It is no secret that I went to the one and only Nightingale-Bamford School. While it has been 5 glorious years since I graduated, I can’t seem to not care about how the schoolhouse behaves. Proving their slogan right: Once a Nightingale ALWAYS a Nightingale Girl. (Personally, when I think or say this statement, I hear it in a culty tone with creepy thematic music, and hope you do too).
Maybe it’s because it feels like we came to school just yesterday not knowing what we’d find…an open door, an open book, a voice, a heart, a mind….
Those currently singing the Nightingale theme song on command can currently find, in the School’s words, a transformative athletics facility. No, not the high-ceiling gym on the 7th floor, nor the Dance Gymnasium (DG) in the lower lobby, nor the weight room near the nurse, nor the black box (that has the grey floor), nor the auditorium with the retractable seats, nor the jungle gym on the roof. This “necessity,” this transformative athletics facility, is located in Spanish Harlem (or East Harlem as they begin to whitewash the area, but I am getting to that).
Here are the 10 Things I Hate About You and Your Expansion, Nightingale!
A physical expansion is the easy way out
For years, Nightingale’s athletic program has been the laughingstock of the private school consortium. We were decent at some sports: volleyball, tennis, and the occasional track athlete. But our basketball and softball teams were a joke. While I played on both varsity teams until my three concussions (which were left untreated by Nightingale staff despite complaining about headaches after games when I was hit on the head), I am not the common denominator. We were bad before I started and when my career came to an untimely end.
So I agree that many sports need to be re-envisioned. However, the new transformational space doesn’t ensure that school athletes become better. It just attempts to compete with schools like Dalton, Sacred Heart, and Brearley, all of which have multiple locations throughout the Upper East Side (something we will come back to later). This doesn’t include schools outside of Manhattan like Rye Country Day and Riverdale, both of which have the space to have fancy sporting arenas. Rather than financially investing in shiny new equipment, has anything been done to re-envision how physical education is taught? And has Nightingale learned the difference between qualified and convenient and quality coaches?
While trying to compete could be deemed noble, as I believe in the power of sports and athletics, the field is too concentrated to truly stand out. Every private school in New York City cannot have the BEST athletics facility. There isn’t enough real estate, and every school can’t have the best program.
Nevertheless, I understand that a friendly rivalry is important and useful. I believe that competing with these schools can occur beyond the court, the pool, and the field. Nightingale should invest more in its strengths, and expand its academic programs. They should:
Fund a vigorous Model UN society for Middle and Upper schools throughout the consortium.
Develop more opportunities to travel abroad throughout spring vacation as well as international study abroad programs for juniors, and similar to the freshman trip to London, seniors shouldn’t go to Massachusetts but leave the country and explore Canada or other nearby countries.
Expand languages to include Portuguese, Russian, German, and more.
Create Mathletes.
Incorporate an internship class into the junior and senior class curriculum.
Start a community college branch of Nightingale so students can graduate with their High School and Associate degree before graduation (that would really stand out).
To my knowledge, during my time at Nightingale, academic athletes won more Latin awards than athletic ones. While identifying weaknesses is good, developing out-of-the-box ideas and solutions is the best way to compete.
Waste
This project isn’t just a waste of money (money that could go to financial aid to get more POCs in the door, or money that could fund the ideas listed above). It’s a waste of resources for both Nightingale and the City of New York. I have memories of using all of these spaces growing up. In lower school, the DG hosted gaga championships and the advancement of low, medium, and high balance beam. The weight room hosted impossible TXR Band exercises and Dr. Charles’ education on muscles and how to stretch them.
The 7th floor gym once had a daunting rope I was terrified I’d have to climb (and grateful I was never forced to try). The roof had a makeover during my years, and nothing was more exciting than the blue disc. Asphalt Green held lower school field days. And, in 4th grade, I begrudgingly walked to the 92Y to go swimming during the double gym period. And as I grew up, I fell asleep after yoga in the auditorium, and I watched dance performances in Black Box. I chatted with teammates on buses to Randall’s and as the only one North of 96, the bus dropped me off of on 116th countless times. We had PE classes in the park where a bald white man would yell slightly creeping out the students, until he was the recognizable and grinning Raymond Duggan. The schoolhouse athletic capabilities and the resources of New York are more than enough. It was a privilege to experience—a privilege that so many students in the US and even here in our city are unable to attain.
On a less sappy note and a more practical one, if all the private schools play each other, why does every school need its own athletic center? On more than one occasion the 7th floor was rented out to travel volleyball teams. If there’s spare time for that, additional sports arenas are not needed. But maybe they would rather rent out to other schools and teams? And if that’s the case, it’s not for the betterment of the students but rather the pocketbook (and if Nightingale can afford a near block in Harlem their pocketbook is doing just fine).
And to the City of New York, according to the New York Times, roughly 1 of every 8 NYC public school students are homeless. This facility will help a thousand or so students, what about the hundreds of thousands who need homes? This plot of land could have turned into some much-needed affordable housing.
