Students of Color Affinity Trip was more than just a weekend getaway

By Caelyn Walton-Macaulay ‘20

**The author of this article attended the Students of Color Affinity trip.**

At the end of February, 15 Catlin Gabel School (CGS) Upper School students boarded a tiny bus, headed to Camp Westwind for a weekend at the Oregon coast. Aside from having completed another week of school (and being exhausted), they had one thing in common: they were all students of color looking to spend a weekend among people like them.

Junior Miles Grant wrote via email, “I went on the trip in order to connect with people similar to me and make some new friends.”

Zoie Calora, a ninth grader, said that initially, she didn't plan on going, but was persuaded by the trip’s student leader Corrine Walton-Macaulay.

Despite the thriving Outdoor Education program at CGS, affinity trips are relatively new. The Students of Color Affinity Trip has only run for two years.

John Harnetiaux, co-director of Outdoor Education, discussed the program’s assessment of the demographics of students that usually participate in outdoor trips. 

“A few years ago… we took a pretty critical look at how inclusive is our program; and, despite intentions, we were finding that there were still students that didn't feel particularly comfortable coming on trips, and particularly students of color,” he said.

Harnetiaux explained the intentions behind the creation of the Students of Color Affinity trip. 

“One of the things that we wanted to do was model an affinity trip after the affinity groups here, with this whole idea that students can seek out moments of reprieve when they're with people who share an affinity,” he added. Affinity trips would serve as an extension of that time and space for these students.

But why is it necessary to create an affinity space for minority students? 

CGS is what people refer to as a PWIS, a Predominantly White Independent School. For most white students, this simply means that most of their classmates look like them, and the curriculum is built to help them succeed.

Students of color, on the other hand, face the added challenge of trying to fit into an environment that was not designed with them in mind. Role models who share their identities are few and far between, and being a part of a majority is a privilege that they don’t have at a PWIS.

Enter affinity groups, then: spaces that give minority groups a chance to have a majority experience on campus. CGS Upper School affinity groups meet once every seven school days.

Trina Moore-Southall, Diversity and Inclusion Director at The Brentwood School in Los Angeles, wrote an article about the benefits of affinity groups.

“Affinity groups allow us to support the humanity of others. It is the most inclusive effort we can make,” she wrote.

The Westwind affinity trip aimed to extend that experience for a weekend. Some students’ takeaways from the trip were stronger connections to people with shared identities, an understanding of a shared struggle as a student of color at CGS, and lasting memories. 

Upon their return from school, students also noticed a difference. 

Calora described the deeper connections she now feels to others.

“I think returning made me more aware of how other people of color feel at Catlin, and it feels like I have more people who I can talk to if I want to,” she said.

Grant said, “I just noticed more and more lack of diversity… It made me assess my friend group and perhaps maybe [consider] moving to a more diverse place for college to get some different perspectives.”

In a PWIS like Catlin, having spaces like affinity groups for minority students to convene with peers who share aspects of their identities is essential. The space, though perhaps not extensive, makes it that much easier for minority students to feel like they belong.

In her article, Southall included a call to action for predominantly white independent schools.

 “Be committed to achieving excellence in every area of your school’s mission by recognizing that those whose identities lie in disadvantaged and oppressed groups are having a different experience,” she said. “If you are uncomfortable or unable to understand the necessity of affinity groups, you probably have never needed one.”

The students returned on Sunday afternoon, unloading their bags from the bottom of the bus and stretching their legs. They left the parking lot gradually, holding onto their pillows and the memories they made, refreshed and empowered by the experience they shared with their peers.