Hill House Re-Opening (Sept 9)
After being struck by lightning in 2019, Hill House sustained significant damage from water used to extinguish a fire, leading to the need for major repairs. Two long years later, Hill House re-opened this year to much fanfare. The dorm now houses both boys and girls, becoming the first co-ed dorm on campus. Situated right next to the Student Activities Center (SAC) and the Dining Hall, Hill House has six common rooms, two for each gender and two shared, and utilizes fingerprint locks instead of keys. The advisers in the dorm are Mr. Dan Proulx, Ms. Laura DiCarlo, Mr. BariRobinson, and Head of House Dr. Chris Hogue. Alex Skrypek ’23, a resident of the dorm, commented, “Besides the brand new amenities, being in a co-ed community has provided a lot of unique experiences that other dorms at Choate just can’t emulate.”
Opening Days (Sep 9 – 11)
For the past two years, opening day traditions have been put on hold due to Covid-19 concerns. This year, as restrictions begin to loosen, the School has resumed these activities, fostering a sense of community among new and returning students. The PathwaysProgram and International Student Mentor Program hosted a scavenger hunt and ice cream social. The New Student Dinner created an opportunity for new students to meet and talk with their prefects. Playfair, a yearly tradition for new students, is an event held on the Great Lawn consisting of multiple games to help students get to know each other. The opening days culminated with Convocation, where the student body listened to remarks by faculty members to kick start the school year.
Ross Gay Visits Choate (Oct 29)
Ross Gay, author and professor at Indiana University at Bloomington, joined the School virtually in Colony Hall to discuss his book and the School’s summer reading selection, “The Book of Delights.”During the school meeting, Gay discussed his writing process and shared some of his unpublished poetry with the student body. He focused most on his process of coming up with ideas rather than putting pen to paper. Gay discussed how his unusual gardening practices led to him writing an entry on them in the book. He fielded questions about specific passages from the book and his inspiration for writing. When asked about why he believes his writing resonates with so many, he said he believed that it’s because it’s so “particular.”
12 Angry Jurors & Xanadu (Oct 30, Nov 4 – 6)
Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, theater performances were held either online over Zoom or outside. This fall, the Paul Mellon Arts Center (PMAC) brought back indoor, masked performances. The mainstage play was twelve Angry Jurors, adapted from twelve Angry Men, which follows the deliberations of 12 jurors on a murder case and highlights how the interactions between the jurors influence each of their opinions. Xanadu, the smaller fall term musical, follows Kira, a Greek muse, as she falls in love with a mortal artist named Sonny. ThoughXanaduwas initially scheduled to be held in Gelb theater, due to technical difficulties, the performance was moved to the Chase Bear Theater under the PMAC.
Deerfield Day 2021 (Nov 13)
Students headed over to Deerfield Academy on November 13to compete in the 99th annual Deerfield Day. Hundreds of students took buses down to Deerfield to cheer on the fall sports teams. Nick Visuthikosol ’22 said, “The energy during the games was fantastic.” Though the day didn’t go as Choate students had hoped, Choate secured wins in a few games, including an impressive win in Girls’ Varsity Soccer, and enjoyed the yearly tradition.
Student Lecture Series (Nov 9, 11)
Each year, the Science Research Program (SRP) culminates in presentations for each of the participants in the program. After spending two years dissecting scientific writing, conducting experiments, and spending their summer in a lab, the sixth-formers discuss their summer experiences and the important work they carried out. For the first time in two years, SRP presentations were open to students in person instead of returning to last year’s online format. Among the presentations were JoyBang ’22’s research on the fibroblasts of aging lungs and DanXiao ’22’s research on the prevention of axonal regeneration.
Diversity Day 2022 (Jan 17)
This year, Diversity Day took on the slogan, “Leveling Up: Black Power in the Next Generation.”The School hosted workshops and film screenings facilitated by both students and faculty members. These workshops included a debate on the merits of performative activism, a discussion on Afrofuturism the movie Black Panther, and a screening of the Black Pow-er Mixtape, a Swedish documentary on the Black power movement in the United States. The film screenings were followed by discussions about the film, its history, and the applications of its ideas. This year’s Diversity Day keynote speaker was Dr. AngelaDavis, a renowned civil rights activist and scholar. In her speech to the student body, Dr. Davis spoke about her experience in the Civil Rights Movement and our collective responsibility to fight systemic inequality
Global Engagement Program (Jan 21)
In an effort to bolster the Study Abroad signature program at the School, the Director of Global Programs Ms. Ashley Sinclair, along with a new committee, introduced the Global Engagement Program (GEP). The new program combines aspects of community service and a local and abroad off-campus experience, which could involve a term abroad. Students are also required to take six globally-focused courses offered by the school. Mr. Charlie Fuentes, the Language Department Head, said, “GEP is a phenomenal way to augment our offerings and programs both abroad and domestically outside of Choate.”
