Students settled into the comfy chairs of the Freeman Room in the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL) to listen to Head of School Raynard Kington read a bedtime story about an evil dentist. Hosted by the OWHL Advisory Board, the pajama (PJ) party last Wednesday allowed students to connect with Kington over book recommendations and a conversation with him afterwards.
Jeremiah Nunez ’29 elaborated on why he attended the event. He noted that Andover could benefit from more occasions that similarly allow students to have conversations with Kington.
“A lot of Andover students don’t get the chance to see [Dr. Kington] much despite him being the principal. [He] and students don’t necessarily see each other on a day-to-day basis, so I thought it was very special and important [for me] to come to this so I could see him and learn a little bit more about him,” said Nunez.
Nunez continued, “I haven’t had many opportunities to talk to Dr. Kington, but I would like to see more opportunities where you can get conversations like Q&As because a lot of students like me have questions for Dr. Kington that they want to know [answers to]. It would be a great Q&A and really fun.”
Autumn Xia ’28, a member of the OWHL Advisory Board, helped plan the event. Xia explained its objectives as a yearly tradition, including strengthening bonds between Kington and the Andover community and creating an informal space for students to connect with each other.
“We have forms that ask us how well you think the Head of School bonds with the rest of the community, and the pajama party is one way for students to get closer to Dr. Kington rather than just see him as a real-life figure and [to see him as] a person we can communicate with,” said Xia. “It’s a way to bring the community together and feel more interconnected in the library itself.”
In an email to The Phillipian, Camille Torres Hoven, Director of the OWHL, noted Kington’s enthusiasm as a factor behind the event’s success. She emphasized that the engagement of students who attended also contributed to the atmosphere.
“Dr. Kington is an avid reader who clearly enjoys talking about books. His enthusiasm for reading helps set the tone for the evening and makes the event feel relaxed, curious, and fun. Students quickly pick up on that energy, which leads to thoughtful questions, lively conversations, and an event that never quite goes where you expect–in the best way,” wrote Torres Hoven.
Torres Hoven elaborated on how ideas for the pajama party and other programs by the OWHL are driven by both faculty and students. She explained the Advisory Board’s role in planning events that are directly informed by student interests.
“Over the past 3.5 years we’ve focused on creating programming that is dynamic, clearly connected to the library’s mission, and driven by student interests. Many of our ideas originate directly from students. For example, the idea to bring a banned book author to the Abbot Book Festival came from the Student Advisory Board and another student club, the Abbot Book Club. The PJ Party with Dr. Kington also grew directly out of the Board, and our TEDx programming is another example of something that is largely student-driven, with students selecting the theme, speakers, and overall direction,” wrote Torres Hoven.
Jason Cai ’28 appreciated how Kington incorporated personal anecdotes and stories into his narration. He expressed excitement for attending more of these events in the future.
“The relation back to the anecdote from his own personal life stood out to me quite a lot because I previously knew little about Dr. Kington’s life, and I thought that it was really fascinating. It definitely made him more relatable… [and] helped people realize that he’s more than his titles and academic works,” said Cai. “I previously attended a MLK workshop that he was at, and I thought that was really awesome too, so I will keep coming to these events.”
David Porto ’26 explained how the event exceeded his expectations in terms of learning more about Kington. He mentioned the possibility of expanding this tradition to other teachers for students to get to know them better.
“I went to try it since there wasn’t much else to do, and it turned out to be really entertaining. I learned a lot and definitely walked away thinking, “Wow, I didn’t know all that.” Considering it was a pajama party, the vibe was definitely right,” said Porto. “I’d like to see other faculty do something like this, too, especially faculty whom people admire but don’t get many chances to talk to. That would be an interesting direction to take this [in].”
