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The Academy Journal Lawrence Academy/Fall 2009 BIGELOW HALL 1958 Report on Annual Giving 2008–2009 Inside This Edition... Living in Bigelow Hall 3 Trustees of Lawrence Academy by Andrew J. Brescia, director of communications Albert B. Gordon Jr. ’59, President When Bigelow Hall was constructed, the Civil War was in full swing. What do we Lucy Abisalih ’76, Vice President know about the dormitory—its namesake, architect, history, and its inhabitants? Geoffrey P. Clear, Treasurer Bruce M. MacNeil ’70, Secretary Read all about it and see what was buried in the ground near the first building erected as a dormitory. Kevin A. Anderson ’85 Ronald M. Ansin Timothy M. Armstrong ’89 Sports Town 10 Craig C. Arnold ’63 by Richard Johnson ’74 Barbara Anderson Brammer ’75 Ann N. Conway We thought that the remarks Richard Johnson ’74 made at Reunion 2009 deserved Kevin Cronin a wider audience, so we are publishing them here. The curator of the New England Patrick Cunningham ’91 Sports Museum, Richard knows a thing or two about the Boston sports scene. Judi N. Cyr ’82 Greta L. Donahue Charlotte Floyd Ya w ke y ’s Wa y 1 3 Catherine J. Frissora Bradford Hobbs ’82 by Andrew Klopfer ’00 Jonathan Jodka ’79 A longtime Sox fan, Andrew Klopfer ’00 jumped at the chance to introduce Victoria Bowers Lamb ’73 us to a book co-authored by Richard Johnson ’74. Daniel T. Lemaitre Audrey A. McNiff ’76 Peter C. Myette On Crows, Curiosity, and Self-Directed Learning 15 James S. Polese ’84 Harold W. Potter Jr., Esq. by Andrew J. Brescia, director of the Independent Immersion Program Gordon W. Sewall ’67 Over 35 years old, the Independent Immersion Program (formerly LA II) David Stone ’76 epitomizes LA’s flexibility and is the ultimate expression of how students can Ruth R. White ’76 retake responsibility for their own learning. Honorary Trustees Arthur F. Blackman Lessons From the Long Trail 17 George A. Chamberlain III Jeanne L. Crocker by Christie Beveridge, English teacher Henry S. Russell Jr. From Mt. Abraham to Camel’s Hump, Christie and her dog enjoy the simple Albert Stone Robert F. White ’40 pleasures of hiking in central Vermont. Her graceful prose may well cause Benjamin D. Williams III you to seek out the solitude and challenges of the Long Trail yourself. Editor and Contributor Beauty in the Beast 20 Andrew J. Brescia Director of Communications by Krista Collins, mathematics department chair As a high school student, she hated math and expected to major in political Layout/Design science. All that changed when she was introduced to President Garfield’s proof Dale Cunningham Assistant Director of Communications of the Pythagorean Theorem. Editorial Council Eyes Wide Open 21 Robinson C, Moore Assistant Head of School, External Affairs Few will soon forget an exhibit that came to The Grant Rink last spring, Molly Richardson inspiring poems by Samuel Feigenbaum ’09 and English teacher Mark Haman, Associate Director of Development among others, and the accompanying photographs. Amanda Doyle ’98 Assistant to Constituent Relations Campus News 24 Susan Hughes Assistant to the Head of School Moving On, Moving In 36 Mary Judith Tierney Director of Parent Programs and Special LA Reunion 39 Events Beverly Rodrigues Class Notes 44 Communications Publicist In Memoriam 52 Photography Andrew J. Brescia, Jon Chase, Gus Freedman, and Lawrence Academy Report on Annual Giving 55 Archives First Word by Head of School Scott Wiggins I have lately taken to impressing upon candidates for teaching have mentors whom they cherish, students willingly push and administrative positions at LA that I am keenly interested in themselves to be the very best that they can be. For most of hiring I-get-to people. I’ll have more to say about this later on in the best boarding school teachers I have met in my career in this edition of First Word. independent education, being a triple threat is what they enjoy and find most rewarding about working in boarding schools. Based upon my conversations with fellow heads of boarding schools around the country, it seems that our increasingly In the opinion of many of my fellow heads of boarding schools, technical and specialized world has, for many schools, changed the notion of the triple threat at this moment in history is dying one of the fundamental dynamics that, in my view, has until a rapid death. This demise, in my view, is a crisis of expectation, now given boarding schools their distinct advantage over other competence, exhaustion, and heart, and I will address each of educational organizations. What I am talking about is best these forces below. Regardless, I do not agree that