THE ARTS

The Bucs Take Center Stage Virtually

Blair’s vocal and instrumental musicians took part in a unique musical event in May when they presented the School’s first-ever virtual Spring Concert. The performance celebrated their Blair spirit and determination to make music together, despite physical distance, a pandemic or any other obstacles that might come their way.

Twelfth Night

Men on Boats

The show went on this spring for the Blair Academy Players, who virtually shared scenes from Men on Boats and presented a reading of William Shakespeare’s classic Twelfth Night. In another Blair first, the actors delivered their spring performances while sheltering in place on three continents.

Blair’s fine artists shared their talents with the community during the first-ever virtual Student Art Exhibition in early May. The online event, which celebrated students’ resourcefulness and ability to overcome challenges while working at home, included original paintings, films, photography, drawings, graphic designs and 3D pieces.

Film production teacher Robert Hanson took the School’s traditional Student Film Festival online, and 20 students of all levels of ability shared their work with teachers and classmates virtually. This year’s genre was music videos, and Thao Nguyen ’21 took the top prize for her video of “Vienna” by Billy Joel.

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020

BLAIR Academy’s 172nd commencement ceremony was a tradition- and joy-filled celebration of the class of 2020, as well as the first graduation in School history to take place online. Families and friends from around the world came together virtually on May 21 to listen to words of wisdom, honor the achievements of students and faculty members, and celebrate an incredible senior class.

The Rev. Lisa Durkee, Blair’s former chaplain and chair of the religion and philosophy department, opened the ceremony with a benediction, before Head of School Chris Fortunato and Senior Class Council members Aidan Riano ’20 and Robert Donnelly ’20 shared words of welcome.

Presentation of faculty awards followed, after which top student prizes were accorded (please see list of awardees on page 29).

Class speaker Seo Yeong (Shauna) Kwag ’20 addressed the class with an uplifting message after being awarded the George P. Jenkins ’32 Prize. She touched upon her deep fascination with mathematical patterns, as well as her appreciation of the patterns and routines of everyday life at Blair. These routines, including the expectation of a fun-filled, culminating “senior spring,” were ripped away by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite what was lost, however, something has also been gained: a newfound perspective of the beauty that goes unnoticed in routine.

“As we all move into each of our uncertain futures, I want to challenge you all to try to discern the patterns that dictate your daily lives,” she said as she concluded her remarks. “And once you find that pattern, I hope you can all stop to notice the beauty of it, of its masterful and sophisticated

design, of how you’re forming it, and how it’s forming you. All patterns—let them be in nature or more in our human lives—are beautiful and worthy of appreciation.”

Finally, the moment the class of 2020 was anticipating arrived: the awarding of diplomas. Faculty advisors read the names of each of their senior advisees, acknowledgment of the special relationships that had been formed during students’ Blair years. The graduates were invited to share a 10-second video, expressing both their gratitude and farewells to those who made their Blair experience memorable.

Mr. Fortunato then addressed the newly minted alumni, reminding them of the many memories they had created over the course of their years at Blair, which would keep them connected far more powerfully than anything that might separate them, including a pandemic.

“It is appropriate that the class of 2020 should so sharply bring into focus what it truly means to be a Blair student— and a Blair graduate—and what it means to live the Blair way,” he said. “Since I first addressed you as freshmen at Convocation in 2016, you have been the class that, no matter what the world has thrown your way, continues to look up, chooses to build relationships, bridges and paths forward even when the shadows of cynicism threaten to darken our hopes, and remains kind to others, even in moments of hardship.”

Senior Class Council member Lula Mantegna ’20 closed the ceremony, but the festivities for the class of 2020 continued into the afternoon as students who lived within driving distance came together on campus for a physically distanced drive-through celebration. Graduates and their families had been invited to drive the loop around campus, which was lined the entire way with cheering faculty and staff members.

Congratulations, class of 2020! ■

FACULTY AWARDS

Apgar Award for Teaching Excellence: Computer science teacher Michael Garrant

Riether Residential Life Award: English teacher David Mamukelashvili

John C. & Eve S. Bogle Teaching Prize: English teacher Sarah O’Neil

Headmaster’s Faculty Prize: Dean of Academics Nathan Molteni

Tedlow Teaching Prize: History teacher Andrew Sykes U.S. Naval Academy: Sarah Elizabeth Richardson ’20 &

Peter McBride Montgomery ’20

STUDENT AWARDS

Selena & James Howard Prize: Dylan Robert Benson ’20 &

Camille Aleksandra Williams ’20

Harold F. Walker Memorial Prize: Corey Stephen Downey ’20

& Robert Frederico Rucki ’20

Lee Rose Memorial Trophy: Kathleen S. Devlin ’20

Headmaster’s Prize: Aidan Gilmore Riano ’20

Blair Academy Trophy: Alexandra Leigh Kirby ’20

APPOINTMENTS TO U.S. SERVICE ACADEMIES

George P. Jenkins ’32 Prize: Seo Yeong (Shauna) Kwag ’20

U.S. Military Academy: Damon Myles Washington ’20

CLASS OF 2020 COLLEGE MATRICULATION LIST

American University (2) Amherst College Barnard College Bates College (3) Baylor University Bentley University Boston College (2) Boston University Brown University (4) Bucknell University Case Western Reserve University Claremont McKenna College Clemson University Colby College (4) Colgate University (3) College of Charleston College of the Holy Cross Cornell University Davidson College (4) Drexel University Emory University (2) Furman University Gardner-Webb University George Mason University Georgetown University (2) Georgia Institute of Technology Gettysburg College (2) Goldey-Beacom College Hamilton College Hartwick College Harvard College Lafayette College Lehigh University (9) Loyola Marymount University (2) Massachusetts Institute of Technology Michigan State University New York University (2) Northwestern University Occidental College Oklahoma State University Pennsylvania State University (2) Pomona College Purdue University (2) Rhodes College Saint Mary’s College of California Skidmore College (3) Stanford University Stetson University Syracuse University Texas Christian University The Ohio State University The University of Alabama (2) The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill The University of Tampa (2) Trinity College (2) Tufts University (3) United States Military Academy United States Naval Academy (2) Universidad de Deusto Università Bocconi University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of Maryland University of Michigan (2) University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania (3) University of Rhode Island University of Rochester University of Southern California (2) University of St Andrews University of Virginia (3) University of Waterloo University of Wisconsin, Madison Villanova University (2) Virginia Military Institute Virginia Tech (2) Wake Forest University (5) Washington University in St. Louis Wellesley College Wheaton College Wofford College Yale University