Voices

In emails, typewritten letters, and Facebook and Instagram posts, alumni had a lot to say about Andover these past few months. Here in our “Voices” section, we have curated a handful of comments that illuminate not only the varied perspectives of PA graduates, but also the many interests and activities of the broader Andover community.

The answer to Head of School Raynard S. Kington’s question, “How do we justify these resources that benefit only a few select students?” (“Examining Our Privilege,” summer 2022) is that we can’t, because every student in this country deserves the quality education that Andover provides its select few. Yes, it would be expensive and, yes, we might have to curtail some of our materialistic ways. But we can afford it and still have enough resources to furnish every American a decent quality of life. And the long-run benefits to society of having such a well-educated populace would far outweigh the cost.

So, then, why don’t we do it? Because too many of the privileged use the power that comes with privilege to prevent it from happening. Hopefully, Andover will help its students understand their responsibility to use their privileged status to work to change this state of affairs.

—THOMAS KLEVEN ’60

the BIG question

What is your favorite place on the Andover or Abbot campus?

Send us your responses and we will consider them for publication in an upcoming issue. Please email magazine@andover.edu or airish@andover.edu. Thank you again for the gorgeous article on “Saving Abbot” (spring 2022). It should be required reading for alumnae, alumni, and students. Your meticulous research and thoughtful analysis provide a valuable lens on a complicated time that still resonates. With thanks to the Abbot Academy Fund, the Abbot Archives, the Brace Center for Gender Studies, and built landscape, Abbot endures.

With Andover students also intrigued by a powerful female legacy that dates to 1829, they represent another continuum. The Courant serves as but one example of Abbot engagement that spans generations. Following is a quote from Jasmine Ma ’23, co-editor in chief of The Courant, from a recent email exchange: “I hope this could be a way to pay homage to the Abbot women who made their mark on the literary scene and remind our community of the women artists who came before us.”

Many Abbot alumnae remain disenfranchised from the school. However, demonstrations of Abbot’s vibrancy— including the “Saving Abbot” article—make an impact.

—BLAKE HAZZARD ALLEN ’66

I have always been an avid reader of the Andover alumni magazine, but I must say that the most recent edition [summer 2022] was probably the most interesting, thoughtful, and well-displayed edition that I have seen in a long, long time. The comments by the head of school at his investiture ceremony were especially gratifying in many ways.

—DICK PHELPS ’46, P’73, ’89, GP’14

Andover magazine welcomes letters addressing topics related to the Phillips Academy and/or Abbot Academy community. Letters will be edited for clarity, space, and civility. Opinions expressed in the “Voices” section do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the magazine editorial staff or of Phillips Academy. In the spring 2022 issue, Helen Neisser Modenesi ’52 shared this photo of four Abbot friends enjoying a day at the beach.

“What a great memory!”

@LISIG18

Via Instagram

GIL TALBOT

THE BEST CLUSTER ON CAMPUS IS:

“WQN of course”

@MIRYPARK

“PKN!”

@04KATHERINEBELL

“Best quad south”

@MALCOLM_T14

“THE KNOLL TROLLS”

@ISABELLE.QUITO

“Carriage Cluster”

@TWISTYBOY18

“Rabbit Pond”

@ADEKOYEJO75

“Flagstaffforlife!”

@IPATTIMAE

“There’s a very good reason why Abbot always leads processions.”

@JUSTWOOBA

All School

REACH FOR THE STARS

Members of the 1963 Abbot Astronomy Club—from left, Sue Boutin, Charlotte Witts, Barbara Hoffman, Muthoni Githungo, Elizabeth Moulton, and Cynthia Kimball (all Class of 1963)—gather atop Abbot Hall inside the Abbot Academy observatory, which opened in 1875 following the installation of a telescope. According to A Singular School: Abbot Academy 1828–1973, by Susan McIntosh Lloyd, a portion of the telescope’s $1,300 cost was generated by a fundraiser led by Latin and Astronomy teacher Mary Belcher. The telescope was considered of high enough quality to have been used for several months by William M. Reed of the Harvard Observatory for his photometry research.

Githungo (in white dress)— now Muthoni Gitata—was Abbot Academy’s only Black student at the time. She went on to become Kenya’s first female dentist and oral surgeon of African descent. Read more about Gitata on page 36.

