Russell Weatherspoon
Russell D. Weatherspoon, dean of residential life and religion teacher at Phillips Exeter Academy, encouraged Milton students to draw on the philosophy of Martin Luther King Jr. as they contemplate their futures. Mr. Weatherspoon was the Martin Luther King speaker and spoke to Classes I–IV at the Onyx Assembly in February. “Think of yourself in 30 or 40 years. Who do you want to be when you get there? What do you want the world to look like when you get there? What are you planning to do to make things happen? Things don’t happen because we think about them. They happen because people...
Read MoreEllen Goodman
Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Ellen Goodman reflected on her journalism career and life lessons learned as the Margo Johnson lecturer in March. The Margo Johnson Lecture, named for the headmistress of Milton Academy’s Girls’ School from 1941 to 1982, brings accomplished women to Milton’s campus. “Even if newspapers diminish, news is expanding, and the places we can write are also expanding. People need trusted guides to help them understand the speed of change. There is no better way to grow up in our society than as an observer, a chronicler, a writer, someone paying attention and...
Read MoreMark Doty
Poet Mark Doty, the Bingham Visiting Reader, read from his collection of poetry to Class I and II students in March. Mr. Doty’s Fire to Fire: New and Selected Poems won the National Book Award in 2008. Established in 1987, the Bingham Reader series brings accomplished creative writers to share their work on campus. “If you know what you are going to say ahead of time, you are going to say what you already know. If you don’t know what you are going to say, you are going to discover something. And the discovery process is crucial to poetry, to good writing, because if you learn something,...
Read MoreImprovised Shakespeare Company
Three members of the Improvised Shakespeare Company, based in Chicago, spent a week on campus performing and conducting workshops with students in April. The performers were on campus as part of the Melissa Dilworth Gold Visiting Artist series, which has been bringing notable artists to campus since 1992. “When you improvise, you give up control. No one person is directing the moment, so you have to be prepared for that. Improv comedy is collaboration. The key is to stop trying to be funny, because it isn’t funny when it looks like you’re trying too hard. You just need to go with the...
Read MoreTina Packer Presents Women of Will in Ruth King Theatre
Ophelia. Juliet. Lady Macbeth. Actor and director Tina Packer brought her intimate knowledge of these and other female characters from Shakespeare’s oeuvre to campus this spring as the Melissa Dilworth Gold Visiting Artist. Throughout her four-day visit, Ms. Packer—founding artistic director of Shakespeare & Company—conducted workshops, taught several drama classes, and discussed and performed Othello with two sections of Class IV English. She also presented Women of Will in the Ruth King Theatre, a performance that includes a range of Shakespeare’s female roles. A groundbreaking...
Read MoreHockey Standout Rob O’Gara ’12 Drafted by Boston Bruins
Before his junior year, Long Island native Rob O’Gara ’12 made a decision to transfer to Milton Academy. That decision led him to new academic and athletic opportunities, and for the School’s hockey team, Rob was a great addition. The defenseman helped the team win the NEPSAC Championship this past winter, and this summer Rob was selected 151st in the fifth round of the NHL entry draft by the Boston Bruins. “It’s a surreal experience and I still feel like I’m on cloud nine,” said Rob. “It’s such an honor to be chosen and see all the hard work come to fruition.” Hockey...
Read More