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Spread the Love Week Hosts Events

Students may have noticed the soft strains of ukuleles or calls for fortune telling this past week, part of Phillips Academy’s annual “Spread the Love” Week. In the spirit of promoting goodness and knowledge around campus this week, community service coordinators from the Class of 2011 hosted a series of activities for students across campus.

“There is a lot of exuberance and enthusiasm within the community service office, and, for one week, we decided to focus that energy on bringing joy to the rest of the Phillips Academy community,” said Brad Silnutzer, Teaching Fellow and rising Interim Director of Community Service.

A special schedule of activities was officially announced on Monday, May 9, with the release of a special edition of the Weekender, titled “The Weeker,” for the first time.

“Our main goal this year was to be more visible with events taking place during the week because if you are in the business of spreading joy and you only reach five people, that’s good…But it was very easy for us to take that jump from five people to maybe five hundred people,” said Silnutzer.

Beginning on Monday, various student musical mini-concerts, including acoustic guitar and drum medleys, occurred around campus.

Silnutzer said, “It makes people feel good to see a fellow classmate outside of Commons playing the guitar and just jamming.”

For the first time this year, the Community Service Office will also be hosting a “Charity Chow Down” at five pm outside of Commons. This event will invite local, popular restaurants to provide a buffet of customized foods for students to choose from.

The dinner will cost three dollars for admission, a fee that will be donated to the charity of that particular student’s choice.

Tuesday’s schedule also featured a number of special treats, including specially made “Spread the Love” Week cupcakes available for students to eat at the entrance of Paresky Commons in order “to spread joy in the tummy.”

Special entertainment, fortunetelling by Patrick Wolber ’11 complemented students dining experience during Tuesday night’s dinner.

Elizabeth Davisson, Interim Director of Community, said, “We are trying to promote the week as an example of both knowledge and goodness, incorporating both fun and educational activities into the schedule.”

Hoping to spread a sense of education and recreation, Wednesday’s schedule of the “Spread the Love” Week featured “Lawn Games” and a Tye Dye T-Shirt sale in the afternoon and a Global Citizen Program presentation from Lily Schaffer ’10 taking place later that night.

Schaffer’s presentation detailed her experience this past year during her Gap Year with the Global Citizen Program.

“We always want to remind people that there are things going on outside of Andover. We make it a constant goal of ours to break that ‘Andover bubble’ that so many people talk about,” said Silnutzer.

“It would be remiss of us not to have any activities that incorporate knowledge going on this week.”

Thursday schedule featured a marathon showing of the television show “The Office” in Kemper Auditorium for students to come together and relax.

Finishing off the “Spead the Love” Week schedule, Friday is “Free Hugs and Candy” Day. Each of the Community Service Coordinators will boast bright “Free Hugs” T-Shirts and generously distribute assorted candies.

“In the community service office, we spend a whole lot of time worrying about the community at large, this is a week where we can just worry about our community here at Phillips Academy,” said Silnutzer.