GRAD: 4 Years in Review
By: Anvi Bhate, Selim Kim, Andrew Yuan, and Lauren Kim
Rawson Renames the Academy Center
At the end of his Opening Assembly speech, Principal Bill Rawson announced that the Academy Center, formerly known as the Phelps Academy Center, would be renamed as Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center to honor the female co-founder of the Academy. After the leading donors towards the Academy proposed to rename the Academy Center, Dean of Faculty Ellen Wolff created and chaired the renaming committee.
Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center became the first building on campus to be named after a woman. Kendra Stearns O’Donnell, the Academy’s first female principal, was present when Rawson announced the name change. The name change celebrated Elizabeth Phillips’ often overlooked legacy at the Academy, including the donation of one-third of her interest in John Phillips’ estate to found the Academy. Both faculty members and students favored the name change, citing the importance to recognize the erased history behind the Academy’s foundation.
Academy Students Continue to Use JUUL
In the 2018-2019 school year, the newly modified E-Book
2019-2020: Lauren
Visitations Policies
In the 2019-2020 school year, the year kickstarted with debates over the new version of the E-Book, along with the visitation policies. These policies often concerned the gender identity of students in same-sex dorms, how far doors should remain open when requesting visitations, and when the visitations hours can begin. Eventually, the Academy’s visitations policies began to be compared to other boarding schools including Phillips Academy Andover and Choate Rosemary Hall.
Students Protest Gun Violence and LatinX Alienation
In the fall and winter terms, concerns regarding gun violence in school environments grew around the country. Student and faculty alike advocated for preventing further violence beyond the Exeter community. After a triggering incident at the Halloween assembly on Oct. 31, in which several Grill staff members mockingly dressed-up as President Trump’s wall dividing Mexico and the US, students protested Grill by locking arms outside of the snack bar, and sought for awareness on LatinX alienation.
Academy Begins Constructions and Continue Renovations
With some projects having been started the summer of 2019, the Academy continued the renovation and constructions of several buildings around campus. Elm Street Dining Hall, College Counseling Offices, and Wentworth Hall are among the locations that were undergoing renovations. The Academy also began construction of a new telescope in the astronomy tower.
Student Council Elected Co-Presidents Due to Tied Vote
The 2020-21 StuCo Executive Board elections resulted in a tie between presidential candidates Charlotte Lisa ’21 and Senai Robinson ’21. Both would go on to serve as co-presidents of Student Council for the next year. Siona Jain ’22 and Seth Amofa ’21 were elected as co-secretaries, and Phil Horrigan ’21 as vice president.
Students and Faculty React to the Novel Coronavirus
In early March, the Academy first began reinforcing stricter policies regarding international travel and to those experiencing symptoms of the novel coronavirus. Until spring break, as stated in an early March email from Dr. Lilly, students’ travel plans were affected by the virus, and normal life continued on-campus. However, prior to the cancellation of an on-campus spring term, the Academy cancelled its annual Revisit Day and pulled students from travel programs in China and Italy, which were early hotspots of the pandemic.
Once on spring break, however, students found in mid-March that they were not returning to campus for the 2019-20 spring term, and that all classes would be held online instead as the world reacted to the COVID-19 pandemic. Principal Rawson announced in a YouTube video that spring term would occur through remote learning, with a new schedule and a pass/fail grading system. Rawson’s decision came in response to the risks posed by the coronavirus pandemic to both faculty and students if the school reopened in-person. The Academy changed policies with the goal of decreasing both student and parental stress. All classes offered asynchronous options to boost equity and inclusion. In addition, the Academy halted distinctions between excused and unexcused absences, and clubs except The Exonian were halted for a two-week period.The community then adjusted to the quarantine routine of Zoom classes, international student timezones, etc.
The pandemic not only provided a social and academic challenge for students, but it also impacted the financial security of faculty and students alike. Low-income students found thsmelves struggling to quarantine in areas with limited space and resources, far from the food and residential reassurances being at Exeter brought. Students were also impacted by the economic crash following the pandemic, and from the nature of businesses closing due to COVID-19. International students also faced the difficulty of being unable to travel home, due to the travel border restrictions.
