In an effort to enrich student life and create innovative learning opportunities for Andoer students, the Abbot Academy Association granted funding this fall to projects such as a Disc Golf course, an outdoor classroom, a Yin Yu Tang (China House) and a visual arts exhibition to celebrate 40 years of co-education. The Abbot Academy Association (AAA) granted $260,000 to 34 student, faculty and school projects. There were not sufficient funds to award all of the proposals this fall, said Abbey Siegfried, Andover’s faculty liaison to the AAA. “The competition was high this year since there were many more applications and requests for more funds than there were funds.” The AAA agreed to fund the Andover Institute for the next three years. “[It will be] a place or resource for faculty to think about interdisciplinary classes or how to use technology in new and exciting ways in the classroom, and [we] really wanted to help get [the initiative] off the ground,” Siegfried said. The AAA grant for the Andover Institute will support the initial projects of the institute. Caroline Nolan, Director of the Andover Institute said, “ These funds will incubate the seed projects that will grow over time and shape the future of the Institute.” “It’s the first step for us. What will make the Institute rich over time are the kinds of creative and innovative projects that we are able to support here. Having financial support creates the foundation for what will come. As you can imagine, it is everything,” continued Nolan. Rosalyn Chen ’14 and Angela Hui ’16 received a grant of $9,000 to bring Harry Shum Jr., a lead actor in the hit TV show “Glee,” to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Asian Arts weekend. Shum’s visit will consist of a presentation for the Andover community, as well as theatre classroom visits, said Chen. Asian Americans are vastly underrepresented in films and television programs, and the Asian Americans who are seen on screen are often typecast in stereotypical roles, said Hui. “It is the Chinese Taiwanese Student Association’s hope that Harry Shum Jr. will be able to serve as a unique role model and inspire us to pursue what we love, even if it may be in a non-traditional field,” she continued. Nile Blunt, Instructor in History, received an Abbot grant to reevaluate the collection of art and antiques that the Academy owns. The collection of over 1,700 pieces are spread out through faculty homes, offices, and classroom buildings and have incredible financial, historical and cultural value, said Blunt. Blunt is planning to use the money to assess the way important items, such as Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington, currently hanging in George Washington Hall, are being cared for and preserved. Blunt said his long term goal is to design educational programs that reveal the hidden historical treasures that are kept in this collection. Farris Peale ’14, Kory Stuer ’15 and Junius Williams ’14 received a grant on behalf of STAND to fund the visit of Peter Eichstaedt, a noted war-zone reporter, to Andover’s campus. While on campus, Eichstaedt will visit classes, such as the senior elective of Frank Tipton, Instructor in History, entitled “When States Fail,” and will give a public keynote lecture on March 28, 2014, according to Williams. “Eichstaedt brings immense personal experience and theoretical expertise to the table, after having visited many war-torn countries firsthand. He is a prolific journalist, one who uses his reportage to engage in social activism,” said Williams. “I hope that he will discuss ways students can get involved in preventing mass atrocities, as well as the importance of journalism in shaping our understanding of the world around us,” continued Williams. Other funded projects include a visit from Gary Gulman, a Jewish comedian, hosted by Jewish Student Union, a Southeastern Asian Food Truck at Asian Arts Weekend, “reserved” pew signs for Cochran Chapel, an American Civil Rights trip and collaborative artwork for Morse Hall. Siegfried said that the Association frequently talks about improvements to the granting process. AAA is adamant about ensuring that grants are given fairly and for the right reasons, said Siegfried. The grant committee has talked frequently about improvements in the application process. “It’s not just enough to have a great idea, but you want to really think about how many people it will affect and that’s a part of the application. How does it contribute to the culture [and] well being of the school? It’s really important to think about how it makes Andover a better place in the future,” continued Siegfried. After the submission of the applications and budget proposals earlier this fall, the board of the Abbot Academy Association discussed and voted on which projects would receive grants and how much they would receive, according to a previous article in The Phillipian. There will be another grant application cycle in the Spring Term. Proposals will likely be due in mid-April and exact dates will be announced during Winter Term, according to Siegfried.
