The Savannah Country Day School, a leading Pre-K-12 independent school located at 824 Stillwood Dr. in Savannah, Ga., is pleased to host the 2024 Faculty Explorations Lecture Series from Jan. 17 through Feb. 7, 2024. All events are free and open to the public and feature lectures in a wide range of fields by highly experienced Savannah Country Day School faculty. 

“Our 2024 Faculty Explorations Lecture Series offers an ideal way to broaden your horizons and learn about a wide range of subjects, from music and poetry to democracy and psychology,” says Kef Wilson, Head of School at the Savannah Country Day School. “We warmly invite the public to attend any or all of our upcoming events in January and February and to learn from our passionate, accomplished educators.”

All lectures take place on Wednesday evenings at 7 p.m. at Savannah Country Day School. Space is limited, and pre-registration is required at: savcds.org/school-life/faculty-explorations

The 2024 Faculty Explorations schedule is as follows: 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17 – 7-8 p.m. – Jenkins Hall Music Room

David Elliott – “Why Your Brain Needs Music”

David Elliott, the Music Director and Jazz Band Instructor at Savannah Country Day School and an experienced trombone player who has shared the stage with top artists ranging from The Police drummer Stewart Copeland to jazz legend Wynton Marsalis, will explore the way music affects the brain and why more of the brain is involved in playing a musical instrument than any other activity. Participants will experience the power of music by playing a song using simple, hands-on instruments. No experience is necessary. Musicians are welcome. 

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24 – 7-8:30 p.m. – Pape Hall Room 207

Neil Gabbey – “’I-amb' Shakespeare”  

Savannah Country Day School Middle School English Teacher Neil Gabbey will discuss the power of iambic pentameter, a rhythmic convention popularized by British playwright and poet William Shakespeare. Attendees will time-travel back to 16th-century England and revisit the most popular metrical form used by English poets and playwrights since Chaucer, regaining an appreciation of Shakespeare’s poetry and learning exciting new lessons from his work.

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 31 – 7-8:30 p.m. – Minis Hall Room 10

Laura Santander, Ph.D. – “Propaganda or Persuasion: The Problem of Democracy”  

Dr. Laura Santander, a Latin teacher at Savannah Country Day School, will examine important differences between propaganda and persuasion, using two key case studies: the ancient Greek philosopher Plato and the father of public relations Edward Bernays. Santander will explore why Plato and Bernays share a concern about the potentially violent consequences of a democracy that devolves into mob rule and why “propaganda” tends to be thought of as malicious while “persuasion” is often considered to be enlightened.

WEDNESDAY, February 7 – 7-8:30 p.m. – Mingledorff Hall Room 212

Meg Haston, LPC – “The Stories We Tell”  

Savannah Country Day School Assistant Head of Upper School for Student Life Meg Haston -- who is also a licensed therapist and the author of four novels for young adults -- will discuss the ways that the stories we tell ourselves have a profound impact on our emotional experience, our response to others and our understanding of self. Haston will examine the power of stories through a psychological lens as well as a writing process lens and will offer insight into how and why we create stories about ourselves and others.