Lumina at Westover | October 2025
From celebrating courage and heritage to sharing light and connection, our community came together to listen, learn, and shine at Lumina throughout October. Check out the full recap and see how each moment sparked curiosity, joy, and growth.
Honoring Constance Baker Motley with Guest Speaker Constance L. Royce
This month, the Westover community gathered for a Lumina that celebrated courage in all its forms. Guest speaker Constance L. Royster brought with her a powerful legacy. She is the niece of Constance Baker Motley, the trailblazing civil rights lawyer and judge who became the first Black woman to serve as a federal judge, argue before the Supreme Court, and be elected to the New York Senate.Royster followed a similar path, spending more than 25 years in law as a clerk and Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of New York. Today, she honors her aunt’s story by sharing the lessons of her aunt’s life, highlighting persistence, justice, and the courage to lead.
Speaking to Westover students, Royster reflected on the strength her aunt showed in the face of challenge and the courage she sees reflected in each of them.
“You may not think you are ready to make a difference in the world, but you are,” she told them. “Every act of kindness and truth telling makes a difference.”
The program also featured Avery N. ’27, who shared reflections from Equal Justice Under Law by Constance Baker Motley. Discovering that Motley grew up in her own hometown, Avery said the connection made history feel immediate and alive: “Judge Motley’s New Haven ties felt almost unreal. As if history wasn’t just in the textbooks, but right in the place I call home…Hearing from Ms. Connie today and reflecting on the life of Judge Motley, I hope her story reminds us all that courage doesn’t happen in a flash. Rather, it takes time for barriers to be broken down one by one, and the opening of one door to let someone through ignites monumental growth.”
Hispanic Heritage Appreciation | The Power and Connectivity of Music and Dance
Music and dance have a unique way of bringing people together—across cultures, languages, and generations. In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Westover’s Latin/o/a/x Student Union (LSU) showcased how these arts unite Hispanic and Latin communities through rhythm, movement, and history.
“Music means more to us than just a form of entertainment. It expresses who we are, our culture, our identity, and our community,” shared LSU member Valeria A.R. ’26. “Throughout Latin history, music has been part of every moment, from Salsa and Bachata to Tango, Merengue, Latin Pop, and Reggaeton. Each song reminds us of where we come from so that we always feel connected.”
During the program, students danced through the Chapel’s aisle, introducing each style before performing it with energy and pride. From learning about Bomba, the Afro-Puerto Rican music and dance tradition dating back to the 17th century, to exploring how the lyrics and movements of Merengue reflect the struggles and aspirations of the Dominican Republic, each piece revealed how music and dance preserve culture and keep history alive through joy.
As the Lumina came to a close, the community joined in a series of affirmations—words that celebrated connection, honor, and unity:
Through music and dance, we celebrate our cultures and honor the stories of our ancestors.
The rhythm of music connects our hearts, reminding us that we are one community.
When we dance, we share joy, energy, and unity with everyone around us.
The rhythm of music connects our hearts, reminding us that we are one community.
When we dance, we share joy, energy, and unity with everyone around us.
Quiet Reading
In addition to holding space to hear from students, guest speakers, and Westover faculty and staff, Lumina also reserves space for silence. Each year, the Lumina Heads invite Westover community members to gather in Chapel with a book—whether it is their current personal read, a book for class, or something they’ve been meaning to open.
Sitting besides their peers, teachers, and colleagues, everyone at Westover takes a moment to read in silence. The only sounds heard are wooden chairs creaking from a person adjusting their reading position, getting more comfortable as they experience another world from their spot in Chapel, and pages turning as each reader dives into the story they chose for that morning.
With titles spanning from Westover’s Head of School Book Club’s current selection Dealing with Feeling by Mark Brackett to students reading Albert Camus’ The Stranger and Kate Chopin’s The Awakening, the joy of silence and connection through literature came to life as every student, teacher, and staff member
Bringing the Light | A Celebration of Diwali
Westover honored Diwali, the Hindu Festival of Lights, in Lumina by celebrating themes of renewal, unity, and the triumph of light over darkness. Students and faculty gathered in Red Hall, reflecting on the power of collective light and how each individual’s glow contributes to something brighter and stronger together.
The presentation featured a short documentary, personal reflections from DEIB student head of school Gazal D. ’26 and Director of Global Programs TW Tracy-Wanck, and a poem by Director of Enrollment Management Tianna Lall-Emard. Each shared a unique perspective on what Diwali represents: joy, connection, and the importance of embracing both inner and outer light.
The Lumina closed with Langston Hughes’s She and a moment of affirmation, encouraging everyone to carry Diwali’s message forward—transforming darkness into goodness and sharing their own light with the world.
Do You Really Know Me?
October’s final Lumina invited the Westover community to reflect on the power of empathy, awareness, and authentic connection. Through original poetry, spoken word, and dance, students explored how curiosity and compassion help us better understand one another.Pieces like Say My Name Right and You Don’t Know Me Yet encouraged listeners to value every voice and honor each individual’s story. Interactive call-and-response moments—“We listen. We learn. We grow as one.”—reinforced the importance of shared understanding.
The gathering closed with affirmations centered on mindfulness and kindness, reminding everyone that community thrives when we choose to listen deeply and lead with care.
Be Boldly You
Westover School admits students of any race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, or disability to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the School. As a gender-diverse girls school, Westover welcomes applicants and students who are assigned female at birth and/or identify as girls. The School does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, national and ethnic origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions and financial aid policies, and athletic or other school-administered programs.