Largest-ever Lunar Banquet (Jan 28)
Led by a collaboration between the Chinese Club and Choate Ko-rea Friendship Association (CKFA), this year’s Lunar Banquetwas the largest ever hosted on campus, with diverse food, performances, and activities. Supported by the SAC, Arts Department, Global Programs Department, and DEI task force, students had an invaluable opportunity to connect with their culture or experience an important tradition of another. As part of this, students performed various forms of art. Wendy Huo ’23 performed Chinese sword dance, known as Jian Wu. Joy An ’23 did a musical performance on the flute. They also partook in Chinese NewYear traditions, such as handing out red envelopes.
Stevenson Lecture:Kwame Owusu-Kesse (Feb 22)
Chief Executive Officer of the HarlemChildren’s Zone, Mr. Kwame Owu-su-Kesse, came to speak on campus as part of the annual Stevenson Lecture. He talked about his experience on Wall Street, which he left to pursue charity. An annual program for students and faculty involved in history, political science, and economics courses, HPRSS teacher Mr. Jonas Akins said Mr.Owusu-Kesse was selected for his work “at the inter-section of public policy, education, and social services.”
Revisit Day Returns (April 4, 7, and 8)
After a three-year-long hiatus, new sounds of laughter rang across campus as Revisit Day returned for a full-fledged, in-person program. The whole campus worked together, shifting class schedules and events to give prospective students a taste of Choate life. With performances from the Symphony Orchestra, Jazz Combo, and student dancers, the event was an opportunity for the admissions department, faculty, and students to share their love for the Choatecommunity with a new cohort of prospective students.
TEDx at Choate (April 10)
Remembering the diverse and unique challenges faced throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, the school hosted its first TEDxYouth@ChoateRose-maryHall event under the theme “re:INVENT.”Six alumni speakers were invited to campus to talk about their experiences, from working in business to raising awareness about mental health. The six speakers were Dr. MaryBranch, Mr. Chris Chambers, Hon. Leeland Cole-chu, Mr. Craig Kramer, Hon. Katherine Forrest, Dr. LarryThomsen, experts in the fields of law, engineering ,business, and mental health
Dorm Changes (April 21)
Departing from nearly a century of tradition, the School announced that Memorial House will become a co-ed dormitory for fourth and fifth-form students, instead of being the sole home for third-form boys. The North wing of the dorm will now be for girls, while the South wing will before boys, with about five prefects on either side. Besides Mem, ten other dormitories have been adjusted to accommodate new residents, reflecting the School’s desire to provide more equitable housing models between forms and accommodate the admitted students of the class of 2026.
Phillips Family Lecture: Juju Chang (April 26)
Choate kickstarted Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) month with a guest talk by renowned Asian-American journalist and Emmy winner Ms. Juju Chang. Selected specifically for her accomplishments as co-anchor of ABC News’ “Nightline” and relevance across multiple generations, Ms. Chang spoke to the community about issues regarding diversity and microaggressions. She discussed recent anti-Asian hate crimes, their impact, and the stance and response we should have. She also participated in an affinity lunch with AAPI-identifying Choate students and faculty.
First Hurrah & 3/4 (May 7)
For the first time since May 2019, in-person indoor dances took place on campus in the form of First Hurrah for fifth and sixth-formers and 3/4 for third and fourth-formers. First Hurrah was held in the dining hall, with some small snacks and drinks, a dancefloor in the sophomore-junior section, and a few tables set up. 3/4was held in the hockey rink. Decades-old traditions marking approximately 100 days until graduation, both events signaled a return of the vibrant parties that are a highlight of Choate student life.
Grandparent’s Day (May 13)
Choate students brought their grandparents to campus to show them around their second home and participate in classes. Grandparents also had the opportunity to have breakfast with Dean of Students Mr. MikeVelez ’00, tea with Head of School Dr. Alex Curtis, participate in campus tours, and watch the instrumental music concert in the evening. Cody Lee’23, whose grandparents came to visit the campus, said, “Itw a great seeing my grandparents enjoy the campus I’ve come to call home.”
Footloose: The Spring Musical (May 19, 20, and 21)
The Paul Mellon Arts Center (PMAC) hosted Footloose for the annual spring term musical. There were four performances, one on Thursday and Friday, and two on Saturday. A story about hope,love, freedom, and forgiveness, the Choate musical mirrored the storyline of the 80s cult classic film of the same name but also introduced exciting new songs created exclusively for the performance.
Physics Phlotilla (May 25)
Resurrected from its prior iteration in 2019, Physics Phlotillareturned to campus with a splash following an announcement during School Meeting by Dr. Chris Hogue. Students were challenged to use just cardboard and tape to build a boat able to transport at least one student across the lower Archbold pond.