Academy Freezes Staff Raises and Funds for 2020-21 School Year
By early-May, faculty members were also informed that all faculty and staff raises were to be frozen next year, due to the Academy’s response to the financial crisis. In the face of a dwindling economy during the coronavirus pandemic, the Board of Trustees opted for the option of reducing staff funds, rather than resorting their staff members to unemployment. In times of economic distress (a situation that has not occurred since the 2008 financial recessions), faculty remained disgruntled about the lack of raise, however whilst understanding the economic situation and possibility of unemployment at hand.
Exeter Student COVID-19 Fund
Alumni Benjamin Cai ’20 and Gannon McCorkle ’20, along with a Exeter Student COVID-19 Fund, an independently-financed fund that supported students through the pandemic, whether it be affording rent or purchasing food. Donations from students, faculty, and alumni supported this fund, which aimed to raise $10,000 for the Exeter community. By May 27, the fund had raised over $8,000.
Academy Responds to Anti-Racism Movements
On May 25, 2020, George Perry Floyd, a 46-year old Black man, was murdered by police officer Derek Chauvin in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Floyd’s murder sparked national protests over racial injustice in the United States. The Academy received criticism for its response to Floyd’s murder and its perceived failure to create a supportive and nurturing environment for Black students.
In response to the rise in anti-Black police shootings and racism, @BlackatExeter was created on June 14, 2020 as an anonymous space for students, alumni and faculty at the Academy to share their stories of racism during their time at the Academy. The account was inspired by similar anti-racism accounts at peer boarding schools, also created around the same time period. Submissions were sent anonymously through emails, Google Forms and Direct Messages, so the account gained attention quickly. Their 309 posts and 4,979 followers inspired other accounts such as @AsianatExeter and @QueeratExeter to be subsequently created and shared to support the anonymous stories of members of marginalized groups.
Implementation of Anti-Racist Policies
The Academy responded to the accounts with an email from Principal Rawson and the Trustees on June 5 with a follow up on June 29 outlining the Academy’s plans for future anti-racist work, including the implementation of an anti-racism block in the schedule. Later, Principal William Rawson wrote in an all-student email on May 29, “I urge that, even from a distance, we try to hold each other more closely, that we support our students and adults of color and that we act together against racial hatred violence and injustice.”
In-Person Fall Plans Announced
After newly-admitted Exonians were welcomed to the community on March 10, plans were released in early June informing students of a possible in-person fall term, that combined a hybrid of online and in-person learning.
SEPTEMBER:
Administration E-Book
New visitations policy announced, visitations remain source of debate throughout fall term
- eventually compared to other similar boarding schools
Exeter Police Department denounces hate crimes committed by townspeople
- Settles illegal detention case
Writing center closes down
Academy begins to offer DEI training for teachers
Elm, CCO, and Wentworth Hall all under renovation
OCTOBER:
Students and faculty speak up on gun violence
Health departments warn students against vaping
Academy begins constructing new telescope
Academy hosts consent workshops for student body
Students protest Latinx alienation after discriminatory Assembly incident
NOVEMBER:
Faculty discusses grading inequality, and reassess Academy grading guidelines
DECEMBER:
142nd board - Anne Brandes, Felix Yeung, Erin Choi, selected
Exeter discusses Free Speech
JANUARY:
Academy to begin MLK Day workshops
Uppers discuss sexual harassment prevention
Faculty continue DEI training
Given insight to the Andover/Exeter Principal Search
Financial Aid Form revised
Time management sessions offered
FEBRUARY:
FIRST CORONAVIRUS ARTICLE: Dr. Lilly’s Email + student responses
Consent discussions continue; what constitutes a yes?
Exeter’s history with slavery examined
StuCo primary elections delayed
Academy stocks up on eco-friendly menstrual products in a variety of locations across campus
New StuCo board is elected ; Lisa and Robinson to be co-presidents together
Students alter travel plans from novel coronavirus
MARCH:
APRIL:
MAY:
2020-2021: Selim
Anti-Racist Policies Implemented In Response to Black@Exeter Posts
Over the summer, racist incidents were anonymously shared by PEA students on the Instagram account @BlackatExeter. In response to such posts, administrators and individual academic departments worked during the summer to implement anti-racist policies and practicies.
The new policies implemented extended across multiple departments. Director of Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Dr. Stephanie Bramlett, Dean of Faculty Ellen Wolff, and other administrators, staff, and faculty, spearheaded the respective changes in their departmental policies.
