On Campus

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT MAKES A STRONG RETURN

There’s just no substitute for a hug between friends.

After two long years of virtual activities due to COVID, nearly all programs facilitated by PA’s Office of Community Engagement are back in person, with participation continuing to grow to pre-pandemic levels.

This spring, hundreds of Andover students, along with faculty and staff members, volunteered for approximately 30 direct engagement programs across the Greater Merrimack Valley—from after-school enrichment programs to working with adults preparing for citizenship exams to teaching coding at the Boys and Girls Club of Lawrence. It’s a testament to the robust efforts of the Office of Community Engagement, which for more than 40 years has nurtured non sibi and enabled the Academy to live its motto as a “private school with a public purpose.”

“Through our programs, students gain a deeper understanding of themselves, of their connection and commitment to others, and of the inequities and injustices in the world—and their roles in addressing them,” says Director Monique Cueto-Potts. “They absolutely should leave PA knowing how to respectfully, humbly, and responsibly work with and in communities, and we want them to develop the habits of heart and mind to be able to do that.”

Paulkichna Merove ’22 and Denise Carriere were thrilled to see each other at a spring Arc meeting in the Snyder Center. The longstanding community engagement initiative connects PA students to adults with disabilities—in buddy pairs—through activities such as board games, coloring, music, and exercise. Merove and Carriere spent the evening laughing their way through a game of Connect Four.

“Being away from my Andover friends these past couple of years was difficult,” says Carriere, an Arc participant for more than 30 years. “I loved getting Paulkichna’s letters. But it was nice to actually see the Andover kids who come here from all over the world.”

Merove agrees. “During the pandemic, when I was at

Top: Arc buddies Paulkichna Merove ’22 and Denise Carriere form a lasting bond through games, music, and laughter. Bottom: 2021–2022 Arc co-coordinators Nathalie Lelogeais ’22, Luke Boshar ’22, Avi Shah ’22, and Sam Elliott ’22 were thrilled to hold meetings in person this spring.

home, I barely saw people,” she says. “A perk was that with Arc, every week I had my buddy Denise to write to. It kept me from being a total recluse! Now, it’s so exciting that we finally can meet in person.”

“When we closed up shop in 2020, we did some things online, but it was evident PA students and our community partners missed being together. It’s so necessary for connection,” says CuetoPotts. “Community engagement makes such a difference for our students—it’s integral. A lot of times they come in saying they’re tired, they’re stressed. But they leave feeling energized and able to focus because of these relationships they have developed.”

Additionally, the office intentionally creates time for conversations on topics such as privilege, identity, and justice. “It’s important for our students to understand the social issues that create the need for these programs, and for them to think about the mutually beneficial relationships they develop with our community partners,” says Cueto-Potts.

There is always a waitlist for student volunteer slots, she adds. At the Arc meeting, it was easy to see why. Co-coordinator Sam Elliott ’22 danced to “Y.M.C.A.” with his buddy. Nathalie Lelogeais ’22, also a co-coordinator, raced with her buddy around the track. Everyone was engaged, energetic, and upbeat.

“How can you be in a bad mood doing this work?” asks Cueto-Potts. “How lucky are we? We’re so glad to be back. This is what it’s all about.”

—KATIE FIERMONTI

To learn more, follow the Office of Community Engagement on Instagram @pa.community. engagement.

All School

ANDOVER’S MVPs

Four more names were added to the roster of the Andover Athletics Hall of Honor this past June during Reunion Weekend. The inductees were part of the 15th cohort of honorees, dating back to 2008. From left, Taek-Geun Kwon ’92, a standout wrestler and golfer; Eliza Deery ’79, a three-sport athlete at Andover (field hockey, Nordic skiing, lacrosse); former athletics director and football coach, Leon “Coach Mo” Modeste; and Rush Taylor ’96, Andover’s only twosport All-American in swimming and water polo. Read more about these remarkable individuals at andover.edu/alumni-recognition.

Visit @phillipsacademy on Instagram to see a video of Johnson in the Clift Music Library.

MINDFUL LISTENING AT THE CLIFT MUSIC LIBRARY

In honor of National Record Store Day this past April, Carl Johnson, head music librarian at Andover’s W.B. Clift Music Library, shared some of his favorite LPs.

Johnson is responsible for managing more than 10,000 recordings, periodicals, composition software, and keyboards available for loan from the Graves Hall library.

Vinyl records—or LPs (long play), as they are commonly known—are having a renaissance of sorts, says Johnson. Despite the ready availability of music on streaming channels, record sales have been increasing in recent years, driven not only by nostalgia, but also by younger generations looking for a more tactile experience.

“You really feel the music when you are playing it analog,” Johnson says. “It really gets you involved in the sound.”

Among the LPs in the collection is “Calm Before” by The Rising Storm, a garage punk band formed at Andover in the ’60s. Johnson says there were only a few printings of the LP; it’s now considered a rare collectible.

Johnson says the experience of play-

the BUZZ

ing an LP is very different than listening to the radio in your car or downloading a playlist on Spotify. “It requires a certain intentional/mindful listening,” he says. “You are engaged with that object. When you play an album, you hear all the snaps and crackles and pops. That’s part of the joy of the sound.”

Visit @phillipsacademy on Instagram to see a video of Johnson in the Clift Music Library.

As part of the Tang Institute’s Workshop class, Alicia Chu ’22 and Lily Haik ’22 developed a rebranding campaign and design competition for Andover’s Office of Community and Multicultural Development (CAMD). The resulting new logo, created by Sofia Checchi ’23, was chosen for its “vibrant art and vision of CAMD.” What better way to celebrate the 4th of July than with the Boston Pops? This year, the Pops were joined onstage at the Hatch Shell by the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, which included tenor Sam Wright ’19. Currently attending Amherst College, where he is studying math and music composition, Wright worked this past summer at Andover as a teaching assistant for the (MS)2 program.