Palmer Trinity School

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E E D I T O R 5 F A L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 6 As the year begins its closure with the comforting shifts of fall (goodbye hurricane season), mixed sentiments move onto our campus alongside a fresh cold front. is November finds us in disparate moods. On one hand, the anticipatory gratitude of anksgiving makes us joyful. On the other, the pandemonium of the 2016 Presidential Election left us perplexed. e late political climate inspires a kind of self-reflection that we, as educators, cannot ignore. e commotion of Election Day is more than choosing one candidate over the other. It's more than updating your moral code of right and wrong. As responsible voters, we have to understand the fruition of our choices by exploring two fundamentals: the degree of objectivity and influence of subjectivity. I once worked for Walter Cronkite, trusted broadcast journalist for CBS. Day in and day out, I watched disciplined objectivity oversee his decisions and actions. Yet when it came to anything about the Vietnam War, he was unable to remain objective. How does objectivity work? Can we turn it on and off as we please, or must objectivity be practiced with utmost consistency? How can we understand objectivity as it relates to the academic sphere? Objectivity is a timeless concept that is constantly reexamined by scholars and philosophers. It even has its own history, as the notion of objectivism has evolved over time. Today, we think of objectivity as the ability to act without the interference of bias, opinion, feelings, or past experiences. Practicing objectivism means seeing things for how they really are, pure and untainted. It is a straightforward approximation of truth. It sounds simple enough, right? Unfortunately, it's quite the opposite. "Objectivity is a subject's delusion that observing can be done without him." — Heinz von Foerster Objectivity seems simple until we apply it to the human mind, which is subjective by nature. Our thinking mind is shaped by our environment, senses, and preferences — it is an undeniable compilation of every past experience. Our mind dons a pair of subjective, prescription shades that, much like our personality, we cannot just "take off." If no one is entirely objective, how do we approach a world that feels so unbalanced at times? How do we make sound choices if we can't catch a glimpse at the real, unfiltered truth? My objective answers to these questions will be different than your objective answers. erein resides the complexity of relying upon objectivity as our compass in tumultuous times. e intricacy thickens as we consider objectivity within the classrooms of Palmer Trinity School. Must our teachers stay objective, or can they share their beliefs and feelings in class? e personalities and views of our faculty inspire students to arrive at their own autonomy and expression. But we tread lightly as to never interfere with the high quality of knowledge that is our standard at PTS. Instead of objectivity being one finite concept we all must uniformly land upon, perhaps it is more of a spectrum. Certain things can be more objective than others. Many of us will all objectively agree that anksgiving dinner is a delicious meal. We may not share the same objective view on who should do the dishes afterwards. But maybe understanding polarities and conflict doesn't require objectivity at all. Maybe our best approach is the one that values kindness, equality, and fairness. As writer Michael Pollan suggests: "I think perfect objectivity is an unrealistic goal; fairness, however, is not." I'd like to close by circling back to the opening theme of gratitude. As I work to make sense of the transition from a political heyday to a heartwarming holiday, our school is on my mind. Regardless of the circumstances, PTS values the interrogation of an issue from all perspectives. Collectively, we use our critical thinking skills and meaningful class discussions to arrive at fair resolutions. For this, I am most thankful to belong in the community of Palmer Trinity School. S U Z A N N E G O T T L I E B C A L L E JA A S S O C I AT E H E A D O F S C H O O L F O R C O M M U N I C AT I O N S A N D S T R AT E G I C PA R T N E R S H I P S

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