The Classics Department modified the cultural portrayals of the language to include the diverse societies of Ancient Greece and Rome. The department’s introductory Latin textbook, Ludus, was also reworked to include narratives outside of those from male characters. Meanwhile, the History Department saw many of its instructors reworking their syllabi to decenter whiteness. The Mathematics Department worked on paring down materials to create space for different voices. Additionally, the Modern Language Department selected new readings that departed from a traditional, centralized focus on France and Spain. On the other hand, instructors in the Science Department were encouraged to devote a substantial portion of their professional development to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion-related work.
In response to many of the Black@Exeter posts that detailed specific instances occurring in English classrooms, the English department released a statement that outlined steps taken in the summer and policies that would be put in place as a commitment to anti-racism. Such actions included: readings and discussions of Black@, Queer@, and Asian@Exeter posts by all department members, participation in summer anti-racist education and professional developement, and an adoption of an official departmental policy eliminating the n-word from class dicussion. Additionally, the English department noted efforts to implement an open forum series for student input, ongoing faculty training, and an examination of hiring and retention practices to increase BIPOC faculty.
Efforts to implement anti-racist policies were also seen in non-academic departments. The Health and Human Development Department committed to dedicating one of their three units for new students to anti-racism, cultural competency, and identity. The Athletics Department affirmed their commitment to anti-racism and planned for department-wide discussions in the fall, while the Art Department developed a new anti-racist curriculum and an exhibition that focused on identity. Like the English Department, the Art Department made an addition to their departmental student policy prohibiting racist ideaology in artwork. The Music Department created ten commitments to anti-racism which included engaging guest Black and Brown artists, programming greater diversity of repertoire, and supporting the creation of affinity groups for student musicians of color. Finally, Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) participated in professional development training around issues of equity and inclusion. Acknowledging the many posts that detailed encounters with CAPS, the department additionally implemented a feedback form on Exeter Connect where students can anonymously submit feedback about their experience.
Anti-Racist Blocks Established and Piloted
After coordination between the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Stephanie Bramlett, and Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty, Exeter’s schedule saw the addition of a weekly anti-racist block, replacing one of two weekly Assemblies.
The first anti-racist block was piloted on the second Thursday of the school year, September 17, 2021.
Details of Kaminski Case Revealed in Affidavit
On August 24 of 2020, the Exeter community received information on the charges arraigned to former Mathematics Instructor Szczesny Kaminsky. Kaminsky was arraigned on three charges of Class A felonious pattern aggravated sexual assault and three charges of Class A misdemeanor sexual assault against an anonymous Academy student, who was enrolled in the fall of 2013.
Upon request, the Brentwood Circuit Court gave The Exonian access to the arraignment and to an affidavit by the Exeter Police Department Deputy Chief Michael P. Munck. The affidavit revealed extensive information about the case. Such information included: the start of Kaminski and the student’s interactions, the circumstances concerning the abuse, Academy action to concerns regarding Kaminski, and details around Kaminksi’s arrest and eventual set bail. Additionally, the affidavit included excerpts from past text exchanges between Kaminski and the anonymous student, as well as Kaminski and the student’s family.
Exeter Inn Acquired as a Temporary Dormitory
Due to COVID protocols restricting the amount of suitable spaces available for residential life, the Academy rented out the Exeter Inn as a temporary boys’ dormitory. Those eligible to stay at the Inn included former Front Street Residents, male-identifying postgraduates, and other interested male-identifying students. The empty Front Street dormitory was soon converted into a temporary girls’ dormitory.
Fall Hybrid Learning Piloted, 8 P.M. Classes Established
After a fully remote spring term in the past school year, the Academy designed a hybrid learning system intended to accommodate students situated across global time zones. Schedules were designed with ample asynchronous blocks, with specific asynchronous formats being assigned according to one’s time zone. The new schedule also introduced 8 P.M. classes. Additionally, classes were conducted entirely over Zoom for the majority of the term. In-person classes with distancing and masking in effect did not become an option for faculty until the end of the term.
COVID Protocols Changes Daily Life for Exonians
The start of the 2020-2021 school year saw a completely different Exeter. Instead of the usual arrival of all classes in the first week of school, arrival to campus was instead scattered: Students Leaders came first on September 7, followed by uppers, seniors and postgraduates on September 9, and finally preps and lowers on October 7.
