Phillips Andover







This spring, many talented guests have visited the Phillips Academy Andover campus. Ross Kauffman, this year’s Kayden Visiting Artist of Andover’s Kayden Visiting program (established in 1970), spent three meaningful days at the Academy. Kauffman arrived on campus April 5th to share his talent and work. Co-director of the 2004 Academy Award Best Documentary Feature Born Into Brothels, he presented his phenomenal film to the Andover community. The film documents the tragic lives of Calcutta children born in the red light district and forced into devastating lives of prostitution like their mothers’. The directors, Kauffman and Zana Briski, spent several years with these ill-fated children, giving them hope for a better life. Briski taught the children how to use cameras and take pictures, exposing them to the beauty of art. The children’s photographs are currently on display in the Gelb Gallery at Andover.



The Alfred E. Stearns lecturer, Jonathan Spence, also paid a memorable visit to Andover this month. The Alfred E. Stearns program was established in 1926. Spence, a professor at Yale, visited the Academy to speak about the development of Chinese Civilization since the 17th century. Spence has written many acclaimed and well-known books on China and Chinese history. His visit was part of the 2006 Andover Symposium: The Challenges of Globalization, which was created in order to emphasize Andover’s commitment to international affairs.







Phillips Exeter







In a continued effort to attract the most qualified students to Phillips Exeter Academy, the financial aid department has taken an executive decision and put into effect a major change in financial aid policy. The department has decided to completely eliminate student loans and replace them with outright grants. This is a significant adjustment to the program: repayment of loans will no longer burden families in the long term. In addition, the department has decided to increase the percentage of students eligible for financial aid. In the 2006-2007 academic year, financial aid will be available for 40% of the Exeter student body, up from 35% in 2005-2006.



The National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS) has honored Phillips Exeter Academy for its environmental sustainability programs. The NAIS represents 1,200 private boarding schools through out the United States and has chosen Exeter for its significant work in a crucial environmental-protection effort. Exeter’s entire community is involved in the programs. All buildings on campus are monitored for conservation of energy and resources. Recycling bins can be found in every dormitory and classroom. The dining hall participates in the efforts by serving organic foods. Members of the Exeter community have reduced their impact on their town’s water supply by creating drill wells and as a result have saved 1.5 million gallons of water. Although Exeter saved energy on campus by 10.67%, or 138,759-kilowatt hours, in February, they are now looking into even more efficient light bulbs.







Hotchkiss







Student Council elections for the 2006-2007 school year are well underway at Hotchkiss. On Friday, April 20th, paired co-presidential candidates will face off for the position. On Monday, April 17th, a special program featured Hotchkiss alum Howard Hunter. Mr. Hunter teaches at the Country Day School in Louisiana. He will discuss the culture of New Orleans and his perspective on the effects of Hurricane Katrina on all aspects of the city. In addition, well-known anthropologist Louise Leakey recently visited Hotchkiss to speak at a special program about her discovery of a 1.75 million-year-old skull in Tanzania.



Hotchkiss is currently building a tennis center on a site previously occupied by tennis courts; new courts have been constructed near the athletic center. The school is also constructing two new dormitories, which will create a northern quad as well. They hope to accomplish the construction of the dorms by August 2007. At that time, the school will begin an immense renovation of some of the older dorms.







Taft







Taft School’s prestigious Collegium Musicum toured Spain during their recent spring vacation. The student musicians performed at many different locations across the country. They concluded the trip with a mass in the Madrid Cathedral. In other news, Judge David Crane, professor of law at Syracuse University, came to talk to Taft students about the injustices committed in Sierra Leone. He described war stories, as well as his experiences as chief prosecutor for the international war crimes tribunal of Sierra Leone. Another school meeting, held April 11th, featured Michael Thompson, Ph. D. A noted psychologist and author, Dr. Thompson dedicates his work to family relations. Author of the very à propos book “The Pressured Child: Helping Your Child Achieve Success in School and in Life,” Michael Thompson addressed the students about topics including life at a prestigious prep school.







Loomis Chaffee







Faith and Religion were among the annual themes at Loomis Chaffee. Earlier in the year, one speaker gave a speech to students on the idea of intelligent design versus evolution. At Commencement, Bruce Lawrence, a professor at Duke and a relative of a current Loomis student, will speak about Islam, concluding the chain of special guests lecturing on religion.



In other Loomis news, Team Paragon, the robotics team at Loomis won a Regional Spirit Award at the Hartford Regional Competition. The team, an award the team has been honored with for six consecutive years. Another recent event at Loomis was its environmental conference, organized by student Hannah Belsky ’06. The conference was held over two days, and Loomis’ environmental club, Project Green, sponsored the event. The conference included a tour of Loomis’ cogeneration facility, which uses some environment-friendly methods of generating energy.







Kent







In January, Kent’s Model UN team attended a four - day conference at Columbia University and a day- long conference at Sacred Heart Academy in Greenwich. Kent’s Model UN club is made up of fourteen members who work year round, and this spring two committees are being created for the club: one that discusses the Cold War and a Security Council whose responsibility is the Second Persian War.



Kent recently received a donation to improve its “digital lab,” a room in which students can edit video and audio footage. In addition, a new tape deck as well as a 20 - inch monitor were donated through the generosity of the family of a member of the class of 2005.



An English teacher at Kent, Thomas Hunt, published his first book, a non-fiction book inspired by an article he read about Beachy Head, a cliff in England popular for suicide. Hunt traveled to Beachy Head after losing a relative to suicide in order to explore reasoning behind the act and what it’s like to live in an area marked by many suicides. The book, although dark at times, is an uplifting and inspiring volume.







Deerfield







At Deerfield Academy, The Koch Center for science, mathematics and technology nears completion. Both faculty and student await the building, designed by famed architect Scott Kirkham of Skidmore, Owings and Merrill. The center is scheduled to open this coming fall.



Like Andover, the school had the opportunity to hear Ross Kauffman, producer and director of “Born into Brothels,” speak about his Academy award winning film. The event was sponsored by the Round Square Organization in cooperation with the Academy Events Committee. According to Deerfield, “Devoid of sentimentality, Born into Brothels defies the typical tear-stained tourist snapshot of the global underbelly. Briski spends years with these kids and becomes part of their lives.”