Episode Transcript
[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to Insightful Questions, Eastside Prep's monthly podcast. In our third season, we will feature conversations with members of the EPS community, all centered around this year's theme, Responsible Action Care Through Clarity. I'm your host, Sam Uzwak.
Welcome back to Insightful Questions, the Eastside Prep podcast where we explore the ideas, experiences and relationships that shape our community.
Today's episode is a special one.
Recently we sent out a survey to the class of 2026, asking students one simple question.
If you could ask the head of school anything, what would you ask?
We received far more questions than we'll have time to get to today, but four 12th grade students are here to help guide the conversation and as many as we can.
Joining me today are Andrew Ma, Piper Belfiore, Cass Megiddo, and Anha Bhutani.
Andrew Ma has been part of the EPS community since ninth grade and has made a major impact during his four years here. As captain of the Speech and Debate team, Andrew helped grow the program to record participation levels with more than 10 students heading to nationals this year after graduation.
He has also served as a 9th grade GLR or Grade Level Representative and Community Outreach Co Chair on SLC Student Leadership Council, participated in environmental club initiatives, and explored everything from rowing and Ultimate Frisbee to choir and orchestra. Outside of school, Andrew enjoys nonfiction, reading, running, swimming, piano, and hand sharpening kitchen knives while also caring deeply about climate, advocacy and civic engagement.
Hey Andrew.
[00:01:54] Speaker B: Oh, it's great to be here.
[00:01:55] Speaker A: Wonderful.
Piper Belfiore joined EPS in fifth grade and has immersed herself in nearly every corner of student life during her time here. She has founded a club, led affinity groups, participated in four EPS sports, debated competitively, performed in eight productions and musicals, served as a glr, mentored peers, coach Middle School Ultimate Woo Hoo, and even designed and taught a seventh grade class.
Outside of school, Piper spends much of her time playing and coaching Ultimate Frisbee while also supporting organizations like Water first and volunteering in local political campaigns. Her leadership and energy have made her a familiar and inspiring presence across the EPS community.
Welcome, Piper.
[00:02:45] Speaker C: Thank you. That was such a flattering intro.
[00:02:47] Speaker D: Wow.
[00:02:48] Speaker A: Cass Megiddo joined Eastside Prep in sixth grade and has been deeply involved in the school's theater and play production community ever since. Through performances and production work, Cass has helped bring creativity and collaboration to countless art experiences on campus.
His involvement in play production reflects the strong sense of teamwork and community that defines the performing arts at Epsilon, and he brings the perspective of a longtime student who has experienced many sides of school life during his years here.
[00:03:22] Speaker E: Hey Cass, thanks for having me.
[00:03:24] Speaker A: Anhat Bhutani has been part of the EPS community since fifth grade and has been actively involved in both leadership and athletics throughout her time at the school. In middle school, she participated in theater and trimester sports, and in upper school she has especially enjoyed being part of the volleyball program and serving on Student Leadership Council.
Outside of eps, onhat has spent the past two years working with a nonprofit organization, Blood Cancer United, supporting fundraising, advocacy and patient resources related to blood cancers.
Through this work, she has developed a strong passion for health care, leadership, collaboration and community engagement.
Hi unhat.
[00:04:08] Speaker D: Hi Mr. Yu. Thank you for having me today.
[00:04:10] Speaker A: Well, thank you all so much for being here. So, full Disclaimer I've intentionally not previewed most of these questions ahead of time, which means we're all about to find out together where this conversation goes, that many of these questions are very thoughtful and a few might make me regret agreeing to this format.
So let's jump in. Who's got the first one?
[00:04:36] Speaker C: I do. What's your go to karaoke song?
[00:04:39] Speaker A: Don't Stop Believing by Journey doesn't sound good, but it's a go to.
[00:04:44] Speaker B: When's the last time you've done it?
[00:04:45] Speaker A: Oh, it's been years since I've done karaoke.
[00:04:48] Speaker B: What's the funniest thing you've seen in the LPC recently? Or really any building?
[00:04:52] Speaker A: Actually, it was Friday. Friday was grilled cheese day, so I was looking forward to it kind of all week. I actually skipped breakfast because I wanted to, and that was the funny thing I saw is just the way in which people were sharing.
I mean, the LPC has a lot of charming moments. I mean, I just love watching folks, whether it's after school or during their free periods and whatnot, kind of huddled around the tables, slightly goofing off, slightly working, just being together. And it's the tone. It's the tone you hear from the groups of kids fill the space of just enjoying being together and working on something, regardless of schoolwork or one of their own interests.
[00:05:34] Speaker D: As seniors, we've been reflecting on our time at eps. What teacher had the most profound impact on you when you were a student?