Once on campus, Exonians faced adjustment to a myriad of COVID policies. The Student Guidebook, which had recently been updated, stated that adults and students must remain six feet apart, whenever possible, with masks required at all times. In addition, almost all campus activities shifted to a virtual setting. This included the usual in-person orientation events and the casual opportunities for engagement to be replaced by more formalized online events. Both Exonians and faculty, though appreciative of the new protocols’ goal for safety, struggled to adjust to the new day-to-day patterns.
Visitations and Out of Towns Canceled
Due to the strict protocols in place limiting any interaction not within six feet, the Academy canceled visitations for the term. Boarding students were not allowed to enter any dorm other than the one they resided in, while day students were not allowed to enter any dorms, regardless of affiliation. The policy pertaining to day students did not change until March 2, where the updated ground rules allowed them to visit the common rooms of their affiliate dorms only on Friday and Saturday nights. Visitations were brought back for Uppers and Seniors only at designated times and with COVID safety protocols in place, beginning May 23.
Sports Undergoes Changes to Accomodate Distancing, Interscholastic Competitions Paused
Prior to the arrival of Preps and Lowers on campus, the Athletics Department piloted a hybrid fall term. This change applied to physical education, club sports, in-season sports, and training for off-season sports.
For Uppers and Seniors who were on campus, in-person training began with social distancing and masking protocols in effect. Preps, lowers, and other remote students participated in a combination of online workouts and Zoom meetings. Those remote students were also registered for the newly-created Fitness and Wellness course. Similarly, remote students registered in a physical education course were connected to an instructor from the Athletics Department through Canvas. Some Athletics classes, however, used STRAVA, an app that tracked exercises while also incorporating social network features.
Additionally, limits on travel and interaction with non-Academy individuals, brought the cancellation of interscholastic sports or the fall and the remote winter terms. This stayed in place until the spring, where only schools with approved COVID restrictions and guidelines were allowed in games with Academy students.
These changes were met with mixed reactions, with some appreciating the flexibility that remote Athletics provided, and others speaking to the difficulties of online sports.
Contact Tracing App Enforced for All Students
Mandated by the Student Guidebook, the Academy required all students to download a contact tracing application known as SaferME. SaferME was used to identify close contacts of students who tested positive for COVID-19 through its use manual and bluetooth contact logging systems.
Though the Information Technology Department and the Dean of Students office chose SaferME due to its privacy features (those which included not storing any medical information and avoidance of time or location data of users), many students still expressed reluctance to use the app. Others, however, noted the app’s possible preventative measures.
Exonians Respond to the 2020 Election
The race for the 46th presidential election foresaw former candidates Joe Biden and Donald Trump face off for four days, one of the longest recorded times, as voting ballots were counted. Students eligible to vote on November 3rd, 2020 were given the opportunity to travel to in-person voting booths. Meanwhile, in an effort to provide students ample time to process the emotions that may arise from such a contested election, the Academy canceled school the night of the election and morning classes the day after. Additionally, Phillips Church and the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA) were opened as safe spaces for students to share their thoughts and perspectives. Drop in Zooms were offered for all remote students.
Winter Term Set To Be Majorly Remote
Contrary to the usual start of winter term on-campus, the Academy announced that winter term would be held remotely in December and January for all students. A mid term break would then be held from February 1st to 10th. During this midterm break, end-of-term comments were changed to be given as midterm comments. After the mid-term break, students were given the option to return to campus from February 11th to 13th, or to stay remote.
Like the fall term schedule, asynchronous blocks were a key part of the schedule with classes meeting 2-3 times a week, including 8 p.m. classes. An additional asynchronous deadline was also implemented. At the end of term, a four-day weekend replaced the traditional two-week long spring break.
A Candlelight Vigil Held In-Response to Anti-Asian Atlanta Shootings
On March 16th, eight people, six of whom were of Asian descent and seven of whom were women, were killed by a white gunman in Atlanta. In response to the anti-Asian shootings, student organizers in collaboration with the Office of Multicultural Affairs (OMA), hosted a candlelight vigil on March 22 in front of the Academy building.
