Head of School Barbara Chase is currently concluding the second week of her trip through Asia. The trip’s agenda consists of meeting with alumni, current parents of international students and prospective students in the cities of Beijing, Shanghai and Bangkok, as well as Hong Kong. Mrs. Chase announced in early November that she would be traveling to China with her husband David Chase, Director of Stewardship; Oscar Tang ’56, President of the Board of Trustees; and Reverend Michael Ebner ’70, Director of Alumni Affairs. “This trip will provide an excellent opportunity to strengthen partnerships, reconnect with old friends and cultivate new relationships,” said Mrs. Chase about the trip’s primary goals. Before Mrs. Chase departed for her trip on the 5th, she appointed Associate Head of School Rebecca Sykes as the interim Head of School. Last weekend, Ms. Sykes stood in for Mrs. Chase as the host for the Andover-Exeter events. Along with her duties as Associate Head of School, Ms. Sykes must also facilitate the daily administrative meetings, which Mrs. Chase normally chairs. When asked about whether or not she encountered any unforeseen challenges, Ms. Sykes replied that she had not yet faced any issues and remained hopeful that things would continue to be calm. In fact, Ms. Sykes frequently substitutes for Mrs. Chase during her longer absences and is expected to make executive decisions during those times. Four years ago, when Mrs. Chase was on a sixmonth sabbatical, Ms. Sykes had to make several unpopular financial choices in light of the nation’s weak economy. The Andover delegation first stopped in Beijing. The group visited some of the city’s prominent landmarks before meeting with alumni, parents of alumni and prospective students. Among the parents of alumni was the U.S. Ambassador, father of Paul Randt ’04. In her travel blog, Mrs. Chase noted significant differences since she had last visited the nation’s capital in 1998, finding “many more skyscrapers and cars and many fewer bicycles.” The group also visited an Andover partner school, the Renmin University High School, as well as the Peking University University High School and Tsinhua University High School. Reaching Shanghai on November 10th and staying through November 14th, Mrs. Chase communicated her congratulations to the successful athletes, coaches, and fans via her online journal and also expressed her regret that she could not be present for the competitions. On the journal, Mrs. Chase also remarked about the need for Americans to study China and its culture and touted Andover’s long history with China: from taking Chinese students in the mid 1800’s to a Chinese department today that teaches over 200 students. She also said that the Andover delegation was trying to determine ways in which they could intensify connections with the country. In Shanghai she met with another Andover partner school, the Datong High School, as well as No. 2 Secondary School of Normal University in Pu Dong. As in Beijing, there was a reception for alumni, alumni parents and prospective students in addition to individual meetings with alumni. The delegation is scheduled to spend November 14th to 18th in Hong Kong, spending much of the time meeting alumni and parents. From Hong Kong they will travel to Bangkok spending November 18th to 21st visiting Vajiravudh College, Chulalongkorn University, and the Chitralada School. In Bangkok, Ms. Chase will also visit alumni who participated in the Thai Scholar program.