[00:05:40] Speaker A: I had a math teacher in eighth grade. I was a fairly boisterous student. Just a lot of energy. What I remember about her was the endless patience. She would get frustrated because I would be doing things that are frustrating. Nothing malicious, just sort of, you know, hamming it up, class clowning, things of that nature, the constant patience and then not giving up. And then the other One I'll share is a history teacher. In high school. It was sophomore year, was world history. He did a simulation that was centered on the Industrial Revolution. It was the first time I did learning through experience in a simulation versus sort of here's the knowledge. Now kick it back to me. I still remember the lesson. So there's a couple examples.
[00:06:23] Speaker B: I mean, here at eps, I think we can all relate to having a good history teacher.
[00:06:27] Speaker A: And I hope you can relate to taking knowledge and actually using it and experiencing it, because that's something we really try to work on.
[00:06:35] Speaker E: Well, going back to eps, I guess what would be your favorite EPS tradition that you hope never changes, y'?
[00:06:40] Speaker D: All?
[00:06:40] Speaker A: Welcoming the fifth graders at the start of the year, taking the time to make those posters, to be out there when our youngest are coming to their first fall orientation, whatever nerves, whatever excitement. And there's this smiling cadre of really big student people.
Because when you're a fifth or a sixth grader and maybe, you know, you can flash back to this. I just remember in middle school, being on the bus with the high schoolers and being terrified. They're just so much older. That welcoming smile and that familiar face when they come back on Monday in the upper school is huge. And I will tell you, it is not just one, it is many of those kids, they take those posters and maybe they end up on a bulletin board. And then this year, because there was a little bit of a glitch with transportation, and I know y' all hung out longer than was planned.
[00:07:31] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:07:32] Speaker A: And did some of the activities, just kind of sat on the floor with the fifth graders. Am I right? And I had heard back that that was a great experience for y' all as well, even though I'm sure you wanted to get going. But just those. Those kinds of traditions where we're really connecting younger and older students are really special to me.
[00:07:48] Speaker C: What do you think about when you hear EPS class of 2026?
[00:07:53] Speaker A: The intros I shared about each of y' all encapsulate a quality of your class, which is when I think back to when you started and where we are now. And I think about our teaching and learning, and I think about our theater program and our sports programs and our debate teams, our academic teams and the SLC itself. You have deepened all of those experiences and amplified all those experiences. If we think about eight years ago, seven years ago, four years, we had the things.
But many of those things were just starting off. In fact, academic team participation has lagged behind athletics participation. But now it's very robust. And we've had to staff up and we've had to figure out how to do this. So when I think about the quality and the intentionality and the impact you have had on the school, it's maybe less about starting new things and taking what we have and bringing it to those deeper, richer levels. That's how I think about your class.
[00:08:54] Speaker B: Even if we just look at SLC compared to a couple of years ago, basically all juniors who were rising, seniors who had run. But now we got freshmen, sophomores, everyone.
[00:09:02] Speaker E: And we also watch the birth of Eagle Con as a concept.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: Exactly right. We will be going into our 24th year next year. Several of you have been here for about a third of that. Fifth of that if we think about building a school.
But then what happens when you're done building, there's no more space to necessarily add. So what do you do? You deepen, you connect, you enrichen. And your class has absolutely done that.
[00:09:28] Speaker C: Four years ago, the EPS girls Ultimate team won two games their entire season. One of which was cause the other team had forfeited cause they didn't have enough players.
[00:09:37] Speaker A: Now you're winning Nationals. Nationals. That's a great example of what I'm describing. That takes commitment and that takes growth over time. There's something really exciting about starting something. But I think there's something very exciting and very satisfying about building a something and bringing it to particular levels. Because it's a grind. You got to put in the time and you have done that your whole class.
[00:10:00] Speaker D: I think we're really lucky to be in a community that fosters opportunities of leadership and allows us to grow into roles and deepen them. But I think a lot of students are also really curious about what leadership looks like behind the scenes at ups.
What's something you wish students understood better about your job as head of school?
[00:10:16] Speaker A: I hope that students understand myself, our leadership team, our staff and our faculty, all of us are united in trying to create the best experience for you. And I also know that at times it may not feel that way. It may not look that way from the student perspective. It's also possible that in a particular instance, like we could have made a different decision. But I hope every student realizes how much heart there is in this place that is expressed by our adult community who's working on behalf of y' all to create this experience.
Because it really moves me the care, compassion and belief in y' all that our adult community has. But I would also say it's reciprocated. Guests Come in. They see very genuinely the connections between the adults and students.
My job is largely invisible, not only to students, but to a lot of the faculty and staff. It's amazing work. It's fascinating.
[00:11:10] Speaker E: What's one school policy or decision that students often misunderstand and you would want them to know about it?
