While some of the claims made by the two members of the PA class of 1954 in last week’s Phillipian are somewhat constructive, the claim that Andover has turned into a “country club” where “having a good time takes precedence over studies” is both baseless and outrageous. If anything, students at Andover should be having more fun. The impetus for their letters to the editor was an incident last year in which a fellow ’54 classmate witnessed a ball “rocket” through the “reading room” in the library, which probably refers to the Freeman or “comfy-chair” room. Roger Whitcomb, the author of the first of the two letters, referred to a Phillipian article about a meeting last May between students and library proctors, which discussed the “growing tension in their relationships,” saying that he “[sees] no reason for library etiquette to become a ‘negotiation’ process” and that “the idea that library might coexist as ‘a social retreat’ is a loss leader.” Before describing his own detailed plan for library discipline, Mr. Whitcomb took a shot at the administration, calling “those establishing rules at PA” both “indecisive” and “irresolute.” Disruptive behavior, such as throwing a ball in a place of study is, in fact, inappropriate, but this incident has been taken out of context. The library today is very different from the way it was 53 years ago. The idea that students can learn and study better in their own particular way was foreign then. Daniel Woodhead, the author of the second letter, was very accurate in saying that “Andover today is not the Andover [he] knew.” But what Woodhead does not see is that this is true for far more good reasons than bad. Much has happened to PA since 1954: the Civil Rights Movement, the rise of coeducation and the moon landing. Today, Phillips Academy is a coeducational community with people from diverse racial and economic backgrounds. In 1973, having realized that school-aged men and women can learn much from each other, Phillips became coeducational, merging with Abbot Academy. The school has evolved and has learned to acknowledge that each student is unique, that students have different needs, and that all students can learn best in a variety of different ways. In 1954, PA was a mostly-white, all-male school, run by a lieutenant colonel from the United States Army. Universal lights-out was at 10:00 p.m. Students were expected to study alone and in silence. The concept that the library could potentially do some good as a social setting with students studying in groups would have been considered complete nonsense. The fact that today Andover students have more independence and freedom does not mean we have any more fun and especially does not connotate anything resembling a country club. Having a “good time,” which is a relative term, frequently takes a back seat at Andover. Our studies are our lives. Woodhead’s claim is really defeating to the diligent spirit of this community. Phillips Academy students work harder than any others I know. In addition to the overbearing workload and contrary to what these alumni say, we live under strict rules, which greatly limit the amount of fun to be had-car permission, parietals, bandwidth, etc. We live very independently, essentially managing our time on our own, unbothered by adults. The degree of our independence, even as freshmen, is such that it is utterly perplexing as to what inspired Mr. Woodhead to use the hardly euphemistic term “fluffy bullshit” to describe the severity of life at Andover. That being said, there is some rationality in their claims. The reason that many students at PA do not break the rules is because they are afraid of not getting into college and not because they have any significant kind of respect for their peers inspired in them. This does not mean that Andover students are disrespectful to their peers, but it does mean that the discipline system, as noted many times previously in this section, is flawed. This is why Mrs. Chase has such a difficult time quieting the “buzz” of talking students at ASM. This is why time and time again, library proctors ask the same students to be quiet. While the cluster system brings discipline “closer” to the student body in spirit, the system lacks in creating a shared sense of respect and honor amongst all students, as an honor code and an elected honor council would do. What is most interesting about the two letters is their own publishing in The Phillipian. Mr. Whitcomb wrote to The Phillipian, and Mr. Woodhead in support of him, because their classmates’ attempted communication with the administration was “to little avail.” Mr. Woodhead’s letter seems to be particularly charged with angst against the administration, saying that “good strong leadership […] is sadly lacking” and recommending that Mrs. Chase take “an early retirement.” While the men’s concern is earnest and their enthusiasm inspiring, it seems that what started as something as silly as a ball being thrown has been blown into epic proportions. Instead of taking a stupid gesture out of context and making an inane generalization, it may be much more worthwhile for those looking to help improve PA to simply ask a student how the quality of life is.