COURTESY OF ARCHIVES AND SPECIAL COLLECTIONS, PHILLIPS ACADEMY

PLAY BALL!

Big Blue legend and inaugural Andover Athletics Hall of Honor inductee Dick Phelps ’46, P’73, ’89, GP’14, stopped by to visit the baseball team this spring. Phelps (front row, white cap) played baseball, hockey, and football at Andover and has funded the Richard J. Phelps Scholarship for Athletes for more than 30 years. PA’s baseball field, Phelps Park, is named in his honor.

All School

HISTORIC ANDOVER INN REOPENS

After more than two years of suspended operations due to the pandemic, the Andover Inn reopened on November 14. Plans are underway for a full remodel to begin in 2023. Andover’s Board of Trustees were the first guests in the re-opened inn, staying on campus for the fall meeting just prior to the public opening.

The Andover Inn was built in 1930 as a dormitory and became an inn in the 1950s; in 2010, the Academy completed a multimillion-dollar renovation of the property. The inn includes 30 guestrooms, a bar and lounge, and Samuel’s restaurant, which has opened with a limited menu. Renovations to the lobby and guestrooms are expected to be completed in early 2023.

Full food and beverage offerings, including breakfast, lunch, and dinner, will resume in September 2023. Once fully operational, the inn will again offer opportunities to reserve space for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, and other events, including business conferences, retreats, and board meetings.

LAND ACKNOWLEDGMENT STATEMENT APPROVED

ISTOCK: MECALEHA A Land Acknowledgment recognizing the original stewards of ancestral lands on which the Academy now stands was read for the first time at Faculty Convocation at the start of the academic year.

Developed by a working group of the IDEA Committee (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Action) and approved by the Board of Trustees, the statement also included the efforts of students from Native Americans at Phillips Academy (NAPA). Emma Slibeck ’20, who founded NAPA, served as an alumni representative on the working group and helped present the Land Acknowledgment to trustees. The full proposal was based on research with input from tribal leaders in New England. The Land Acknowledgment reads: We are on Native land. We acknowledge Phillips Academy’s presence on land once inhabited by the Pennacook and Pawtucket Peoples, as well as the modern-day Abenaki, Massachusett, Wampanoag, Wabanaki, Pokanoket, and Nipmuc Nations. Phillips Academy honors all Indigenous peoples who are here now, have been here for time immemorial, and will be here in the future.

Head of School Raynard Kington said acknowledging the land is an important initial step in recognizing the history that occurred. It is also about strengthening Andover’s commitment to and relationship with all Indigenous peoples who called the Academy’s land home.

At a fall All-School Meeting, where the gravity of the Land Acknowledgment was both addressed and welcomed by students, speaker Craig Steven Wilder, an American history professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, encouraged all to confront their own pasts.

“Addressing our histories is the first act of real justice,” Wilder said. “We can have every discussion we want to have about racism, inequality, etc. But none of those conversations are honest until we make ourselves vulnerable and tell the truth about ourselves.”

The board’s approval of the Land Acknowledgment is one outcome from the work of Andover’s Anti-Racism Task Force. Next steps will help guide when and how the statement will be used throughout the community.

the BUZZ

Teacher Appreciation Week will be extra special this year for Beryl Dewdney ’09 who in October was named Maryland Teacher of the Year. Dewdney is a pre-K teacher at the Commodore John Rodgers School in the Baltimore City Public Schools System. Dewdney is now being considered for National Teacher of the Year, which will be announced in April 2023. A little bit of rain could not dampen the spirts of students at this year’s Vista Walk. Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24 joined the seniors for this annual tradition, which marks the first day of classes and previews the path seniors will walk on commencement day. The T-shirt design was created by Brian Masse ’23.

NEIL EVANS COURTESY PHOTO Craig Steven Wilder

Author and History Professor, MIT The author of Ebony & Ivy: Race, Slavery, and the Troubled History of America’s Universities, Wilder encourages institutions to face, not erase, their history with enslaved peoples and the displacement of Native Americans. Acknowledging the past, he explains, is critical to reconciling histories and contributing to future social justice.

TOSH TANAKA Karen Tei Yamashita

Award-Winning Author Millions of people subscribe to “tidying expert” Marie Kondo’s credo of discarding things that don’t spark joy. Japanese American author Yamashita counters this theory. In presenting “The Joy Talk” on campus, she explains the importance—and necessity—of preserving memories that are not joyful, such as the WWII Japanese internment camps, in order to create a more just, inclusive society.

