T he L og Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper
thelog@taboracademy.org
Volume 88, Number 2
November 2014
The Backbone of the Tabor Community
Board of Trustees dedicates time and effort to ensure Tabor’s success by Jack Gordon
Photo by TA Photopool
Although often unknown to many students, the Board of Trustees makes some of the most influential decisions regarding fiscal expenditures and polices related to Tabor. In October, the committee had their first meeting of the year to discuss a variety of topics.
Carmine A. Martignetti’71, the newly elected chairman of Tabor’s Board of Trustees.
In the simplest sense, the Board of Trustees is the “strategic governing body of the school.” It is a board comprised of twenty-two alumni and parents both past and present. These members typically are selected to represent a wide range of educational experience, community involvement and business expertise. In general, a trustee is expected to bring the “Three W’s”, as Mr. Quirk calls it: work, wisdom and wealth.
The Board of Trustees meets three times a year, for a long weekend lasting from Thursday through Saturday afternoon. During these meetings, members discuss and analyze various proposals before making decisions on projects that will ensure that Tabor has what it needs for long-term stability and success. Throughout the weekend, ten committees representing different aspects of the school meet
individually to discuss more specific issues. Some sessions and proposals are then presented to the larger group, often on topics of interest to the entire Board, or if there is a need for a vote to be taken. In addition, sometimes an “executive session” is held and is attended only by trustees, when more serious topics such as the evaluation of the Head of School are reviewed. In the recent past, many decisions made by the trustees have had significant impact on the Academy. The election of Mr. Quirk as Head of School to follow Headmaster Stroud three years ago was the decision of the Board. Also, the new rowing tanks were the result of efforts by a trustee. Lately, the principal focus of the Board has been Tabor’s “Vision 2026” plan, a long-range plan for Tabor on its 150th year Anniversay. It encompasses six main initiatives: The Tabor Experience, Ocean Ecology, Faculty, Diversity, Operational Excellence, and Advancement. With these core values in mind, the Board has developed a well-structured schedule to improve the school by its 150th birthday celebration. At their meeting in October, several significant topics in addition to the Vision 2026 were reviewed. Among many conversations, increased emphasis on diversity and inclusion at Tabor was discussed, and an update on the proposed Matsumura Dorm was presented. If you happen to run into one of these important figures during your time at Tabor, be sure to say hello and even start a conversation with them (they are actually pretty cool people). As Mr. Quirk summed up, “The Board of Trustees provides committed support to the school — in its guidance and wisdom, its philanthropic and strategic support, and its unwavering desire for Tabor to be its best.
A Healthy Community Requires Diversity
Mrs. Walker-Johnson leads newly established Multicultural Education Center by Rachel McCoog Over this past summer, the meaning of Multicultural Education at Tabor Academy was redefined and strengthened . Last year a cultural climate study was taken of our school “to provide the Tabor community with the tools necessary to build a more inclusive environment”, says Mrs. Walker-Johnson, the leader of the newly founded diversity council. The results of the study suggested that the Multicultural Education Center be moved to a more central location in order “to provide more visibility for a program whose mission is rooted in multicultural education, diversity, and inclusion efforts that support those who study, work, and/or live at Tabor.” The Center located directly across from the International Student Center allows for a natural increase in collaboration between diverse groups of students.
The Multicultural Education Center is welcome to anyone in the community to drop by, meet some new people, or check out some of the multicultural magazines and books available there. This new philosophy will ultimately create a basis for true dialogue and collaboration to take place between people from the small scale community of our school all the way up to international communities.
The Multicultural Education Center is welcome to anyone in the community to drop by...
The program’s philosophy is to support all identities of our community by instilling policies and practices that focus on matters of diversity and inclusion. By creating this space, conversations between diverse identities can take place in a fun and informal way. Walker-Johnson says, “It is another place in the Academic Center for students to relax, meet new people, and continue to build meaningful relationships.”
Along with the new location of the Multicultural Education Center came the creation of the Diversity Leadership Council. This Council will work to make sure the changes outlined by the study become a reality. The council hopes to put emphasis on making sure that diversity and inclusion efforts become the responsibility of all members of the Tabor community. Walker Johnson says that the work the council does “is not fast or easy work, but it is rewarding and fulfilling work.” The council hopes to see Tabor become a place “where all members have a voice, are given respect and see their identities reflected and affirmed in the curriculum, co-curricular, and physical and virtual environments of the school.”
Inside the issue
Thanksgiving
Center Spread p. 3 & 4
Sections
Bella Worthington
Meet the Artist p. 7
Tabor News.................................1,3 Editorials.......................................2 Center Spread.............................4,5 Opinions........................................6 Sports.............................................7 The Back Page................................8 Please recycle this paper.