To recognize and honor the victims, the vigil consisted of multiple student reflections and works. Sarah Huang ‘20 began the event with a reflection and was accompanied by a poem read by Lucy Cai ‘20. Then upper Lina Huang followed the readings with a guzheng performance. The event then concluded with eight minutes of silence to honor each of the eight victims of the shooting.
Spring Term Schedule Undergoes a Drastic Change
A drastic departure from the past remote fall and winter terms, the spring term saw the arrival of a more pre-COVID like schedule. Unless there were faculty conflicts present, all classes were to be fully-in person with masking policies in place. Remote students would be connected to Zoom and participate in class as normal.
The initial proposed schedule included every other Wednesday off and was condensed in an effort to accommodate the days off. This thus included a shorter, staggered lunch period, three consecutive classes with no scheduled break, and an absent long reserve format. However, this schedule was heavily criticized by both students and faculty alike. The shortened lunch periods were cause for long lunch lines that made it difficult to eat within the designated period. Further, the immense decrease in free time from previous schedules heighted student stress levels.
After consistent complaints about the condensed schedule, a new schedule was proposed with shorter classes of 45 minutes, as opposed to 50, a longer lunch break, and fewer back-to-back classes. This schedule proved to be the fourth and final schedule of the 2020-21 academic year.
Pfizer Vaccines Approved to be Provided to all Eligible Students, Faculty, and Staff
In an email sent to the student body, Principal William Rawson announced that the Pfizer vaccine would be provided to all students aged 16 and older. On April 28, through sign-ups, the eligible students were able to receive the first dose. The second dose was also provided on-campus. Vaccines for students aged 12-16 were not approved until May 13, after its FDA and CDC approval.
Students who experienced side effects for the vaccine were exempt from school if they were in contact with the Dean of Students and their advisor. However, students who experienced side effects were not allowed to stay at the Lamont Health and Wellness Center due to spaces being reserved for those who tested positive to COVID. The vaccine was available to PEA faculty and staff prior to the start of the spring term.
2021-2022: Anvi
Vanity Fair Article
On September 13, 2021, an article titled “Mr. Weber’s Confession” by Nancy Jo Sales ’82 was published in Vanity Fair. The article detailed Sales’ experience regarding the Academy’s process for sexual assault reporting, and allegations accusing Ex-English Instructor David Weber of sexually assaulting her. In the article, Sales describes the Academy's continued investigation into the matter against her will, after she denied all the allegations Director of Student Health and Wellbeing Dr. Christina Palmer had shared with her over the phone a few months prior. Eventually, the investigation led to Weber’s confession to “hugging and kissing” Sales in the 1980s.
Following a protest held by student leaders, on September 21, 2021, Principal William Rawson addressed the article and its effects on the student body in an all-school speech, promising to inflict structural changes on the Academy’s process for reporting in cases of sexual misconduct, as well as plans to put systems in place to support the students during the aftermaths “traumatic events”, to ensure the burden does not fall on student leaders.
EASA/Fem Club/Transitions protest
A response to Sales’ Vanity Fair article, on September 17, student leaders of Exonians Against Sexual Assault (EASA), Feminist Union, Transitions, and Gender and Sexuality Alliance (GSA) came together to hold a school-wide protest on the Academy lawn. With faculty, students, and members of the administration present, the protest included multiple student leaders’ speeches expressing disappointment in the Academy and its sexual miscondut policies, and demanding concrete change.
This sentiment was further expressed in a petition, “hold the Academy accountable for supporting its Student Leaders”, which aimed to change the “unfair burden” that the Academy placed on student leaders due to their “negligence in communications surrounding sexual misconduct.” The petition consisted of 4 concrete demands from the administration: hiring an expert consultant with a background of sexual assault prevention; better supporting student leaders who are expected to provide assistance after the release of sensitive information; reevaluating the position of Director of Student Health and Well-being; and taking responisbility for all the harm the Academy’s failure to handle cases effectively causes students.
A few days later, in an email sent to The Exonian, Sales expressed her gratitude and admiration for the students’ activism for sexual assault victims and change in the Academy’s reporting policies, calling their work “stunning and humbling.”
“Thank you for giving us all hope for the future,” Sales went on. “What you are doing is beautiful and important.”
