Gray Colloquium Opens with Conversation on Journalism and Global Challenges
September 11, 2025
On Saturday, September 6, the St. Mark’s community gathered for the first Gray Colloquium of the 2025-2026 academic year, a lively and inspiring conversation with Alex Ward ’08, White House correspondent for The Wall Street Journal, and Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent at Politico.
The discussion, moderated by Gray Colloquium Student Committee Heads Ian Cho ’26 and Emily Ling ’26, was shaped by questions submitted by current students and gave St. Markers the chance to explore the role of journalism in making sense of complex global issues.
Alex Ward reflected on his path from St. Mark’s to the White House press corps, noting that curiosity has always been at the heart of his work. “The best reporting,” he told students, “comes from genuinely wanting to understand the person sitting across from you, even if you disagree with them.”
Nahal Toosi, meanwhile, emphasized the enduring value of listening and empathy in her reporting. “So much of this job is about asking questions that make people pause—and really hearing their answers,” she said. She encouraged students to stay open to uncertainty in their own lives: “Your path won’t always be straight. But the ability to connect with people and tell their stories will carry you no matter where you end up.”
The C. Boyden Gray Colloquium remains a cornerstone of the St. Mark’s experience. Each year, the series brings in outside speakers, sparks student-led dialogue, and engages the entire school community around a complex global theme. This year’s theme, Cooperation and Collaboration, came alive in Ward and Toosi’s conversation, underscoring that whether in journalism, politics, or daily life, finding common ground with other people is essential.
Watch a recording of the September 6, 2025, Gray Colloquium below.