Long assembly, a cornerstone of the Nobles experience, has long been regarded as one of the most valuable aspects of the school. These assemblies engender a true sense of cohesiveness within the community, while also providing new perspectives on the school’s values and core principles. In doing so, long assemblies effectively engage the student body and educate the community on the governing tenets of Nobles. However, the process of finding these speakers is not as streamlined as one might expect. It involves numerous faculty members, a multi-week process, and connections that go beyond the scope of Nobles.
While Director of Assembly Programming Michael Polebaum (N ‘08) typically heads the search, he often works with various students and faculty in the Nobles community. “For the majority of the long assemblies that we have, I find most of those speakers usually in conjunction with different people, and I’m never making a decision solely on my own,” Polebaum said. In doing so, he is able to cover a broad range of perspectives and ideas.
Two individuals Polebaum generally works with are Head of the Upper School Alison Easterling and Athletic Director Alex Gallagher (N ‘90). As Head of the Upper School, Easterling has a great deal of knowledge regarding the values and mission of the school. Consequently, she often works with Polebaum to decide the theme that the speakers seek to fulfill. “In the spring, Mr. Polebaum and I sat down and thought about a theme, and the speaker selection was connected to that,” Easterling said. Gallagher is also involved in the process of finding the speakers that fit the chosen theme. To do so, he often seeks to utilize his network as an Athletic Director. “When I attend Athletic Director [AD] conferences, I talk with some of the ADs across the ISL and hear about the speakers that speak at their schools. Then, if they fit the theme, I talk with Mr. Polebaum about possibly bringing them in,” Gallagher said. Overall, the process of finding assembly speakers is multifaceted, involving several Nobles faculty. However, doing so ensures that the school procures engaging, high-quality speakers.
“Our theme for this year was aimed a bit at
this concept of talking across difference.”
Long assembly speakers aim to align their talks with a broader theme decided by the administration. “Our theme for this year was aimed a bit at this concept of talking across difference,” Polebaum said. Bolstering inclusion and looking beyond our differences have been major focuses for the 2024-2025 school year, and a big part of that focus involved the Election Series, a sequence of long assemblies during the first quarter of the year. By hosting a number of speakers that sought to provide the Nobles community with new perspectives on the 2024 Presidential Election, Polebaum and all those involved in deciding the assembly speakers accomplished their goal of “talking across differences.” Easterling supported this idea, and provided a specific example of a speaker that fit the theme: Pete Davis. According to Easterling, Davis served as a testament to the principles and mission of the school “Pete Davis’ message was very much appealing to young people to get engaged, to choose a cause to commit to something, but that commitment can also lead you to encounter and work with people who maybe are on the opposite side of the political spectrum,” Easterling said. Now, even after the election, Nobles still seeks to bring in speakers, such as Dr. Kwame Anthony Appiah, who continue to enlighten the community about the importance of our mission and core principles. They provide new insights into our constantly evolving view of our school’s mission and purpose.
Some speakers have also reflected on their experiences at Nobles. Typically, Polebaum usually remains in contact with their agents. “Agents always follow up to ask how it went because they’re the main point of contact,” Polebaum said. These agent-client relationships are also critical for setting up future speakers or speakers who may want to speak again. One such example was Joshua Bennett, who spoke at Nobles two years ago. “We had some follow-up conversations about potential ways that he could come back,” Polebaum said.
Long assembly speakers play a fundamental role in our school community. They provide key insights into our values, especially in light of the recent mission statement change, informing both students and faculty about practical ways to live in accordance with Nobles’ core values. However, the process of creating and ensuring the smooth flow of these assemblies is not entirely straightforward and involves a number of faculty members, including Polebaum, Easterling, Gallagher, and others.
