Shows
The End Depends Upon the BeginningChris SwihartOur first 4th generation Andover student, Chris Swihart grew
up a 3rd culture expat kid of foreign service parents who decided upon boarding school when his 8th grade class was going to consist of only 1 student, being Chris, in Zagreb.
Upon his birth, his father received a note in the diplomatic
pouch welcoming him to the Class of 1991.
Chris skipped the 8th grade going to a boarding school in Salzburg for a year.
Like many of us, Chris knows that he finally found his people when he set foot on campus. His closest...
2025-12-1736 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningWillie TateWillie Tate came to Andover from Jackson, Mississippi, by way of stops in Ohio, Kentucky, and Massachusetts itself. An aunt and uncle actually lived in the town of Andover and were pals with Mrs. Skip Eccles, in whose dorm Willie would live Lower year. Willie’s life changed immensely having been taught, mentored, coached, and shepherded by some of the greats of our time on campus Leon Modeste, Lou Bernieri, Bobby Edwards, Cathy Royal, William Thomas, Thylias Moss, and the incomparable Jay Rogers. Willie took full advantage of PA: playing football, acting in plays, singing in the Cantata and Gospel...
2025-10-2246 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningRobin HessmanA four-year Senior from Andover, Robin Hessman started her time at PA a day student, but, let’s face it, most of us thought she was a boarder all four years. Robin is now an award-winning documentary filmmaker, a producer, and an Oscar voter. As with so many of us, her time at PA exposed her to people, places, ideas that transformed her world. A self-proclaimed theater kid, Robin quoted Kevin Heelan who advised that at Andover, “You can do anything you want.” That same spirit continues with her today in taking risks, starting a new company in her fifties...
2025-10-0834 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningTom SeeleyTom Seeley is a South Port, Connecticut native, a third generation Andover graduate and the younger sibling of two more graduates.
Andover furnished his house on literal and figurative levels. A four year senior, Tom came to PA from Eaglebrook and repeated the ninth grade. His life would have been incomplete had he not attended.
A sink or swim place with the survival swim being a metaphor for our time there, Tom eventually swam after a lost and messy Lower year.
Sober since 17, Tom gives credit where it was, and is, due to...
2025-08-2749 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningPhil LisioOne of our ex-pat classmates, Phil was born and reared in Manhattan and came to Andover after his Catholic school ended in the eighth grade, with a couple of family connections.
As for many of us, it is clearly where he wanted to go.
Except for his Chinese exchange trip with Melanie Lynch and Atticus Lish, Phil spent all of his time at PA in Will Hall. That one trip to China changed his life. So did have something at school that was his own through his love of Chinese, since there was so much...
2025-08-2745 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningLeon ModesteOur first faculty member, Brooklyn native Leon Modeste, Coach Mo, joined PA when our class did in 1986.
Lou Bernieri's best pal since high school, Coach Mo filled the vacant football coach position at Lou's encouragement and after interviewing with Paul Kalkstein, a bed-ridden Kelly Wise, and a Bruce Springsteen-loving Mike Kuta.
Thrust into Bartlett, ill-prepared and learning as he went, Mo developed an immediate kinship with our class. He described that kinship as being easy since he taught almost all of us PE our junior or lower years.
Our class took him in...
2025-08-2748 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningOliver StrandA native of Chile, Ollie Strand grew up in Los Angeles after fleeing the political upheaval in his native land with a stop in Alaska along the way.
Recruited by Andover at his middle school, Ollie arrived in the fall of 1986, originally in the Class of '89, and moved into Foxcroft South.
Honest to a fault, Ollie describes a year of hazing, bullying, and abuse at the hands of his dorm-mates, yet, he survived and returned the next year.
Reclassifying into the Class of '90, Ollie took time away from Andover his first...
2025-08-2756 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningReunion WeekendThe end depends upon the beginning. As we reach the end of this podcast series, we brought executive producers Meredith Carter and Hamlin O'Kelly (you know him) to reflect on just what this podcast has meant to all of us.
2025-06-0521 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningJared JacksonA native of Lexington, MA, Jared is the grandson of a member of the class of '29 and nephew of a member of the class of '63.
Arriving as a New Lower, Jared recalls his interview with Mrs. Richards who advised early on that the place would be academically challenging.
