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Humanities Symposium to Explore Authenticity and AI

Antonio Vargas, Journalist • January 14, 2026

The 21st Annual Bissell Grogan Humanities Symposium, themed Authenticity & Originality Today, will take place on Tuesday and will feature a keynote address by educational consultant Eric Hudson for students in grades 8–12.

Established in 2006 in honor of Kenyon Bissell Grogan ’76, former Chair of the Board of Trustees, the Symposium is an annual event designed to educate and engage students in timely, relevant topics.

Hudson is expected to invite students and educators to examine what it means to be human in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. His remarks will focus on how AI can replicate aspects of human behavior and will raise questions about the ethical, intellectual, and personal implications of the technology.

After the keynote, workshops will explore a diverse range of subjects connected to the year’s theme. Past topics have included ethics, global peace, and innovations in math and science. Through workshops and seminars, students have the opportunity to discuss contemporary issues with academicians, business and health professionals, and other experts in their respective fields.

The session will encourage participants to consider their own values and agenc

“Eric is a facilitator and strategic advisor who supports schools and students in making sense of what is changing in education and specializes in focusing on a human centered approach,” the School’s announcement said. “He has recently spent a decade at Global Online Academy, first as an instructional coach and ultimately as Chief Program Officer, working with schools around the world to rethink where, when, and how learning happens.”

The Keynote will be held from 10:15–11:30 am in the Corkin Theatre, followed by workshops from 11:30 am–12:30 pm in classrooms, and a luncheon from 12:30–1:30 pm in the Wright Conference Room.

Symposium Breakout Sessions

Authentic Voice: Telling Our Own Stories

Cindy Rivka Marshall, Founder of Story Arc
Through this workshop, students will explore how each person has a unique story, and, at the same time, we have a shared humanity. When we speak what is true for us, and tell personal stories, we invite listeners to get a sense of our lived experiences. Crafting authentic personal stories helps us to reflect on how we interact and show up in various social settings. We can find meaning when we begin to see a narrative arc in our own lives. Telling these stories out loud to others who listen with empathy can be validating and empowering.

Afro-Latinx Dance + Activism

The Haus of Glitter Dance Company + Performance Lab + Preservation Society

This workshop features a collective of artists, educators, and cultural organizers using dance and creative practice to build a more caring, just, and liberated world. Rooted in Global and Afro-Latin Diasporic traditions, the collective merges movement, music, storytelling, and social justice to connect art with community change. Students will explore how movement can become a tool for truth-telling, healing, and collective action. Participants will learn how, through through projects across the U.S. and abroad—including collaborations with museums, schools, and heritage sites—The Haus of Glitter transforms spaces into classrooms for imagination and care. Their work reminds us that dance can move not only our bodies, but our world.

The Human Advantage: What AI Can’t Do for You

Jeff LeBlanc, Author & Lecturer in Leadership, Strategy, and Organizational Behavior at Bentley University
In this interactive workshop, students will explore what originality and authenticity look like in a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence. Through a fast-paced activity using real career scenarios, students will determine which tasks can be handed to AI—and which require uniquely human judgment, empathy, creativity, and courage. The goal is to help students see that while AI can support their work, it cannot replace their ability to make meaningful, human-centered choices. Students will leave with a clearer sense of their own “human advantage” and how to bring authenticity into whatever future path they pursue.

Tango, Identity, and Gay Animals: Composing for Video Games

Dr. Alex Ostergard, Middle/Upper School Music & Instrumental Teacher

Join Dr. Ostergard for a workshop that explores how music shapes narrative and identity in video games. Students will listen to and compare musical excerpts, discuss how different styles influence the player’s understanding of the story, and reflect on how sound can authentically represent lived experiences, including questions of faith, culture, and sexuality.

Observation and Vision: The Beauty of Authentic Storytelling in the Age of AI

Margaret Monteith, Writer
How do you tell an authentic, concise, compelling story in less than 1000 words? Flash Fiction, through well-crafted dialogue and sentences, using tight grammar and punctuation with precise imagery and essential details, enables a writer to tell a much larger human narrative than the length of the story implies. In an age where we are inundated with AI-created imagery and text, it is also an ideal form for considering questions of authenticity and voice in writing. In this workshop, we will look at several flash fiction samples, consider how the author establishes authority and a distinctive voice, as well as other questions related to the form, before completing writing exercises meant to generate an original first story draft by the end of the workshop.

Fashion and Color Analysis Business — How to be Authentic when You are the Brand?

Shani Breiman '18, Principal at Styled by Shani
This workshop explores how personal style, color analysis, and technology can support authenticity in a world where individuals are often their own brand. Students will learn how color analysis works, why certain colors enhance natural features, and how intentional style choices can be a form of self-expression rather than conformity. The session will also introduce the foundations of entrepreneurship, offering insight into what it takes to turn a creative idea into a business—from identifying a problem to building a brand rooted in purpose, originality, and personal values.

Design + Architecture

Vinicius Gorgati, Architect & Partner at Sasaki Architects

Design has always been rooted in the human experience. The spaces we create shape how people live and learn. Technology has long played a role in design, but today, emerging tools like artificial intelligence are rapidly changing how ideas are developed, tested, and built. With this workshop, we will share some of the impacts technology and AI have already had on our work and reflect on the evolution of design as it crosses into new frontiers.

Curating Modern Art at the ICA in Boston

Max Gruber, Curator
Today, AI touches nearly every facet of our lives. While innovations like generative AI, machine vision, and more reshape our relationship to images, the question of why we should look closely at and study art has never been more urgent. Through close visual analysis of artwork spanning centuries, we will discuss what it means to see and think critically in our contemporary moment. Even if we choose to pursue work as doctors or lawyers, disciplines like art and art history force us to move beyond simple pattern-recognition and the other governing principles of algorithms that structure our everyday lives. Incorporating critical vision into our life and work allows us to deal with nuance and ambiguity in a way that machines are not equipped for.

Athletics: The College Student Athlete in the Age of Name/Image/Likeness (NIL)

Cece Champion, Director of Marketing at Lowney Sports
In a world shaped by social media, digital identities, and personal visibility, authenticity has become one of the most valuable skills a young person can develop. This workshop introduces students to the idea of personal branding and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) as they relate not only to athletes, but to anyone building a public presence, online or in their future careers. Students will explore how originality, values, and self-expression influence opportunities in college, the workplace, entrepreneurship, media, and leadership. Using real-world examples and relatable scenarios, the session highlights how the humanities, communication, ethics, identity, and storytelling play a powerful role in shaping adult lives. Students will leave with practical tools to understand their digital footprint, communicate their story with intention, and show up confidently and authentically in an increasingly connected world.

Asking the Right Questions in the Age of AI

Ling-Se Chesnakas, Teacher at Right Question Institute
This workshop is designed to build curiosity around what authenticity looks like in the age of AI. Students will learn and practice a simple yet effective strategy called the Question Formulation Technique (QFT) to ask questions that YOU care about. That's what makes them the right questions.

“I’m looking forward from hearing from students what they get out of the speaker and the workshops,” Symposium Co-Director Bradley Starr said. “There are a lot of opportunities and students are going to have a variety of different experiences that resonate with them.”

About the Contributor

Antonio Vargas, Journalist

Antonio is a 9th grade in his first year in the newsroom. He enjoys playing instruments and playing basketball. He is interested in opinion based writing and political pieces.

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