AndoverMagSpring2015

When Gittens talked to students about the journey,motivations, and inspirations that landed him on thesteps of Sam Phil, his audience was rapt. “Like manyrelationships,” he said, “my relationship with Andoverwas complicated and not without challenges. Like manyof you, I struggled with finding a self that could be hereand that I could take home.” Andover was certainlyfocused on admitting more minority students, hesaid, but the notion of inclusiveness was very much awork in progress. “For me,” said Gittens, “not celebratingMartin Luther King Jr. Day as a national holidayand conducting ‘business as usual’ was symbolic ofAndover’s limited commitment to its students of color.”He knew he had to act.Gittens emphasized the importance of developing apersonal value system and an authentic inner voice—andusing those to act with confidence and conviction in theworld. He challenged students and faculty to examinetheir own values and the strength of their convictions asthey wrestle with issues of social injustice, especially inthe wake of recent national events. (Watch Gittens’ fullpresentation at bit.ly/1bUSFwg.)Lift Every Voice: Examining theContemporary Language AroundRace and PrivilegeFiona Yonkman ’16, Andrew Wang ’16,and Auguste White ’17 led a diversegroup of students in a lively discussionabout white privilege. Througha series of exercises (includingrandomly assigned seating and arecycling bin free-throw contest),participants got hands-on demonstrationsof the practical applications ofprivilege. “I wanted to help educatemy white peers on this importantissue,” said Yonkman. “After Ferguson,we needed to talk about this.”Race and Socioeconomic Statusin Achievement GapThe “achievement gap”—betweenwhites and non-whites and betweenhigher and lower income students—has been a focus of education policy inrecent years. Workshop leaders DavidGutierrez ’15, Ryan Kim ’15, and CarrieIngerman ’15 led a clever exercisethat suggested causes of the gap andwhy, in most cases, it is beyond thestudent’s control. “The problem is notjust money,” said Kim. “Teachers needto be taught how to teach and how toput available resources to best use.”Different Strokes for Queer Folks“Fewer than 4 percent of the regularcharacters in TV shows and moviesare LGBTQ,” said workshop facilitatorAJ Augustin ’15. “The media alsoavoids complicated sexual orientations,”he said, noting Laverne Coxof Netflix’s Orange Is the New Blackas an exception. Students discussedLGBTQ culture in white and non-whitecommunities, the Stonewall Riots,and the fact that prominent LGBTQactivists are overwhelmingly whiteand cisgender. “Progress is difficultwhen your voice isn’t heard and noone is fighting for you,” said Augustin.•1891Abbot Principal Emily Meansmakes “quite a stir” at the springtrustees meeting by suggesting thatwomen should be on the board.| | | Frances Kimball Harlow, aPA Headmaster Alfred Stearns arranges for scholarship28 Andover | Spring 2015•1892former Abbot teacher, and HenriettaSperry, Class of 1868, are electedAbbot’s first female trustees.•1910and full-pay boys to live together in dorms. Then-English instructorClaude Fuess writes, “A wealthy boy may thus live beside one whois absolutely dependent upon his own labor for an education.”