Have you ever felt three hundred sets of eyes on you at once? It feels both exhilarating and terrifying simultaneously. Askwith Hall was filled to capacity with members of the Harvard community gathered for one of the most anticipated events of the school year- Double Take: Stories That Make You Think Twice. Three hundred sets of eyes, several bright lights, cameras galore, and one microphone waiting, center stage. Some people thrive in those types of environments. They see a mic, they want their voice amplified through the speakers. I on the other hand, am the type of individual known to paralyze myself with my own anxieties. I sometimes imagine myself escaping to the most hidden parts of myself until no one can see or hear what I have to say.
Naj, if you have stage fright, why then, one might ask, would you sign up for a live storytelling event? As I sat onstage holding a microphone in a room full of strangers, I asked myself that question one thousand times. Why was I there? Why did they select my story- out of all of stories that they could have chosen? Who was sitting in the room that needed to hear what I had to say? Then I realized, it was not just about me. It was about the ways in which my story both clashed with and complimented the narratives of my fellow storytellers. Double Take presented the HGSE community with an opportunity to experience vulnerability as a collective. Students, faculty, and staff members came together and shared stories encompassing experiences of self-acceptance, identity formation, surviving acts of violence, and migration- to name a few. For one night, HGSE hosted an event where we could all bear witness to the diversity that our school prides itself upon. For one night, we were a community of storytellers and active listeners. For a couple of hours on a Friday evening, we were as one.
Participating in Double Take changed my life in so many ways. It made me realize how powerful sharing my story with complete strangers can be. It led me into therapy because I realized that I had not completely healed from some of my life’s experiences. Moreover, and I believe most importantly, it showed me that I can never know what the person standing next to me has overcome simply by looking at them. I hope that events such as Double Take continue to occur at HGSE because it provides our community members with bonding and healing.
Blog written by Naj Turner. Photo provided by Naj Turner.
Hey, I’m Naj! I’m in the Prevention Science and Practice Program- Elementary School Counseling track. I came to HGSE from Los Angeles, CA, but I’m a native of Freeport, IL by way of Marietta, GA. I graduated from UCLA in 2016 with a Bachelor’s degree in English and two minors in Education and Afrikan American Studies. Before HGSE I served as a youth advocate through mentorship programs and access projects targeted towards inner city high school students. I love to write creative journals and listen to music in my spare time. In the future, I hope to direct films that raise awareness for mental health in K-12 schools as well as become an amazing elementary school adjustment counselor.
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