Excerpts from The Record: HM Community Reflects on “Mann Kind”
The October 7th edition of The Record featured a series of reflections from HM community members about the 2022 Homecoming theme, Mann Kind.
Student Reflections
“It’s a celebration of people and friends. I just had my first Model UN meeting and I am planning on continuing it and going to conferences. I am planning on being involved in other service learning programs within the school. I am excited for what HM Lead is going to do with service learning in the Bronx.”
“I consider ‘Horace Mann spirit’ something that’s competitive yet incredibly friendly. I don’t know how Horace Mann does it! I’ve only been here for a month, but I can tell everyone is very lively. There’s never really been a class that’s ‘dead’ or low on energy. Moments that make me feel a part of the community are in the locker room before and after practice. Being able to join in on all the talking and laughing really makes me feel like I’ve been here since kindergarten.”
“The deeper meaning is coming together and being a community to support causes we all believe in. Some of those may be social justice movements like abortion rights cases or Black Lives Matter or even smaller instances like wining as a team or ending bullying. The goal of homecoming is to come together to support our teams and support each other on and off the field.”
“Mankind normally means people, but in relation to Horace Mann it makes me think of the Horace Mann community. [Homecoming is] a day for us to come together where we celebrate us and all the hard work we put into our school environment and sports teams. It perfectly captures that moment where everyone’s happy while smiling on the sidelines and rooting for their family and friends.”
“[The term Mannkind] really invokes themes of space and the show “For All Mankind.” In terms of Homecoming, humans are coming home to Mars. Since it’s a pun, it really symbolizes the witty spirit of Horace Mann.”
Faculty and Staff Reflections
“There’s 5000 people. That’s the thing I like about homecoming; you don’t even have to watch the sports, you just walk around having conversations with people and hanging out. I want to highlight all the positives that I see in the community; kids helping each other, packing books for or taking notes. That’s the kind of Mannkind I see around here.”
“You could take mankind and shrink it down to Horace Mann-kind, with all the diversity of the students. [I see Horace Mann-kind] on my normal days, just watching the students and everyone together.”
“My initial reaction was a sense of happy humanity and Horace Mann being one big family. [I most feel the Mannkind community at] graduation and Cross Country meets, track meets, and homecoming games.”