Dear Blair Family,
Best wishes for a happy and healthy spring and summer 2022 from all of us at Blair! We remain grateful for your engagement, support and partnership; may the year ahead be filled with joy, gratitude and good health.
There have been many meaningful moments at Blair this year as we embraced being back together and celebrating all of our beloved traditions. All of this has reminded me about the many reasons I love Blair. The list is long, but really what stood out to me from the first time I visited the School 11 years ago was its diverse, welcoming and inclusive community. Students from across the United States and around the globe come together on our hilltop campus to live and learn, broadening their horizons and building meaningful relationships that last a lifetime.
Our students are challenged by our rigorous curriculum and guided by teachers who know them well, care deeply about your success and well-being, and are committed to developing their intellectual curiosity. Relationship-based learning is at the center of everything we do, and students develop critical skills that put them a step ahead in college and beyond, leaving Blair with the confidence to communicate effectively, advocate for themselves, and know who they are and what they value. They also learn to take smart risks in a supportive environment that encourages them to step outside of their comfort zones. We couldn’t do this without your support, and for that, we are incredibly grateful.
It has been wonderful to get back on the road to connect with so many of you at different events across the United States and on campus. In the year ahead, I look forward to visiting you, hearing your Blair stories and sharing updates.
Planning is underway for Blair’s 175th anniversary—also known as our “demisemiseptcentennial”—much more to come on that as it will be exciting to see Blair’s spirit on proud display around the world when the festivities kick off in September 2022. In all we do, we will continue to double down on our mission of fostering meaningful connections, extraordinary educational experiences and lifelong friendships.
Blair Academy Players Present ‘Love/Sick’
The lights went up at the Robert J. Evans Open Air Theatre this May when the Blair Academy Players presented John Cariani’s Love/Sick. Billed as “a darker cousin to Almost, Maine,” Love/Sick is a collection of nine short plays that take place on a single Friday night in a fictitious suburban town.
7th Annual Blair Day of Service
by Paula Hong ’16
For the last eight years, Blair’s Annual Day of Service has stood simply as a day meant to help others. Though this year is no different, 2022’s Blair Day of Service is all the more important as it marks the first time the School reconnects with its local community in person since the coronavirus interfered with the annual tradition.
“It’ll be the first time since 2019 that Blair gets to have the Day of Service,” said history teacher and community service coordinator Joanne Brandwood, who once again led the day’s planning. “And I can’t tell you how many people [in the Blair community] have already reached out about their excitement, because each year that Blair does this, we really do make a direct impact in the local community.”
Each year, nearly 500 students, teachers and staff members come together to contribute to Blair’s largest single day of volunteering. There are no classes to hold, no tests to take and no meetings to attend. There is only the gathering of determined, young bodies to take on projects that address the needs of others—all in an effort to make a difference in the world.
While some of Blair’s student organizations lead specific philanthropic initiatives throughout the year, Day of Service marks the single day when the entire community unites to lend a hand. “Everybody does something on the day. All the faculty and students gather to take part in an all-encompassing effort,” said Mrs. Brandwood.
Since its inception, the Blair community has served over 17 organizations including the Hardyston Charity Garden, the Manna House and the First Presbyterian Church of Blairstown Food Pantry, with the list only increasing by the year. Activities undertaken by students in the past include translating documents, assisting in animal welfare, spearheading environmental conservation and much more.
After a two-year hiatus, the list of organizations welcoming assistance remains long as there is so much work that can be shared. No matter how much work there is to be done, the overall theme remains the same—for students to go out, have fun and hopefully do some good in the process.
“The message and the goal for the day is threefold. Number one, we want to be of service. That’s the most important thing. Number two, we want to show our students that service work can be fun and inspire them to be lifelong volunteers....
“Our final goal for the day is to draw connections between Blair and the community. Working together with our neighbors and our community is extremely positive and inspiring.”
— Joanne Brandwood, Day of Service coordinator
Congratulations to Our 2022 Spring Varsity Award Winners
On the afternoon of Sunday, May 22, Blair Academy honored the spring varsity teams for their successful sports seasons. Highlights included MAPL championship wins in girls’ golf, boys’ golf and girls’ lacrosse. Each program shared personal bests and impressive accolades throughout the season.
Students Lead 25 Black History Month Seminars
As has happened for the past several years, 44 Blair students crafted and led seminars across campus on February 1 to kick off the commemoration of Black History Month. All the seminars were designed to deepen understanding among the Blair community about the richness and depth of Black history–the struggles as well as successes–resilience and joy.
A Day in the Life of Blair Admissions
Assistant Dean of Admission Misha Randhawa welcomes young applicants to Blair into her office every day—a lot of them. We sat down with Ms. Randhawa on a typically busy day to find out what it means to be a member of the Blair admission team and how exactly they find the students who will call Blair home.
Explore The Romano Gallery Exhibitions
This winter and spring, The Romano Gallery hosted four exhibitions: three professional artists and our annual Student Art Show. Enjoy the images and stories of the many artists who contributed to ensuring art appreciation remains a vital part of life at Blair.
Secret Worlds
Anthony Smith Jr.
