By MOLLY MCGILL Director of Alumni Relations
Alumni: SENIOR STONES
Every Stone has a Story
In 1947, Wilbraham Academy Headmaster Charles Stevens sought a way for graduates of the Academy to leave a piece of themselves for posterity. For many years, students had engraved symbols into the foundation of Fisk Hall. Mr. Stevens’ idea resulted in the creation of the Alumni Wall, which is now a series of walls in various parts of the campus on which graduating classes leave their Senior Stones. From “The Hill” to the front of Rich Hall, along Main Street, down Faculty Street and now past the Athletic Center, Academy alumni have designed and left their own, unique 10-inch-by-7.5-inch mark on our campus. All told, approximately 6,500 Senior Stones are permanent fixtures of both individual and Academy history.
• Magin Schantz ’97, Senior Stone
W
hen you walk along Faculty Street from Rich Hall to the Athletic Center every day, it can be easy to no longer take notice of the stones lining the sidewalk. However, in this particular stretch of senior stones that line the Athletic Center parking lot, there is one that stands out. From December through March, the oval center of the stone is often filled with ice, which shimmers in the winter sun to catch the eye. Upon closer inspection, the relief of a face is visible, sometimes just under a frozen leaf. “Thinking about it now, it’s a fairly confrontational stone. Putting your
own face into something like that, it was a bold move!” Magin Schantz ’97 laughs about her “confrontational” Senior Stone, but notes that it is a good reflection of her presence at Wilbraham & Monson Academy. “It’s my nature to break form,” she said. “I was often pushing the limits of the dress code and dying my hair crazy colors. The stone was a way to continue to make that mark.” The eldest of four siblings to attend WMA, Ms. Schantz entered the Academy in Grade 6. “WMA was appealing because of the well-rounded curriculum. They required that you have a multidisciplinary experience,” she recalled. Well-rounded is an apt description of Ms. Schantz as a
Every stone has a story, and we want to hear yours! Email us at alumni@wma.us to share your Senior Stone story and maybe you’ll see it in future issues of Academy World.
