By Megha Poddar, News Editor

On September 24^th, students and faculty alike welcomed Matthew Reichel, Class of 2005, as the Academy’s first global speaker for the year. Mr. Reichel has had the unique opportunity of working and living in North Korea for several years, as he co-founded the Pyongyang Project in 2009, a self-sustaining social enterprise dedicated to advancing capacity-building ventures in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. In his presentation, Matt reflected thoroughly about his time abroad and also how his education at Newark Academy influenced his path in life.

When describing the works of his enterprise, Reichel explained to the audience that the Pyongyang Project utilizes three facets that furnish his educational and humanitarian efforts in the DPRK: rationality, creativity, and empathy. With the appropriate funds, Mr. Reichel and his team have started sending hundreds of North Korean students abroad to countries such as China, Great Britain, and the Netherlands, with hopes of exposing the kids to different ways of life. Willa Schwarz ’15, a member of Think Tank, reflected, “it is very inspiring that he is working to help people, especially kids, of a country that most would not even attempt to help.”

Our guest speaker also touched upon the more obvious, serious matters including the prevalent issue of nuclear weapons and North Korea’s despotic government. When speaking about North Korea’s nuclear weapons, Reichel gravitated towards talking about how the media highly influences Western opinion of North Korea. He asserted his view that, “the real problem is the diplomatic isolation of the country, and nukes are a symptom.” To this day, there are several countries that do not recognize North Korea as a legitimate country, including the United States, having harmful effects on the country’s economy with an average income of just fifty-cents per month for many people. Chris Paradis ’16 took special interest in the presentation, saying, “It surprised me how wretched the economy is and how there really exists a need for change.” On a similar note, in a smaller breakout session Reichel voiced his opinion that even Soviet Russia at its most oppressive state was more liberal than North Korea at its most liberal state. For this reason, Mr. Reichel works “to put the North Korean people back in the political debate,” by acting according to their wishes. Mr. Reichel specifically works toward alleviating the pressures placed on North Korean people through his humanitarian efforts.

Mr. Reichel offered a distinct perspective into what he sees as the reality in North Korea– a reality that we at the Academy may not always see due to the news and social media. Although Mr. Reichel did not neglect to pose his opinion that North Korea is, “by far the most repressive country in the world today,” he encouraged the community to look beyond the harsh façade and realize that “North Koreans are real people with their own dreams just like everyone else.” In fact, when Mr. Jacoby, an Theatre Arts teacher, asked the guest what role the arts and sports played in the country, if any, Mr. Reichel responded with a light-hearted answer, deeming that “Kim Jung Il loves sports.”

Many students connected with the fact that Mr. Reichel had actually walked the same halls at the Academy on a daily basis less than ten years ago. Gabriella Bellermo ’15, a new student, commented after seeing her first global speaker presentation that she found it, “fascinating that the speaker was an alum. It really emphasizes the close support Newark Academy gives its students and how it continues even after they graduate.” Even Dr. DiBianca, Upper School Principal, recounted Matt’s story of insisting on staying at School Year Abroad in China for all of senior year, and then “nine years later, coming back to the school to tell us about his experiences, which really did dictate much of what he did in college and beyond.” Dr. Dibianca added, “his going to China, really opened his mind up to the Eastern half of the planet.” Many members of the faculty also remember Mr. Reichel as being politically and linguistically minded during his time at the Academy, and he undoubtedly took those interests with him to North Korea.

All in all, the Global Speaker Series encouraged students and faculty to embrace a global perspective, while remaining close to home with such an inspiring speaker alum. Craig Haratz ’14, a member of the Global Speaker Committee, encapsulated Mr. Reichel’s visit to the Academy when saying, “While his organization may be small, Matt’s passion and knowledge of the region is certainly not.” Matthew Reichel, with his in-depth knowledge of North Korea and his first-hand experiences in the country, returned nine years later, bringing a new and interesting perspective to the students and faculty at Newark Academy.