We are also looking at the upcoming renovation of Phillips Church with the same eye toward connectedness. The results will also allow Phillips Church to serve the entire Academy community with greater flexibility and sensitivity as a house for spiritual and personal reflection, as site for community gatherings such as Meditation and Evening Prayer, and as the primary performance space for Exeter s music department. Through all these efforts, we seek to place students at the center of the religious life of the school and to support their desire for greater connection, whether through worship, spiritual growth, or social service. As a central feature in our main academic quad, Thompson will make a strong statement about the integration of Harkness philosophy into all aspects of our lives here. I have asked a committee led by Dean Kathy Brownback to explore how that building can best serve our goals.
Outdoor spaces are key as well.
At the January trustee meeting, funds were allocated to begin a campus landscaping project. This will involve the complete replanting of the academic quad, the area between Jeremiah Smith Hall and the Academy Building. Following the design of our campus landscape architect, Michael Van Valkenberg, this area was selected for our first phase of landscaping since it is heavily used and will provide shaded, quiet spots for meetings on the paths. In his work, Dr. Hallowell calls us to value the human moment and the learning that occurs in those moments across campus, in dormitories or dining halls, on athletic fields, in student clubs, and through all the many relationships built within our campus community. I am confident that our current campus projects, along with future plans emerging from the AMP, will support Exeter teachers and students in this critical endeavor.