News

The current unrest in our country is not simply the result of a handful of recent murders of black men and women at the hands of police or even those that have happened in the last few years, but rather the systemic and institutional racism that perpetuates these and other injustices in our society. We recognize this and fully condemn racism. 

Since 2010, The Learning Network has encouraged students to include The New York Times in their summer reading plans by way of a contest. The New York Times Summer Reading Contest kicked off this year with a webinar which included a discussion of ways to keep teenagers reading, writing, thinking, and learning on their own during the summer.

“I always enjoy the challenge and opportunity to come at things a little differently,” says Reverend Bradford Clark ‘78, Rector of Ascension Memorial Church (AMC) in Ipswich, Massachusetts. Given the challenges of being a spiritual leader during a global pandemic, and subsequently having to minister from a distance, the Reverend has had plenty of practice of late.

Dear Governor’s Community,

There are times in life when remaining silent simply is not an option, and this is one of those times. Already in the throes of a global health crisis, we now find our country struggling with the horrific effects of racial injustice. The deaths of George Floyd in Minnesota, Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia, and too many others to name who died before them, have sparked a national wave of protests.

“Whenever I begin something new, including a change in my work schedule (even under normal circumstances), I experience some anticipatory anxiety,” said Dr. Jessica Long ‘04, who is a Resident of Obstetrics & Gynecology at the University of Chicago Medical Center. But this time was different. Long was about to do her usual labor and delivery rotation in the maternity ward—under the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Life in Byfield has not been the same since students departed for March break on Friday, March 6. The familiar sights and sounds of spring on campus—students playing games on dorm lawns, faculty teaching classes at picnic tables outdoors, and students, faculty, and staff enjoying a BBQ on the first warm day of the year—have been replaced by Zoom calls and an eerie quiet as our community did not resume on-campus activities this spring.