Seven campus adults have hosted Fireside Chats since the initiative was announced in Winter Term. Over a dozen more are projected to occur this term, offering spaces to converse with campus adults, including instructors, coaches, and chaplains.
During Winter Term, the Dean of Students Office and Student Council (StuCO) rebranded and modified the Blue Plate Program into Fireside Chats. This initiative invited campus adults to host an informal conversation accompanied by snacks, which up to eight students could sign up for.
Fireside Chats were a chance for students and campus adults to not only further existing relationships, but also forge new ones. This new format aimed to encourage students to connect with campus adults they had never met before. Santi Morgan, Instructor in Mathematics, Statistics, and Computer Science and Outdoor Pursuits Coordinator, elaborated on his conversations with both new and familiar students.
“It was the kind of chat I’m used to, very Argentinian, where we just moved from one topic to another… One thing that surprised me was that some of the kids that showed up, they didn’t know me and I didn’t know them… If I don’t have a student in my dorm or in my classes there’s a great possibility that I won’t have them in four years and a very good chance I won’t know them at all… One reason that students who didn’t know me showed up was because they have that need of having and fostering community so I’m glad this school gave them this opportunity,” said Morgan.
As opposed to the Blue Plate program, which focused on meals with faculty members, Fireside Chats are open to all campus adults. Reverend Gina Finocchario, International Student Coordinator, helped host a Fireside Chat with Ellen Sullivan, the Director of International Advancement. Finocchario explained how this provided a platform for international students to converse with a member of the Andover community who has a “non-student facing role.”
“Mrs. Sullivan was really glad to get to meet the students as she doesn’t really get the opportunity. She has what the academy calls a ‘non-student facing role’… She travels a lot with Dr. [Raynard] Kington, [Head of School,] and other members of the school to visit different countries and to meet families and raise money, but also to just build relationships,” said Finocchario.
She continued, “Some students heard that their parents had already met her and wanted to do so as well. I was kind of just facilitating the [chat] up there. She talked about her experience in Hong Kong over the break and where at some of the events she was a part of. They also talked about the March events and newly accepted students, as well as the Big Blue family and how it has gone global.”
A core tenet of the initiative was connecting students and adults without the encumbrance of academic work. Ethan Brown ’27 explained that his chat with athletic trainer Hannah Alexander added a personal dimension to his understanding of Alexander and broadened his outlook on school.
“Fireside Chats really offer perspectives on how they think. Oftentimes we disconnect how we think of faculty. We don’t really think of them as humans because they’re further along in life than us. Seeing the perspective of where they are and how they view what goes on in the classroom really offers perspective on the way things go in terms of life trajectory… School isn’t life. School isn’t everything, and so sometimes you need to disassociate and focus on things that you prioritize and that matter to you,” said Brown.
Murathime Daisley ’26 echoed his statement, stating that Fireside Chats extended the sense of belonging on the Andover campus.
“Fireside Chats build a greater community of trust between our faculty and students. I think it makes students have more pride for the space that they’re in and the people that they’re around. It helps them take more accountability for their space because they’re connected with the community. It’s really special being part of a community that is so integrated with that of your teachers and coaches and staff. You get to see more of what goes on in their lives,” said Daisley.
Morgan further explained his perspective on Fireside Chats, viewing them as a sign to connect with the student body more spontaneously.
“I like the formal structures in the U.S. and how all this is organized with email and they facilitate it. But I think in a school like this, it should be way more spontaneous. I signed up for the Fireside Chat because I’m doing this sort of gathering anyway and, if they pay me for the snacks, I better sign up. It’s a message to the community: maybe we shouldn’t be waiting for someone to organize something for us but we should be more spontaneous. I would love it if students who didn’t know me reached out,” said Morgan.
