As the first decade of the new millennium draws to a close, The Phillipian reflects on events of the past 10 years. 2000 1/1 Y2K comes…and goes… 3/1 Zach Tripp, former School President and Co-Head of Philo, commits suicide in Draper Cottage. Winter finals are cancelled in response to the tragedy. 5/5 Jeff Diamond ’01, while on a leave of absence in his hometown of Cincinnati, commits suicide. The spring Theater 520 production, Things Fall Apart, is cancelled because of suicide references. 2001 1/26 George W. Bush ’64 is inaugurated as the 43rd president. 11/16 Finals week is reduced to a length of one week. 2002 5/10 Anonymous alum and 2002 parent, who signs himself as “James Madison” and “A Federalist,” sends an “Open Letter” to various students and members of the administration, deploring the Academy’s over-emphasis on racial issues/diversity. 1/25 Campaign Andover kicks off in Texas. The goal is set at $208.5 million. 5/3 Barbara Chase, Head of School, and Marlys Edwards, then Dean of Students, shut down WPAA because of lewd, vulgar on-air comments towards females. 2003 2/9 Trustees announce budget cuts, canceling some off-campus activities. 2004 1/9 Following an $11 million donation by Richard Gelb ’41, the largest contribution in Andover history at the time, the Gelb Science Center is finally opened to students and faculty. 1/30 Endowment loses $140 million as a result of economic downturn. 4/9 Phillips Academy is ranked the #1 boarding school in America by the Wall Street Journal. 4/30 Oscar Tang ’56 elected to serve as Board of Trustees. 11/4 PA releases 2004 Strategic Plan, which emphasizes increased access for students, continued academic excellence, and support for faculty, in additional to operational goals. 2005 1/21 The second inauguration of George W. Bush ’64. 1/28 The State of Academy reports that 14.3% of students admitted smoking pot on campus. The administration contemplates instituting random dorm searches for drugs, and rumors of one-chance policy cause controversy. 2006 10/13 Committee considers centralizing DC system because of inconsistencies between the clusters. 2007 1/26 Students and faculty are deceived by a hoax Head of School Day e-mail, a serious violation of the Acceptable Use Policy. 4/27 Breathalyzer policy is approved by administration, but the in-presence-of policy remains in place. 9/21 First Non Sibi Day 11/30 Andover officially announces the institution of its need-blind policy. 2008 5/23 A death threat reading, “Everyone is going to die on 5/30/08” appears on a portable toilet on the Commons construction site, resulting in an emergency All School Meeting. 9/12 The one-gigabyte bandwidth limit is officially removed from the Acceptable Use Policy. 10/17 Local police arrest Andover students for possession of both Class B and Class D substances, as well as the transport of liquor while under the age of 21. 2009 4/3 The BlueCard system is instituted, and the cards are distributed to underclassmen. 4/24 History Department shelves History 340. 11/09 Phillips Academy launches its second Capital Campaign of the decade. Looking to the future, The Phillipian wishes for great triumphs and a renewed energy as we nagivage the journey ahead. We hope that the resolve and dedication Phillips Academy has shown throughout this decade will persist through the decades to come. This editorial represents the views of the Editorial Board CXXXII
