Matt Burgy, Head of School

Dear Oakridge Family,

As artificial intelligence rapidly reshapes our cultural and academic landscape, I am grateful for faculty leaders who help our students think deeply and wisely about its implications. This week, I am pleased to turn our newsletter over to Mrs. Andrea Anders, our English Department Coach, whose leadership has been instrumental in shaping this year’s Upper School Colloquium.

Students in Middle School and Upper School have embraced a timely and important theme — “AI IRL” — inviting us all to consider what it means to be human in an age of accelerating technology. I hope you enjoy learning more about this meaningful academic endeavor in her words below.

On Thursday, April 2, the Upper School will host the 13th Annual DFW Interscholastic Colloquium, themed "AI IRL" (Artificial Intelligence In Real Life). Traditionally, the colloquium has served as a paper conference in which students from independent schools across the Metroplex present their interpretations of a common literary text. This year, however, students were provided with a list of dystopian, science fiction, and nonfiction texts, serving as the basis for submissions that include academic papers, artwork, original films, poetry, short stories, and musical compositions.

We are highly impressed with the caliber of submissions received, which showcase our students' proficiency as critical thinkers, readers, and writers. Our students have shown us how vital creativity and communication is in the age of AI, a time when it’s so tempting to take shortcuts out of the fruitful struggle that creation provides. 

On the day of the colloquium, our Upper School students will welcome peers from Fort Worth Country Day, Cistercian, and Hockaday. All participating students will commence the morning by attending a panel, moderated by sophomore Emma Chan, junior Lydia Fain, and seniors Matthew Bogdon-George and Apollo Nguyen, featuring professionals who will discuss the impact of their work on human flourishing and dignity within the current era of rapid technological change. Our esteemed panelists include Dr. Curby Alexander, Associate Professor of Professional Practice from TCU’s College of Education; Maddie Bradshaw, Director of Product at Inspirit AI; Pastor Bryan Carter of Concord Church; and Kisha Hymes, Senior Solutions Engineer at Cloudflare.

Following the panel discussion and the open question-and-answer period, students will select three breakout sessions from a provided menu of options. These sessions will feature peer presentations exploring what it means to be human, drawing from their readings of texts such as Jurassic Park, Frankenstein, Brave New World, “*Is It O.K. To Be a Luddite?,""The Uncanny Valley,” and the Genesis account of the Tower of Babel, among others. 

The colloquium represents a premier and intellectually enriching academic opportunity on our campus, celebrating student choice and voice and fostering individual expression. The entire day will be facilitated by our Upper School students, thereby providing invaluable and irreplaceable leadership experience outside the traditional classroom setting.

We strongly encourage you to discuss this opportunity with your children to ensure they appreciate the value of engaging in an exchange of ideas with their peers during the conference. By posing questions and considering diverse perspectives, our students will gain insight into the rich intellectual discourse they will encounter at the collegiate level. Please encourage them to maximize this opportunity as a truly college-preparatory experience.

Thank you,

Mrs. Andrea Anders 

English Department Coach