Moving into Will Hall in the fall of 1987 with The Beatles playing in the background, Jared took up the challenges of PA.
For him and for many of us, the place is all about the friendships. "That's Andover" he states.
Instilling...
2025-05-3036 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningJen AmisFrom a small town in Nebraska smaller than the PA student body, Jen Amis followed her siblings to Andover.
On the recommendation of Doc Minne to her father, the Amis siblings applied and matriculated. Jen describes the importance of the mission to educate youth from every quarter exposing her teenaged, small-town Midwestern self to an entire world.
From getting a 2 in Lower French during the fall to spending her Upper year in France with School Year Abroad, Jen had her language and cultural horizons deeply broadened at PA.
She relishes learning to this...
2025-05-3026 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningMichael ZetlanOur only Day Student panelist, Mike Zetlan was a day student from Andover who didn’t act like a day student. He immersed himself into everything on campus during his time at PA, because, after all, “You have to put in some effort.”
As many of us have stated, PA was the place where people saw Mike for who he was and got him for who he was. A place where being smart and working hard were admired, it was a revelation for Mike to find out that the kids who got 6’s in class were “kinda cool.”
2025-05-3029 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningKiersten TodtHailing from a small, rural community in Wester Connecticut, Kiersten Todt gave her honest, unvarnished assessment that she was not psyched to be coming to Andover as a junior.
Living in Abbey House in Abbott during her junior year, she didn’t love the place from the get go. It was her PE class that first fall with Coach Leon Modeste surviving the ropes course, the swimming requirement, and the physical challenges that helped her get over her ambivalence.
The place gave her the grit to preservere and problem solve in the hard and humbling ac...
2025-05-3037 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningMichelle PaeGrowing up in New Jersey, Michelle Pae decided by the 8th grade that she would be going away to school.
Her eldest brother went to Exeter and her middle sister went to Andover.
Interviewing with Bobby Edwards, Michelle told him that, like many of us said in our own interviews, "I have to go to this school."
Tales of the Trans-Siberian Railroad, studying physics by candlelight, and chicken pox in the wilds of Russia not only entertain but also give new insight into our classmates' time in the USSR. KGB included.
Mic...
2025-05-1534 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningDaniel GilbertGrowing up just outside of the far boundaries for day students, Dan Gilbert came to Andover from Nashua, New Hampshire.
Dan’s father spent a PG year at Andover but rarely talked about it.
A swimmer from a young age, Dan attended swim meets a school in Exeter, but he knew that Andover was the right place to be.
Coming in as a new Lower, Dan swam all three years at PA. Voted in as swim team Captain our Senior year, Dan discussed the rigors of athletics and academics at PA.
Ma...
2025-05-1529 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningElizabeth StitesComing to PA as a new Lower, Liz Stites arrived from southeastern Massachusetts into Johnson in West Quad South.
A bit of a culture shock, Liz tells the story of a classmate saying she was going to the City thinking it was Boston and not hopping on the shuttle to New York.
Ambivalent about her time there, Liz says she has repressed a lot of her memories about the place.
An interesting conversation with someone who was her Senior year roommate several years ago is a highlight of my discussion with Liz.
2025-05-1538 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningAlex WhittemoreHaving attended four schools in three years, Alex Whittemore applied to Andover while living in Roanoke, Virginia. Placed into Hall House in Abbot with only five other juniors, Alex did not have the typical Rockwell start to PA.
As several other of our classmates have said, Alex gave credit to Tommy Lyons with incredible impact on his education, begin a force of nature on four legs.
Like many of us, Alex thought of college as a bit of a let down after we all grew up together, including being young and being idiots together. Luckily...
2025-05-1526 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningCarl SmitCarl Smit grew up in Massachusetts. Not only a graduate of Andover but also the Naval Academy, Carl admits that he did not have a normal education, for which he is grateful.
A four year senior who started out in Rockwell, Carl Smith returned there as a Proctor our Senior Year, even though most of us think he was in Andover Cottage.
A retired Navy Seal, Carl led missions all over the world, including spending the night as a guest of the very South American drug lord for which he was in country.
...
