May (2014)
5/16/2014
Invested
5/12/2014
What We Meant
April (2014)
4/22/2014
Earth In Mind
February (2014)
2/17/2014
Looking Ahead
January (2014)
November (2013)
October (2013)
September (2013)
May (2013)
April (2013)
4/24/2013
Advancement!
March (2013)
February (2013)
Essential Cause
2/29/2004

Tracing Proctor's distinctions to an essential causal factor, as I did several thousand times for the benefit of visiting families in Admissions, I would start with the extraordinary management style that grants policy-making to the full faculty. This is a faculty-defined school, and the evolutionary process never stops.

Friday's marathon end-of-term faculty meeting began with someone claiming that this was the best winter--healthiest, most productive, best tone--that anyone could remember. Coming only moments after the ultimate final exam of the term, consensus on this buoyant observation was a shock.

That established, we went about the business of debating emerging challenges and problems of real weight and substance. Instant Messaging (IM-ing) links self-selected clusters of kids in fluid chatrooms worldwide, and Proctor students waste too much time doing it.

What's stopping a 14-year-old, let's say, from staying up after midnight IM-ing a buddy across campus or back home? How could we enforce hours of prohibited use while retaining our relatively non-adversarial style? Shall we look into automated systems to frustrate Instant Messaging during study hall?

Another issue of titanic proportion: to what extent shall we excuse elite athletes--in their pursuit of excellence--from whole blocks of regular classes (to be made up through off-campus tutorials and extra help back here)? Then this insight: the number of class hours in the year has decreased in recent years. Following wide ranging debate and a straw vote that may resolve existing tension between special athletic programs and academic class time, Steve exclaimed, "What a remarkable group of people!".

At a time when societal trends seem so negative, a winter term that sets a new standard!
Fewer students reported ill to the Health Center, as no mini-epidemics struck campus.
Head's Holiday and Bonus Weekend came at just the right times to frustrate any February blues.
Nobody doubts that IM-ing has value, but it can be a distracting waste of time.
Were he not so self-disciplined, Dan Peterson could be IM-ing his peeps at Harvard during faculty meeting!
Terry Stoecker articulates her opinion that performance artists should receive afternoon team credit for their activity.
Greg Allen: "How can the number of class hours per year have decreased since 1998? I still feel just as tired!"
Steve Wilkins: "What a remarkable group of people!"