Author Dashka Slater came to Piedmont High School on November 13 to discuss her most recent novel, Accountable. The book focuses on a racist instagram account within an Albany high school and the effect it had on the surrounding community.

“I haven’t read her book, but I still thought it was very interesting, and there were a lot of parallels to our community, ” senior Alex Anderson said.

Anderson said that on the night of the presentation, the Alan Harvey Theatre was packed with dozens of parents, teachers, and students from Piedmont’s high school and middle school.

“It was cool to see how many kids came to see the talk. I think it’s important for kids to have these tough conversations,” senior Oliver Shaffroth said.

 The event was hosted by Piedmont Education Foundation, in partnership with Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee (PADC) and Piedmont Racial Equity Campaign (PREC). 

“At school, people should learn, and the good thing about screwing up when you’re young is hopefully you’ll do better in the future. I’d love to see schools implement a better restorative process,” Slater said.