2025-05-1529 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningCristina Olivetti SpencerA New Jersey girl whose parents divorced during her time at PA, Cristina Olivetti Spencer’s roots in Andover run deep. Her grandmother and her great aunts were Abbott Alumnae. Cristina grew up spending Thanksgivings in Andover, so coming to PA was almost preordained. As with many of us, Cristina attributes Tommy T. Lyons as adding greatly to her education based on her time in his History 30 and his Con Law class. Cristina has had an amazing journey as a spouse and as a mother, a tale which we will let her tell, and part of which will be re...
2025-05-0131 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningWanda MannA Manhattanite through-and-through, Wanda Mann arrived in Nathan Hale as a new junior. A crush on an Andover alumnus who spoke at weekend gifted and talented enrichment program titled Andover scales in Wanda’s favor. Even this New Yorker felt like an un-worldly 12-year-old when she arrived on campus who quickly realized that Andover made us all fend for ourselves, making all of us more resilient than we realize. Crediting Tom Regan and Lou Bernieri with amazing teaching, she would, indeed, be willing to have a sniff of Mr. Regan’s finest cognac all these years later. Perhaps the funn...
2025-05-0133 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningChris WeberA native of Dunkirk, New York, Chris Weber arrived as a junior having barely turned 13 years old. Given the last attic room in Will Hall, Chris remembers meeting people from all over the as the world opened up to him. Andover gave Chris that skill that’s now a running theme on this podcast: the ability to talk to anyone. As a teacher and educator, Chris described his complicated relationship with schools and education, including his time at PA. He may have taken cruising to a new level one week night -- the story involves the Grateful Dead, a sq...
2025-05-0130 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningJohn BermanMassachusetts born and bred, John Berman grew up down the street from a rival boarding school where he sister was a day student. Like many of us, John regards Andover as his seminal educational experience, even more so than his time at Harvard or in the Hasty Pudding Club. Making lifelong friends from the moment he stepped out of his door his first day in Rockwell, John attributes Andover with his willingness to try anything, including diving into on-air reporting having not put in the same “flight hours” as some of his colleagues. A lover of the written word, ther...
2025-05-0128 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningAndrew LacavaraHailing from the self-described mean streets of Washington, D.C., Andrew Lacovara arrived at PA as a new Upper. Moving into Alumni House in Abbot, Andrew had three summers where he could say, “I’m going to Andover” then “I go to Andover” then “I went to Andover” according to one of his senior year roommates. Perhaps living the Non Sibi motto more than anyone, I will let Andrew tell you of his later in life calling, which has presented new challenges. As he said, “everything gets easier after Andover.”
2025-05-0134 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningZenzi GadsonZenzi Gadson grew up in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Following in her brother’s footsteps, Zenzi knew she had to be at Andover the day her family dropped of her brother in Nathan Hale. Folks at home would ask “Boarding school? What did you do wrong?” and nothing could be father from the truth. As with so many of us Zenzi had to be at PA. Simply had to. Zenzi credits Thylias Moss, Bruse Smith, Kevin Heelon, Dick Lux, and Diz Bensley with having great impact on her learning experience. She’s still trying to figure out what she wants to...
2025-04-1729 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningSteve YungSteve Yung began life in Sao Paolo, Brazil, before moving to Hong Kong and then Andover. The son of Chinese immigrants, Steve’s family had aspirational educational goals for their son. Andover came into focus due to its name brand and reputation from other Hong Kong friends who would later become classmates. He arrived sight unseen at Andover. Like many of us, Steve wanted to go away to school. Home was fine, but he wanted something different. He stated that it was our peers who affected us the most, and not our teachers. It was all of us who ga...
2025-04-1737 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningMax CaulkinsThe youngest of five children from Denver, Max was the fourth of his five siblings to attend PA. Arriving three months after his next oldest sibling graduated, Max had a connection to the school . Even so, he agreed that no one loves the place from the start in the place that made us truly independent, something this is gone with today’s interconnectivity with no more Sunday afternoon phone calls on a pay phone. One of the lessons he learned was the value of struggle. PA taught us that we won’t always be happy and sometimes you just have...
2025-04-1744 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningKaty BurdettHailing from Palm Beach, Florida, Katy followed in her sister’s footsteps coming to PA. I met Katy and our late dear classmate Cathy Jones the first day I set foot on campus in September of 1987. In the foreign service, Katy said she would not have chosen her career path without the immersive language experience of the Russian Department, especially under the tutelage of Vic Svec. As is common in these discussions, Katy confirmed that Andover gave her a sense of adventure, confidence, and the ability to do her own thing. Rest in peace, Cathy Jones.
