With the results of the presidential election announced and the end of the Fall Term approaching, the Community and Multicultural Development Office (CaMD), Rebecca M. Sykes Wellness Center, Brace Center for Gender Studies, and Andover Chinese Department collaborated with Head of School Raynard Kington to host a series of events for students during Monday and Wednesday conference this week. Attendees shared their thoughts on the activities, which included Muesli the Therapy Dog, a Q&A on Historians’ Perspectives on the Election, and a Buddhist Sutra Calligraphy Workshop.
Question & Answer on Historians’ Perspectives on the Election
Ibuki Hada ’25: “As an international student from Japan, it was pretty helpful for me to get to know more about the outcome of the election and also the system itself as well. As I’ve been exposing myself to so [much] information, it was also at the same time a good opportunity for me to organize my thoughts on the election results. The perspectives were pretty interesting for me, because I didn’t know that much about the U.S. election itself before I came here. From Historians’ Perspectives, I was able to know both the current political situation in the U.S. and also the past, like what happened in 2016… Many students were engaged in conversation with teachers who are into politics and also comparing what we believe was true and also what’s happening right now. That comparison was precious, and that was able to take place because of the teachers’ knowledge and this environment which is open to political conversation.”
Muesli the Therapy Dog
Linda de Boer ’26: “I really love dogs, and they’re actually one of the things I miss most from home. I find it very relaxing to spend time with dogs or other animals, [and] I love the barn babies event during finals week every term, so I’ve tried to find ways to incorporate them into my life at Andover. I really enjoyed seeing Muesli [the therapy dog], and I love that she is around every Monday conference. I think the event was successful since lots of other students were also there spending time with her. The only thing I would say is that conference period may not be the best time for her to be around, since a lot of students are busy during conference period.”
Coloring and Table Games
Dianne Fields, Mathematics and Computer Science Instructor: “We set up some coloring books, sparkle, pens, table games and put on music. The turnout was light, only a few peeps. We sat and contemplated events and chatted a bit. Overall I’d say it was very quiet, I think that students stuck to their normal routine.”
