Our Head of School rose above the infamous email hoax of January 24th, and above the prankster who played us all. To this, I am thankful for her contribution. Mrs. Chase, thanks from those of us who got nine-plus hours of sleep last Thursday night, from the people who escaped a History 300 test, and from those of us who felt for even a brief few days that it was okay to just relax a bit, watch a movie, or go out to dinner. Maybe even to have a snowball fight right in front of Commons fifteen minutes before sign-in on Friday night. Thanks for giving us the opportunity to sleep in, chill out, catch up, and buckle down. For giving us a break. Because in the end, that’s what Head of School Day is supposed to be – a break. And in the aftermath of the prank email sent out two weeks ago, falsely declaring Head of School Day to be on January 25th, it seemed for a time that our treasured tradition was becoming more trouble than it was worth. At any other school, the situation might have turned even more ugly than it did here at Andover. The divide between the administration and the student body could have become even greater, and long-standing resentment between the two parties could have built up. Yet these weren’t the results of the prank. Incredibly, it seemed to have the opposite effect. Not even a full day after the email was sent, over 250 students, faculty and staff gathered together in Ropes to discuss the event, and what should be the repercussions of the prank, if any. This meeting was testament to our community’s ability to face challenges in a forward thinking and open-minded manner, and the respectful dialogue held among students of all classes, Mrs. Sykes, Mr. Hoyt and Ms. Edwards was an encouraging sign of progress in our current student body-administration relationship. Although we as students tend to have a good rapport with the teachers we see every day in classes, in clubs and on the playing fields, our relationship with the administration is practically nonexistent. Sure, we have events such as the Philo Forum series, but they do not help to bridge the gap. It’s not that we don’t want to talk to the “head honchos”—we just need more opportunities, like the ones provided by the forums, to establish a regular and positive stream of communication with them. In the wake of the hoax, there was a short period of time in which we didn’t know if we would even have a Head of School Day this year. There was confusion, and a worry that the actions of one student would lead to unpleasant consequences for all. This sentiment was not limited to the student body. One of my teachers commented, “I wouldn’t be surprised if Mrs. Chase out and out cancelled Head of School Day.” However, she came through at the end of the day (quite literally). Now the question must be asked one more time: was Sutherland’s email really that much of a bad thing? It has been debated over and over, in Life Issues classes, in Ryley, and on Facebook.com, and the two main arguments have stayed the same. People feel that it was either a harmless prank to which the administration overreacted, or that it was a reprehensible violation of the school’s honor code. I don’t want to vilify either party or their views. I ask you instead to consider a different side of the story. Yes, the hoax was serious, and all things considered, Sutherland’s choice to send the email was not the best. But take a look at the results. The Phillips Academy community, administration and students alike, was given a choice: either to unite and discuss a serious matter in a mature, responsible and frank manner or to divide and bicker. We chose the former, and in that choice we took an important step towards achieving the kind of real student-administration communication that we wish for constantly, yet so rarely find. And we would not have gotten there without the Head of School Day email. So Mrs. Chase, thanks for giving us another chance. And Dougal Sutherland, even though you really shouldn’t have sent out that darn email, maybe you deserve our thanks as well. Because of you, this community is a little bit closer.