Mental Health Forum with CAPS
Following ongoing tensions between the student body and Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS), ESSO Active Minds and the Student Council Mental Health Committee held an open forum with students and CAPS faculty on October 6, 2021, to address these issues. Lasting about an hour, the forum was arranged in a question-answer style, with students anonymously sending in questions online to be presented to a group of 5 CAPS counselors.
It began with a focus on medical leave, with students asking for transparency on the process and intentions for requiring a student to leave campus. Counselors responded that medical leave was established in an attempt to better student’s mental and physical wellbeing, not to be an isolating act. Students went on to ask about forcing a student to return home in cases of domestic violence, and in response, CAPS emphasized that they were required to report anything they heard, and that the ultimate decision was in the hands of Child Protective Services. Continuing the same topic, when students brought up whether medical leave was mandatory, Counselor Chris Thurber responded with a graphic description of self-harm without a trigger warning, causing students to exit the room and delaying proceedings by a few minutes.
The rest of the forum addressed Thurber’s comment, and the harmful effects some of his statements might have had on students. Thurber proceeded to apologize for his actions and “sloppy choice of wording.”
CVPs established
On October 19, 2021, students and faculty at the Academy experienced their first Core Values Project block— a block once a week which was established as a continuation the anti-racist workshops from the previous academic year. Occurring every Tuesday, the CVP block offers multiple workshops that hone in on different sectors of core values and social justice, from mental health and self-care to addressing discrimination within athletics or the arts. At the beginning of each term, students and faculty leaders, or CVP “facilitators”, presented their projects in front of the student body, following which students and faculty alike were able to sign up for CVPs of their choice.
The idea for these projects originated earlier that year, and on August 10, Director of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Stephanie Bramlett reached out to former anti-racist workshop facilitators regarding the Academy’s continuation into a second year of anti-oppression work. The blocks were designed to continue to explore the Academy’s commitment to anti-oppression, and how that was represented within the Academy’s mission and core values statements.
Need-Blind Admissions
Beginning during the 2021-2022 admissions season, Exeter committed to a need-blind admissions policy, as outlined by Principal Rawson in his school-wide email on November 3, 2021. In his own words, “Cost will no longer be a barrier to any qualified students who dream of attending Phillips Exeter Academy.” A shift from their formerly “need-aware” status, this meant that financial aid would not be factored into admissions decisions whatsoever going forward, and all decisions would be made regardless of a family’s ability to pay tuition or other associated costs. As of November, nearly half of the school’s student body received financial aid, with average grants being $50,562 for boarders, and $37,684 in aid for day students.
The reason for this decision centered around amplifying one of the Academy's core values, youth from every quarter, claiming that, now, the Academy “shall ever be equally open to youth of requisite qualifications from every quarter.” According to Rawson, much of what made this shift possible included the $90 million in endowment the Academy received for financial aid over only the last 2 years, with fundraising being organized by Institutional Advancement Rawson himself. He went on to express his gratitude for the alumni, parents and friends for their support, whether through philanthropy or volunteer service, and thanked them for their “generosity and goodness.”
Library 50th anniversary celebration
SYN (Greek: συν)—”Along or together… Emphasizes gathering and connecting as its primary focus—and how the threads of our intersectionality bring us closer.”
November 5, 2021, marked the 50th anniversary of the creation of the beloved Class of 1945 Library, its celebration organized by the Architecture Club and the Democracy of Sound Exeter (DOSe.) The event consisted of entirely student-produced works: art, films, and dances centering around a theme of SYN, through which they organized their art with seven standard elements — namely line, shape, texture, space, form, color and value. Focusing on speeches by event organizers regarding the deep and extensive history of the library, accompanied by organs and live piano-playing, the event also boasted a dazzling dance performance, spoken word, and live caricatures. Many people even created complex sculptures with deeper meanings etched within them.
Having begun the spring of the previous year, the preparation for the event was vast, and beautifully expressed themes such as “decolonization” or gratitude towards the library staff. The overall theme, syn, was decided because it was a Greek preposition that now served as a prefix in English. As event organizer, Otto Do ’22 commented, “The word encapsulated so much, because it serves as a prefix for English words, while also standing alone most of the time in Greek. I was really drawn to that interchangeable dialogue.”