January 4-February 5
Shawn Cheng
February 8-March 12
Cadences
Rita Baragona
March 15-April 23
Spring Student Art Exhibition
April 28-May 23
Each year, The Romano Gallery hosts a different show each month. Click the link below to view all past shows.
Blair Students Raise over $5,000 for Children’s Miracle Network
Since 2018, Blair’s Dance Marathon Club has held an annual dance to benefit Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals, an organization that supports medical care for children like Taryn Garriques. Dancing the night away on December 11, Taryn and over 200 Blair students participated in this year’s event, raising over $5,000.
Let ‘The Game’ Begin
Each year, Blair’s Senior Class Council changes the name, but the tournament is the same: a sprawling game of tag that lasts for weeks in which Blair’s students and teachers crouch behind bushes and hurdle across fields in an attempt to “tag” another player. The final showdown in the Bowl, featuring those who have evaded tagging the longest, becomes a high-spirited battle royal of dodging, ducking and sprinting in which contestants often pull every trick in the book in their quest to be crowned champion.
2022 Champion: Chase Palanca ’15
Legendary Second City Comedy Troupe Comes to Blair
On December 4, influential comedy group Second City came to Blair to host a performance and hold workshops for students.
Formed in 1959, the Second City improv group is a giant in comedy. A training ground for “Saturday Night Live” performers and many legendary comedians, the historic troupe has launched the careers of some of the funniest people on the planet, including Tina Fey, Stephen Colbert, Amy Poehler and Steve Carell.
Meet Blair’s Healthcare Team
On any day during the cold and flu season, Blair’s Director of Health Services, Rosalyn Zamora, RN, and her team have treated about 30 Blair students for acute injuries or illnesses. They have reassured two dozen worried parents and, on a typical day, administered hundreds of doses of medication needed to manage chronic conditions. Hear from our very own on-campus “superheroes” to learn more about Blair’s healthcare team and how these devoted individuals keep our students in top shape.
Reflection
by Mia Leddy ’23
“This photo mirrors how often our self image is distorted from our actual. A woven technique was used to distort the model’s reflection in order to portray this message.”
Radiant Touch
By Ali McEachern ’23
“For this photo shoot, I wanted to incorporate a few of my friends and the color they bring to my world through paint. I executed the shoot by painting multiple friends’ hands with acrylic paint and strategically placing the hands across my model, and roommate, Maddie Miller’s radiant face.”
Loved Ones Connect on Grandparents’ Day
Each year on Grandparents’ Day, grandparents from across the globe travel to Blairstown to spend the day with their loved ones on the hilltop. This April 20, grandparents had the opportunity to take in a concert featuring Blair’s Symphony Orchestra, attend class with their grandchildren and catch up over lunch, as well as meet the teachers, coaches and friends about whom they have heard so much.
Record Day of Giving Underscores Blair Community’s Generosity & Support
On the sixth day of April, 174 years ago, John Insley Blair walked across Blairstown’s dusty Main Street toward the recently constructed Presbyterian church, pulled open the heavy front door and, seeing his partners, called the meeting to order. Joining him in the softly lit chapel were a half-dozen prominent citizens who had gathered to appoint a committee to oversee the erection of a new coeducational school. On that day, Mr. Blair graciously offered to donate land on a nearby knoll, located just south of the town burial grounds, as the site for the new school.
Society of Skeptics: Speakers from the Second Semester
Society of Skeptics was established as a forum for students and faculty to discuss and debate important global issues; it has grown to become one of the premier high school lecture series in the United States. This fall, Skeptics featured a variety of accomplished speakers from political, social, scientific and economic arenas who engaged the Blair community with thought-provoking and sometimes controversial topics.
Learn about our speakers and watch their sessions at the links below.
Doug Bandow
Cato Institute
January 18, 2022
Jason Criss Howk
Director, Global Friends of Afghanistan
January 25, 2022
Jenn Cable ’03
President, ThorLabs
February 1, 2022
Amal Stefanos
Global Citizenship: Food Insecurity
March 1, 2022
Yonny Reichel ’12
Director of Amazon Audience Advertising, Thrasio
March 22, 2022
Batouly Camara ’15
WAKE: Women And Kids Empowerment
March 29, 2022
Sam Mihara
Japanese-American Internment & Mass Imprisonment
April 12, 2022
Afghan Immigrant Group
Stories from Afghanistan
April 19, 2022
CDR Susan Kilrain
Astronaut with two space missions as a shuttle pilot
April 26, 2022
Congressman Tom Malinowski
U.S. representative from New Jersey’s 7th congressional district
May 9, 2022
Andy Peters ’00 Brings Joy Throughout the Pandemic
Facebook names Blair alum Andy Peters ’00 America’s Top Comedy Magician. Magic Andy of Andy Peters Magic combined his creativity with technology to bring comedic magic into people’s homes, sparking joy during the pandemic.
The Blair Fund immediately benefits every corner of Blair Academy, every program, every student and every teacher. Philanthropic support of the School helps sustain its mission of educating young people—a mission that is vitally important in today’s increasingly global and complex world.
Questions? Contact Emma Barnes O'Neill, director of annual giving, at (908) 362-2045 or barnee@blair.edu.
Credits:
Photos taken by Tyson Trish & Douglas Benedict