What’s in the building?
Back in my day, there was an interschool fencing league with Chapin…but did they reserve any space for practices at these facilities? NO! Never in a million years could I imagine Nighthawk wrestling and flag football teams. Yet they have made space for these sports, while they can’t even promote the teams they have (and don’t get me started on how Nightingale never promoted the fencing team
But Faith, you yell, those are multi-use facilities, and that doesn’t count. Fine. They have a studio for dance, zumba, and pilates…which is exactly what we did in the DG. And how could they live without the fitness gym dedicated to cardio, CrossFit, cross training, circuit training, free weights, HIIT, stretching, TRX, and walking…which serves the exact purpose of the weight room in the new(ish) section of the school house. (And don’t you dare think that you can walk in the multi-sport turf and track. That’s for track & field, not for something as measly as walking.)
And Nightingale, if you’re reading this, why do we need a competition and practice gym (along with the 7th floor?
Location
As someone who walked up Madison, beating the bus home 95% of the time, I loved the trip. And now repeating my younger self’s journey, I reflect on how the city’s changed. I can remember the thud of my violin as I walked down the hill. Or hiking up my backpack on the incline. While my walk was a little longer, the athletics facility will still not be an easy and convenient location (as compared to their own building). This 1.1 mile walk will take a lone athletic teacher 25 minutes or less. But have you ever corralled a gaggle of girls? It will practically take 35-45 minutes. And since traffic is nearly at a standstill with the after-school rush, it won’t be like heading to Dalton’s athletic facility, a measly 0.3 miles away. It will be a hike with violins, cellos, rolly bags, and coffee breaks at Yura (I can only assume).
If I let the snobby Nightingale side of me out, I don’t quite understand their plan to have girls––who flaunt their money with luxury backpacks, shoes, jewelry, and technology, most of them white––walk through Harlem, begging the few Black and Latina girls to protect them.
As a born and raised Harlemite, I only see the beauty of my neighborhood, and vehemently I don’t believe Harlem is more dangerous than any other part of New York City. But the perception that “Blacks are bad” and “Latinos are criminals” is still strong. I am worried that the future Karens of the world (yes, Nightingale has them) will act as if it is. This is, of course, not a long-term problem as NIGHTINGALE IS GENTRIFYING HARLEM. It feels good to get that off my chest.
Gentrification
Within the last 5 years, Nightingale hasn’t implemented any grassroots efforts to support the Harlem community, except purchase the land…
However, Nightingale explains they have a commitment to the community (clearly a new one). But when I was a student at Nightingale, my history teacher explicitly stated that 118th was NOT part of the Nightingale community. (Despite having hosted countless parents of daughters of color BBQs in my backyard). During the 11th grade students partake in a US history block project, and every student chooses a block on the Upper East Side and researches how it changed over time. I asked my teacher if I could write about my block, and she said no—that it wasn’t part of the community. Even at 17, I stated how that was racist because I was part of the community and didn’t live on the Upper East Side. She said I was wrong. (I will give this teacher credit as after George Floyd and Black At Nightingale, she emailed me stating how I was right). To me, this commitment to the community has only been created to feel better about themselves, rather than this “other” community.
In their statement, Nightingale notes that “East” Harlem lacks reliable athletics facilities for students and plans to team up with local organizations to allow students to play in this space. Personally, I read this commitment as a way for Nightingale to buy this land and do as they please without guilt. Nightingale holds all the cards and will be able to dictate who gets to use this resource, when, and why. They will also always prioritize themselves and their students rather than the community members whose land they have pillaged (or, technically, rightfully purchased).
It’s giving real life white savior moment but of course not as much as their “sister school in Africa” (which I have not heard about since they donated the light blue checkered tunics and skirts, my favorite uniform which is pictured under caption Faith & Bald Man).
Nightingale isn’t setting a new standard for girls' athletics, they aren’t serving the public school kids, and they aren’t supporting local families or the community. They are helping themselves. They are whitewashing the community, raising the cost of living in the neighborhood. They are helping ~comfortable~ white folks feel comfortable and safe in a neighborhood that isn’t theirs to stay in.
Gentrification
Because
Gentrification
It
Gentrification
Is
Gentrification
That
Gentrification
Serious
Conclusion:
As a born and raised Spanish, East, and regular Harlemite, I don’t want you here. It’s bad enough we have a Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s (okay, I do love TJs, but I understand how it brings up the property value of Harlem and thus makes it more appealing to the white masses), but a school that has delivered blows of macro and micro racism to me and others, exhibited in the anonymous posts of BlackAtNightingale, these actions shows how you (Nightingale) have not learned how your actions impact others. Your white privilege upholds systemic racism, and while you may have a blurb about how you are giving back to those who are less fortunate, you are also taking more than you can ever know, let alone understand.
I know this blog post won’t change Nightingale’s actions and will probably cement their hatred of me. But I care more about my hood than their thoughts of me. Always have, always will.
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