[00:11:16] Speaker A: Off campus privileges. You might have noticed this fall that there are a bunch of adults outside asking folks about, hey, you know, have you remembered to sign out? And it's not just to create a rule. You are entrusted to us by your parents and guardians. I'm essentially your parent. While you're here, we all are. We are responsible for your health and safety. And it's something we just take really seriously. Now, I will tell you credit to the students is that if we slowed it down and I explained the rationale, I got no pushback on that. When you tell the why behind a rule, you're a bunch of self advocating critical thinkers. That's a powerful combination. And you want to know the why. And I think you should ask the why. But when the why is shared, if the why makes sense, people are usually like, okay. And they help out.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: Mr. Uzwak, if you think back to your childhood, what are some challenges and privileges that we have now compared to your generation?
[00:12:10] Speaker A: Honestly, I think the challenges and privileges are sort of two sides of the same coin. We have everything at our fingertips in terms of information.
When I was researching suffragette movement for my junior year US History class, and I had to figure out how to get down to the Simsbury Public Library, and I had to flip through a card catalog, and then I had to go, oh, no, the book's checked out. And access to information and the possibilities that come with it and what you're able to do with it are. Are just stunning. At the same time, when you went home, you were home. So the boundaries of school and home have kind of expanded and contracted. And I think that's really challenging.
[00:12:53] Speaker E: If you could add a fifth value to tally, what would it be?
[00:12:56] Speaker A: Actually, everyone think about that for just a second. So I'm thinking, I'm acting, I'm leading.
[00:13:03] Speaker C: I think mine would be something along the lines of appreciation of beauty. I think this school really emphasizes academic growth and social growth in terms of becoming a leader and helping your community.
And I think taking time to think about art and the creative prowess of human beings to create and to appreciate creation is very important.
[00:13:26] Speaker E: I would agree that TAOI is like. It focuses on both academic and I would say, like leadership, like social skills. But something that I think would lack is. I don't know exactly what the word or value for this would be, but something emotional, like some sort of emotional development or independence.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: Yeah, I'd agree with this. A different version of think would make sense.
[00:13:43] Speaker C: Like empathize.
[00:13:45] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
[00:13:46] Speaker D: I'm going to piggyback off my peers here. I think the idea of, like, being grateful and, you know, appreciating the journey more than the destination is really important. And I think being at EPS for so long. Graduation is upcoming, but I look back and I'm very grateful for the eight years I've had here.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: So maybe thank you. Think, act, lead. Innovate. Appreciate.
[00:14:04] Speaker A: Appreciate fully. Piper, as you were talking, I had one pop into my brain. Create fearlessly. You have to feel safe in this, you know, safe in a place to really put novel ideas out there. There's a little courage of conviction. All right, another tally point.
[00:14:21] Speaker C: Now to wrap up. What advice would you give seniors for staying connected with their peers after graduation as we're all leaving?
[00:14:28] Speaker A: Well, take advantage of the calendar. There's going to be opportunities during your first year away to potentially come back if you decide to do that. Try to reach out and maybe not just to your closest folks, stay in contact, but at the same time, build in a little distance. You know, you're going to be off to amazing new places, you're going to meet amazing new people. And it's kind of about keeping maybe EPS in the best back of the mind so it doesn't completely disappear, but also so that you're focused on what's new and what's in front of you. You do get free lunch and free breakfast. Yeah. So good clarification.
The other thing I would say in terms of staying connected, you're eagles for life. We have kids who they head off to their school and then they start wondering, maybe I want to do something different. Which takes a lot of courage to sometimes voice. And we support kids with that. We have an alumni event up very soon. It's just incredible, the energy that comes back and getting to hear alumni stories and then hear their stories of their time at eps. It's kind of a two parter. Never forget us. Absolutely. Seize the moment that's in front of you because you've earned it.
[00:15:41] Speaker B: Carpe diem or yolo.
[00:15:44] Speaker D: Can we expect to see you playing and obviously dominating in the students versus faculty kickball game during field day?
[00:15:52] Speaker A: As long as my calendar is clear. The answer is absolutely.
[00:15:56] Speaker D: You heard it here first.
[00:15:57] Speaker A: You heard it here first. Oh, that's great. That's great. I don't know about dominating, but contributing for sure.
Love me some kickball. Listen, y', all, thank you so much for those questions. I really appreciate them. You got me thinking so much about the school. And thank you for being you. Thank you for all you've contributed to Eastside Prep, you and your classmates. Thank you again to Andrew, Piper, Cass and Anha for leading today's conversation. And thank you to the class of 2026 for submitting such thought, thoughtful, funny and wide ranging questions. We weren't able to get to every question we received, but I think this conversation captured something really important about eps and that is curiosity. Curiosity about leadership, about relationships, about learning, and about one another. Thanks again for listening to insightful questions. We'll see you next year.
For more insights. Be sure to check out the EPS weekly news every Friday.
Sa.