the extinction described by the phrase “triple threat,” which is how many of the triple threat is inevitable, but there is no question that the refer to a faculty member who teaches, coaches, and is actively species is contracting in number. involved in the residential program of the school. Let me start with expectation and competence. As tuitions have In days of old, the triple threat was the boarding school standard climbed at alarming rates during the past 10 years, so too have and with good reason. When students live at a school, they need the expectations of parents for excellence in program offerings. to have adults to watch over them at all hours of the day and on Academically, rigorous courses taught by top-notch teachers of weekends. When students are required to participate in afternoon unquestionable competence—teachers who know their stuff, are activities (as they are at most boarding schools), they need adults gifted in the classroom, and are attuned to teenagers—are an to coach them. When students undertake a rigorous course absolute essential. As the art of teaching has advanced and as the of studies, they need adults to teach and guide them in the complexity, design, and sophistication of course material and classroom. When the adults who teach at a school also coach and pedagogy needed to power a rich and vibrant student-centered run dormitories or evening study halls, and also live on campus experience have increased exponentially over time, teachers have with their families and take meals in the same eating space as the had to work harder and harder to keep the level of instruction, students, the frequency of faculty-student contact inevitably challenge, and vision in their courses at an all-time high. This leads to adults and students forming long-lasting relationships takes time, energy, passion, expertise, and commitment to that are powerful and inspiring beyond all measure. When they accomplish. Similarly, in the athletic realm, Lawrence Academy ACADEMY JOURNAL / FALL 2009 1 First Word, continued offer some extra help during a free period, return calls from parents during another, have lunch, teach another class, meet with a student in crisis, head to the field to coach a 90-minute soccer practice, shower, go to dinner, and, finally, head to the dorm for a night of duty, when you will steal a little time to prepare for the next day’s classes. Now do some version of that for five days a week for 36 weeks and remember to throw in 10 weekends devoted to the residential program. Need I say more about exhaustion? And what about heart? In my experience, the best triple threats I have known have been those educators who wanted—no, who insisted—on being triple threats. Despite the pressures that this level of competence in multiple areas may exert on one’s ability to be an effective triple threat these days, a person who does not desire to be a triple threat is likely looking to take on aspects of being a faculty member on which he or she would rather focus. Sometimes this comes naturally as a temporary stage-of-life adjustment to one’s normal full-time load, which is perfectly appropriate on a short-term basis. Regardless, a person who takes on a triple threat regimen without the heart for it becomes the antithesis of what I referred to earlier as the I-get-to people. So what is an I-get-to person? I tell candidates that we are looking for qualified people to teach, to coach two seasons, and to serve in some capacity in the residential program (either as a dorm head or as a dorm or study hall affiliate). I then tell them to imagine that a month into the school year they get a call from an old friend who asks, “What are you doing working in a It is not unusual for Ned Mitchell, a longtime English teacher at boarding school—are you crazy?” Then I tell them what I want Lawrence Academy, to leave the NGP classroom and go straight to the field as coach of the JVB soccer team. Here, he shares some their genuine response to be: “Are you kidding me? I get to teach encouragement with Yoshi Sumirya ’10 during halftime in a game and I get to coach and I get to work and live with kids in a against Brooks on October 14. In the evenings, Ned is one of three 24-hours-a-day residential program here!” I then emphasize that nonresident dorm parents working in Elm Tree Hall and Spaulding Hall, if they anticipate that any of those get to’s will be have to’s, it the two largest dorms for boys. See page 39 for coverage of Ned’s receiving the 2009 Alumni Faculty Appreciation Award. would be far better for all of us now if they were to focus their job search on day schools.

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