Front Street Commons
Beginning the summer of 2021, the ongoing construction of a new dorm, “Front Street Commons” is said to be finished and polished by the fall of 2022. A new home to current residents of Merrill Hall and Langdell Hall, the dorm was created as temporary housing for students and faculty while Merrill, Langdell, and Wetherell Dining Hall are torn down and renovated. The floor plan reveals that the Commons will contain 60 beds, 5 faculty apartments, and a 2500 sq. ft common area, which includes a game room and recreational spaces for day students.
Unlike any other dorm at the Academy, the Commons will also contain four Harkness classrooms on its ground floor — set to be the area for the health education department. According to Director of Facilities Management Mark Leighton, the health department’s need for a fourth classroom and their own academic space was also one of the driving forces to the creation of this dorm.
Students petition against academy COVID protocol
On January 10, 2022, a few days after the beginning of winter term, Principal Rawson sent out a school-wide email regarding updates to the COVID protocol, including a new system where all families were required to identify a “Covid Pickup Designee” who would contacted immediately and pick up their student within 24 hours if tested positive. Along with this, the Academy loosened COVID restrictions and returned to in-person instruction. In response, seniors Lekha Masoudi, Alana Reale, and Emily Wang drafted a petition surrounding their concerns with the impracticality and harmful effects of these updated protocols on low-income and international students. The petition received an overall total of over 80 signatures.
In the days that followed, Dean of Students Russell Weatherspoon followed up with student concerns at the week’s Student Council meeting, and then again in his email to the community on January 15, where he stressed the trend of decreasing COVID cases that backed up the decision to return to in-person activities. In Rawson’s response to the petition, he emphasized that the Academy had made this decision “carefully and deliberately”, but many students remained disappointed that no physical action was taken to address their fears.
Kaminski retracts guilty plea
February 12, 2022, marked the day that Former Math instructor Szczesny “Jerzy” Kaminski was scheduled to plead guilty, in court, to three counts of aggravated felonious assault and one misdemeanor count of sexual assault. This was part of a negotiated plea deal with prosecutors to resolve the case, after Kaminski plead guilty a few months prior, in November 2021. A teacher at the Academy for nearly three decades until April 2020, the deal he had made with prosecutors included the prosecutors dropping three additional charges against him if he agreed to plead guilty and spend at least 12 years in jail.
As Dean Weatherspoon acknowledged in his school-wide email the afternoon of February 12, Kaminski’s attorney Amy Spencer appeared before the Rockingham County Superior Court earlier that morning informing the court of his plea deal withdrawal. Having gone against Spencer’s advice, Kaminski is now scheduled for a trial to occur during the week of October 31 to November 7, 2022, although Spencer will no longer be representing him.
Revised protocols for SA reporting
Months after the release of Sales’ Vanity Fair Article and the announcement of former Instructor Szczesny Kaminski’s trial, on February 8, 2022, Principal Rawson sent out a school-wide email regarding updates to the Academy’s protocols for responding to student reports of sexual misconduct oir assault. As of the new protocols, students would now be able to report to any trusted adult on campus. They would then be given a “support coordinator”, to support them throughout the investigation, who could be any professionally trained faculty member. In addition, the reporting student will receive support from their advisor, their trusted adult, a HAVEN advocate, deans, counselors and the Director of Student Well-being throughout the process.
The administration has been in communication with external experts, including investigators from HAVEN and RAINN, as well as faculty who have previously been involved in cases to come up with these protocols. They have received feedback and advice from student leaders in EASA, Feminist Union, GSA,and Transitions through these decisions, as well as looked at parallel processes from other prep schools. As Rawson mentions, they will also present these updates at Student Council and faculty meetings to receive input.
Ukraine
Beginning February 24, 2022, news of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has taken center stage all around the world. Demolishing critical infrastructure and killing thousands of innocent civilians, numbers of death continue to increase every day, and recently, Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov announced the start of a new phase of invasion. As it has with millions of people around the world, the news severely affected many Academy students, especially impactful to students from countries involved within the conflict or surrounding countries.
Many Academy students have taken their emotions to social media, raising awareness about the conflict and spreading fundraisers for civilians in Ukraine. Other students have started reaching out and helping civilians, through meeting with them and teaching them English over zoom classes. The Academy itself has launched attempts to respond to the conflict, with Phillips Church hosting “Prayers for Ukraine” on February 25, along with some teachers who have taken to discussing the topic in class.
