Andover is located just 23 miles north of Boston. Although Boston is a wealth of academic, theater, and art resources, most teachers or students do not have the time or budget to take advantage of its opportunities. While Art, Theater and Dance classes endeavor to view museums and shows in Boston, scheduling hinders their plans. Ruth Quattlebaum, Instructor in Art, organizes two Boston excursions a year. In the fall, her Art History classes visit the Museum of Fine Arts, and in the winter they go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. While Mrs. Quattlebaum would like to take her classes more often, she said, “It’s impossible to find a time that’s good for everybody. Usually we go on Sunday for a relatively short period of time, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.” Bruce Bacon, Chair of the Theater and Dance Department, faces similar dilemmas. He noted that the Department is unable to have as many trips as it would like because of scheduling conflicts. He usually plans two trips a year. Students at Phillips Academy have agendas filled with extracurricular activities. The Theater Department also has scheduling difficulty because productions are held on weekends. Therefore, theater enthusiasts who would enjoy such trips are often preoccupied with other theater obligations. However, the few trips into Boston do not reflect a lack of interest or opportunities available. Mr. Bacon said, “There is nothing like going into a professional theatre [for an aspiring actor].” Money also contributes to the small number of excursions, as trips to Boston require extra funding for transportation and admission. Marcelle Doheny, Instructor in History and Social Science, took her 19th century Indian Policy Senior Seminar class to the Peabody Essex Museum on the Harvard University campus. Barbara Landis Chase, Head of School, paid for their lunch with money from a discretionary fund and the museum had no admission fees. Ms. Doheny chose not to ask students to pay. However, the Theater and Dance Department commonly requests that students pay for their own tickets, although financial aid is available. Mr. Bacon feels that the cost of tickets – that can sometimes reach over $40 per show – serves in lieu of a textbook fee for Theater and Dance classes. However, some question the necessity of traveling to Boston when Andover has so many resources. Phillips Academy is home to two full-sized museums, the Peabody Museum and the Addison Gallery of American Art. Lecturers, speakers, and shows also come to Andover, enabling students to attend renowned events without traveling. “When the grass is so green in your own backyard, why leave?” asked former Instructor in Art Gordon Bensley in the February 28, 1974 edition of The Phillipian in an article entitled “Boston: Where Is It Getting Us?.” The article discusses students and faculty concerns about Boston trip. The main obstacles were alternating Saturday classes and large class sizes. Although Andover no longer has alternating Saturday classes, class size remains an impediment, preventing teachers from utilizing Boston; it is difficult to find a time when a group of students is free. The general consensus among teachers and students has not changed much in the 32 years since The Phillipian published the article. Some students travel to the city weekly for a program with the New England Conservatory. Clare Monfredo ’09 plays the cello and carpools to Boston every Saturday for music class. She voiced frustration about the inconvenience of matching her Andover life with her musical pursuits. Monfredo is unable to participate in any competitive sports because competitions are on Saturdays, interfering with her music classes. Cynthia Efinger, Director of Student Activities, organizes one trip a year on a Saturday evening for students to go into Boston for recreational purposes. According to Ms. Efinger, students simply do not demand more trips.
