Fowlin’s aptitude as an orator (or perhaps more accurately a performer), his message and its reception are open to argument. Ms. Gordon provides one such interpretation: “The biggest issue for the teachers was that we had no warning about what the presentation was about…we don’t expect to get suddenly whacked in the guts by our own emotional baggage.” At its core, this description highlights two strains of the presentation–it was both emotionally jarring and completely unforeseen. The omnipresent feeling of discomfort was a direct result of our clear lack of preparedness that at the same time was one of the presentation’s most compelling attributes. Often times we must be blindsided by bluntness in order to fully feel the impact of societal commentary.

But now the question becomes: can this change endure? We have seen a student reaction with the newly founded Oyster Club. Jessica Lim ‘14, one of the club’s founders described its mission stating, “we want people to know that they can talk about their problems and they won’t be judged and…know that there’s someone in the community that cares about them.” The construction of an “NA Compliments” Facebook page also served as an immediate emotional outlet to the student body. Receiving hundreds of anonymous compliments in its first day, the page appears to have a strong foundation on which it can continue the trend of community change. That being said, there is worry that there may be no true lasting impact–an idea echoed by Ms. Gordon who noted, “I don’t want those lessons to be [quickly] forgotten.” Luckily, we have a strong foundation and great enthusiasm that offer hope that Dr. Fowlin’s message will endure.

Nobody can know for certain what Dr. Fowlin’s ultimate impact will be, but there is no doubt it will be a positive one. Regardless of the scheduling flaws or the lack of preparation, this presentation will absolutely be regarded as a win. Dr. Fowlin reached out to the Newark Academy community and offered students and faculty alike a powerful message of strength in the face of adversity. One of the most talented and effective speakers ever to grace the auditorium stage, he arrived here a stranger and left a legend, but he is, as Langston Hughes put it, “still here.”