On December 7th and 8th, Horace Greeley High School celebrated its ninth biannual Unity Day, which gives students a chance to bond, connect, empathize with one another, and strengthen Chappaqua’s school community. In light of recent hate speech incidents, Unity Day’s influence is paramount to the district’s efforts to educate on the impacts of such actions of hate and discrimination.
To commemorate the ninth biannual Unity Day, the Horace Greeley BIPOC Student Union (BSU) invited Ken E. Nwadike Jr., creator of the Free Hugs Project, to be the keynote speaker for Chappaqua’s middle and high school students. Prior to Mr. Nwadike’s speech, students were tasked with exploring his work and completing preliminary questions to stimulate thoughtful and empathetic thinking. Upon completing the exploration, students were asked to brainstorm a question of their own that they would like to ask Mr. Nwadike. Co-Vice President of BSU, Rhea Narayanan highlights how much effort the club put into Unity Day to make it impactful for everyone, and says, “We spent a lot of time familiarizing ourselves and organizing so that everyone would be able to gain new insight and new perspectives from Mr. Nwadike.”
The effort put into Unity Day was matched by enthusiasm from students. Junior Sophie Rinzler shares, “I had spoken to a lot of people in my class about English and APUSH, but not about more serious topics, such as modern cases of discrimination and corruption. The preliminary exploration helped us become more comfortable with each other.” Rinzler points out that Unity Day was the first time she could discuss heavier topics with some of her peers. She says that she felt that one of the most memorable experiences for many students was having their hard-thought questions answered by Mr. Nwadike, in addition to the smaller discussions after his speech.
Mr. Nwadike is a peace activist and motivational speaker, who works with audiences ranging from students to active protesters in an effort to bring awareness to his message. He has found success on platforms such as Instagram and Youtube, and is considered by many a well-loved public figure who brings his positivity anywhere he goes.
And, according to the applause after his speech, he didn’t let the Greeley community down.
Love and appreciation for Mr. Nwadike emanated from the student body after his speech. Many agreed that Mr. Nwadike has been one of the best speakers at Greeley, if not the best ever. When asked why much of the student body feels this way, it becomes quite clear. Senior Oliver Baccay says that Mr. Nwadike was “engaging, relatable with his high school experiences, and had a very emotion-evoking presentation with videos that went to show his work.” Mr. Nwadike’s discussion of his past, including his vulnerability around his childhood and family life, openness about experiences with those he was mentored by, and later on his relatable high school lifestyle were all reasons that students connected with him. Narayanan further emphasizes these points, and says that Mr. Nwadike’s speech was “really empowering and strong.”
French teacher Mme. Bénédicte Uguen says that she loved listening to Mr. Nwadike. She had run in the Boston Marathon the year of the bombing, and watching Mr. Nwadike discuss how he felt the need to empower its runners the year after struck a chord with her; Mme. Uguen shares, “I really connected with him.”
In addition to these sentiments, Sophie Rinzler expresses that Mr. Nwadike was simply “a phenomenal speaker” with fine-tuned skills that made each and every student feel as though he was “talking directly to them, despite there being hundreds of students.” Mr. Nwadike’s passion was clear to many viewers, some feeling as though they were living his life alongside him as they heard about his struggles and successes. Uguen says that “[i]t was really entertaining and he was able to capture everyone’s attention.” His story inspired and sparked joy among many of the hundreds of students and faculty watching.
Many felt as though they didn’t have enough time with Mr. Nwadike. After his finished presentation, students swarmed around him to get a picture, a hug, and have a conversation. Co-President of BSU Ava Herman says, “He was very approachable with a personality you’d immediately consider your friend.” Other students echoed these sentiments, including freshman Nicholas Serini, who says that he was amazed and blown away by Mr. Nwadike’s story. Serini also says that he felt an emotional tie to Mr. Nwadike since they both are track runners. Mr. Nwadike’s openness about his high school experience, especially with track and the story of his first mile, allowed students to truly engage and connect to him. Many students felt as though Mr. Nwadike was a safe person to talk to about his activism and track; some even opted to get a hug. “I stayed longer to ask him questions and to give him a hug,” Serini shares.
Mr. Nwadike had a lasting legacy that continued after his speech ended. When students went back to their classroom to discuss and reflect, many students took away life lessons from Mr. Nwadike’s speech. Co-Secretary of BSU Adam Kamal shared that his biggest takeaway was the fact that everyone is human. “No matter our status, title, experiences, and the personalities developed by these experiences,” he says, “we are all humans and deserve to be treated with the same respect as anyone else.” Kamal says that he feels incredibly grateful for what Mr. Nwadike taught. Sophie Rinzler agrees, and says that one of the best parts of the day for her was the discussion afterwards: “My class, we talked about implementing different policies or taking new actions to incorporate Ken’s lesson… At the end of the discussion, we all went around and complemented one another.” The impacts of Mr. Nwadike’s speech could be seen mere minutes after applause for him erupted in the gym.
The criticisms that Unity Day receives often concern its scheduling and time allotment. Some students feel as though it is rushed or crammed in at the end and has confusing schedules. Many, including Rinzler, share that they would love to see a “whole day dedicated to Unity Day.”
Overall, the recent Unity Day has been deemed “one of the best” by Rhea Narayanan for the Greeley community so far. Mr. Nwadike’s speech inspired students and staff. Many students hope to carry his timeless lessons with them, and are already looking forward to the next Unity Day.