COURTESY PHOTO

Dr. Sandro Galea

Dean, Professor, Boston University School of Public Health Named an epidemiology innovator by Time magazine, Galeo researches and writes about the social influences on health, mental health, and trauma worldwide. He recently published The Contagion Next Time, in which he expounds on the forces shaping health in the United States, what led to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how we can prevent a future global health crisis.

PIA GORME

“Andover was truly the catalyst for my passion for performance and the arts. If I had never performed at Andover, I don’t think I would have ever sung with The Whiffenpoofs or considered a professional career in the arts at all.”

Evelyn Huilin Wu ’18

Member of The Whiffenpoofs

The “Whiffs,” as they are known, are the world’s oldest collegiate a cappella group, residing at Yale University. Huilin was back on campus this fall to perform with the group and meet students.

Matt Bellace

Author, Comedian Let’s get high, Bellace suggests. A natural high, that is. Bellace, who recently authored Life Is Disappointing and Other Inspiring Thoughts, espouses the benefits of natural highs, such as laughter, music, and meditation. “When you surround yourself with positive support you can achieve some amazing things,” he says. Haben Girma

Disability Rights Activist, Author Girma is committed to reversing some of the incorrect assumptions about the deafblind community. Speaking at All-School Meeting, Girma demonstrated how she challenges “ableism” (a system that blocks people with disabilities) by achieving the unexpected, from learning to surf to becoming the first deafblind person to graduate from Harvard Law School.

All School

FPO for DSA

ANDOVER RECOGNIZES VOLUNTEER SERVICE

Capping off a weekend when dozens of alumni and families returned to campus for the annual Volunteer Summit, Andover recognized six awardees for their service to the school. During the Distinguished Service Awards ceremony October 1, Head of School Raynard S. Kington, MD, PhD, P’24, and Secretary of the Academy Thomas P. Lockerby offered their gratitude and congratulations to this year’s honorees.

“For the past 28 years, the Academy has honored alumni and parents whose service to the school, in a variety of volunteer capacities, has made an important and substantive difference,” said Lockerby. “Without the continued support of these dedicated individuals, we would not be able to move Andover forward and to maintain the school’s position as a leading institution of education, innovation, and inclusion.”

RYAN R NASSERZADEH ’24

The 2022 Distinguished Service Award honorees: Michael E. Marrus ’81, P’12, ’14; Amy Mueller Christodoulo ’98; Head of School Raynard S. Kington; Samuel C. Butler Jr. ’72, P’03, ’09; and David C. Brown ’95. Not pictured: Connie Wei Yang & Paul C. Yang P’20, ’22

the BUZZ

Hats off to Susan Lothrop Koster ’60, P’87 who lives in the Bahamas and is director of the Caught Reading a Book (CRAB) program. In June, His Excellency the Most Honorable, Sir C.A. Smith, governor general of the Bahamas, visited one of the participating libraries to honor the reading program. Read more about Koster’s work at andover.edu/magazine. Like many Big Blue baseball legends before him, Coach Kevin Graber got drafted. After 13 years at Andover coaching and working in admissions, Graber has left PA for the MLB. Graber is now head coach of the Arizona Cubs, the Chicago Cubs minor league affiliate in Mesa, Arizona.

Harry Benson, Pillow Fight, Paris, 1964. Gelatin silver print, 44 x 44 inches. Gift of Eileen and Jonathan Otto (PA 1975), 2020.9

FAB FOUR ON DISPLAY

Scottish-born photojournalist Harry Benson has photographed some of the most important social, political, and cultural figures and events of the 20th century, including the building of the Berlin Wall, the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy, and The Beatles’ arrival in the United States.

“To me, America had a nervous breakdown in the 1960s and I was there to photograph it,” says Benson, whose photos are currently on exhibit at the Addison Gallery of American Art until January 29, 2023.

Arriving in America with The Beatles on January 7, 1964, Benson says he got to know the iconic pop band like few others did, even developing a friendship with George Harrison.

“He would slip out with me and go to pubs. We went to the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, and no one recognized him! None of the Beatles gave me any problems with taking photographs. There were so many photographers after them, but they would never have another pillow fight. John told me it was because it was my picture.”

—ALLYSON IRISH