International Impacts

February 17, 2023

Thaden Community,

In the summer of 2018, just after closing the books on our first academic year, I traveled to Turkey and Greece with our Latin and Classics teacher, Dr. Robert Conn, to explore new ground and build relationships for potential international programs. Our friends at Robert College, a boarding school in Istanbul for students from all regions of Turkey, invited us to stay on their campus. I will never forget waking at dawn to the lyrical cadence of Adhan, the Islamic call to prayer, floating through my window on breezes from the Bosphorus, the strait that connects Asia and Europe.

The earthquakes in Turkey and Syria last week have reawakened my sense of connection to this part of our world and the people who greeted us with such warmth and generosity of spirit. Fortunately, we have learned that the Robert College community has escaped the worst of the earthquakes that have taken more than 40,000 lives (and counting) and have left millions homeless in winter. But we have also heard from others right here in Northwest Arkansas, including members of our school community, with heartbreaking stories of personal loss and devastation.

Let us not forget that ours is an international community with living connections that span the globe. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “we are all caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied into a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.” As a school that teaches students how “to think ethically, critically, and creatively about global issues and their local manifestations,” we will engage our students in reflections on the continuing toll of these earthquakes, far and near.

We also invite our school community to support our nation’s emergency relief efforts. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) offers guidance on how we can help in the face of a humanitarian crisis that only collective action and compassion can relieve.

Together we hold Turkey and Syria in our hearts.

Clayton K. Marsh
Founding Head of School