letter from the editor

7:07 AM

As students exit their dorms, first in a trickle and then a surge, they fill the paths and overflow onto the dew-soaked grass, their quiet chatter floating through the fog.

Holding the Door

On Friday, October 8, with the sun setting behind Hinman Dormitory, we finished taking pictures of the leaders gathered outside Chapel aer the Investiture Ceremony and walked to the Commons for dinner, savoring one of the last warm evenings of the fall. As we came around the end of Hopkins and descended the stairs, ahead I could see two boys, still holding the doors open into the dining hall. e rest of the community was already inside, even the new leaders who had stayed aer the service to speak with Director of Student Life Nick Nowak. ese two boys, who stood barely tall enough to hold the doors open, waited for us. eir stomachs must have been growling and their feet must have been tired, but that didn’t stop them from putting others needs before their own.

When I began to brainstorm different themes for this issue of the Chronicle in August, everyone was looking forward with anticipation to the boys’ return to campus and to the start of what we hoped would be a routine school year. In celebration of these everyday experiences, the magazine’s editorial board encouraged me to consider using the feature article to capture a day in the life of Cardigan.

Excited by the idea, I planned to follow one boy from each grade, documenting all that occurs during their daily journeys around, through, and within Cardigan. But when I introduced the project to my colleagues, my plan quickly fell apart. No one student—or even four—could represent the Cardigan experience. e voices of multiple students and the photos of multiple storytellers would be important, so I arranged interviews with whole advisory groups at every level and recruited seven photographers to join me in capturing as many perspectives as possible during a single day on e Point.

Friday, October 8 was perfect. ick mist blanketed the campus at dawn, then rose and evaporated, liing the curtain on a cloudless blue sky. e foliage was at its peak and temperatures were warm enough for outdoor classes. I relished the opportunity to set aside my usual work for the day and simply let my eyes wander and discover new angles. I wasn’t sure how the feature was going to come together, but I assumed it would center around some sort of progression: the sixth graders, young and in need of guidance and nurturing, the ninth graders mature and independent. I also hoped to capture the little moments, the ones that usually happen “off stage,” the ones that are unscripted and occur when “no one is looking.”

When I reviewed the photos, however, there was no progression. Many of the little moments were there, but the only obvious difference I could note between grade levels was physical size, and even that was unpredictable! Instead the photos documented Cardigan students all embracing the same level of responsibility. Here were photos of sixth graders stepping up and leading—becoming as involved in the Jobs Program as the ninth graders, offering words of encouragement to each other during class discussions, and yes, holding open the doors into the Commons before and aer meals. And when I interviewed students, even the sixth graders, aer only a month on the Cardigan campus, could already recite the Core Values and provide a robust description of service leadership.

It was clear that all Cardigan students strive to meet the same expectations, no matter their age. And, upon reflection, this actually makes sense. Aer all, each boy signs the Cardigan Mountain School Honor Code every fall, whether in sixth grade and leaving home for the first time, or in ninth grade, preparing for secondary school. Daily all the boys are expected to serve, to put others’ needs before their own, to li each other up, and to commit to learning and growing.

It may be a subtle difference, but I think it’s worth noting: students find success at Cardigan, not because there is a careful progression that guides students through all four years—aer all, each boy is different and will mature in his own time—but because the School provides them with consistent expectations, reinforced during every year they are part of this community.

I took over a thousand pictures that day, but the image of the two young men (see page 32), waiting for me—the last member of the community to show up for dinner—has stayed with me. eir kindness and eagerness to serve is commendable. And, they are emblematic of the many acts of kindness that occur at Cardigan daily, because here the students understand what it means to serve, no matter their age. r

Emily Magnus, Editor emagnus@cardigan.org

Editor’s Note:Many of the images and words in this issue reflect a time during the fall semester when the world felt like it was returning to normal, before the Omicron variant disrupted our lives once again. In always prioritizing the health and safety of our community, our campus has since renewed several health protocols.