2025-04-1722 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningJake BartonA Brooklyn native, Jake Barton arrived at Andover with a New York attitude and sardonic sense of humor. Coming from Brooklyn’s largest public high school to PA, Andover opened up a world where people knew his name and wanted to see him succeed. Calling Mr. Cobb a necromancer in our discussion has a much deeper meaning thirty five years later. Having recently sold his design firm, Jake is at a crossroads. As most of us know, Jake was instrumental in the design of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum in Lower Manhattan, thinking daily of our own Todd Isaac. We ar...
2025-04-1755 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningSherita GaskinsA native of Baltimore, Sherita Gaskins is a doctor, coach, and health counselor whose first connection with boarding school was watching The Facts of Life. From the beginning, Andover was where she wanted to be. As Sherita says, Andover had her heart. In a theme that will come through in this podcast, like many of our classmates, she realizes she has a place at any table. As she said, we don’t hear these types of stories from other schools. We also touch on something most of our female classmates are going through these days, too.
2025-04-0237 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningMichael DeyermondAn artist from Upstate New York living in California, Michael Deyermond almost died in Rome a few years ago and attributes his class connections to helping pull him through. From T.S. Eliot inspired tears on the squash court to keeping wide eyed wonderment and a full syllabus of books at all times, Michael echoes what many of our classmates say that we’re the most incredible community he’s ever been around. Our very own Lazarus, his curiosity and willingness to keep learning saved his life.
2025-04-0240 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningAnna IveyHalf German, half American, Anna Ivey lived in Germany as a young child then moved to Boston in middle school. Anna and I were in Stimson together during our Lower year. With her parents moving back to Germany, they gave her the option to stay in the US, going to boarding school. The freedom to use the bathroom pushed her over the edge in favor of PA. Later a law school dean and educator and consultant, Anna recalls her time in Pearson and Bullfinch. We discuss Competence, which was way more hardcore than we...
2025-04-0237 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningJoe BaeA native of South Korea, Joe Bae moved to the US with his family in 1974. Joe grew up on Long Island and came to Andover via librarian’s recommendation. Joe Bae discusses Andover lessons of resiliency, adaptability, and being able to fit in anywhere, even as a fish out of water. Joe admits that he probably would not have been willing to establish his business’s Asian headquarters in Hong Kong without his Andover education and instilled curiosity. Admitting that sometimes it could be intimidating to be around our classmates, Joe is intimidated no longer. He attributes the late grea...
2025-04-0227 minThe End Depends Upon the BeginningHamlin O'KelleyNot our first podcast rodeo, it’s easy for me to talk to Beaufort, South Carolina, native Hamlin O’Kelley. Like most of us, Hamlin knew he needed to go to school at Andover the moment he set foot on campus. There’s a shrewdness he describes with our classmates. Due to our exposures, and surviving the place, we can be dropped off anywhere in the world and be just fine. He confirms that Andover was the formative educational experience of his life and that we are his favorite people. As he said, “Unless you lived it, it doesn’t ring tru
2025-04-0236 min
Rural Renewal Podcast by Ascent MovementEpisode 3: How to Be the Church Where Everyone is on Vacation with Pam MorseWhat does it mean to be the church in a place where people come to vacation? Some small towns and less about Friday Night Lights and more about AirBnB. But what if it was possible not only to reach weekend warriors looking for recreation and the local population who live in small towns all year long. In this episode listen to discover different ways local churches seeking to revitalize their presence and they do it through play and outdoor adventure.Pamela Morse and her husband, Earle, have served as pastors of Sugarloaf Christian Ministry in...
2023-03-271h 01
Pastoral Theology: The Man of God - Albert N. MartinUnit 2: Lecture 8 - In Relationship to God pt 7 - Strength | Albert N. Martin2. Explanation of the principle
a. The first area of concern is that of attaining and maintaining an accurate understanding of who and what you are physically and emotionally.
Ps. 139:13-16; Job 10:8-12; Rom. 12:3; 2 Cor. 4:16; 2 Sam. 21:5-17
b. The second area of concern has to do with a structure of activity and relationships which will maintain you at optimum physical and emotional strength.
2 Cor. 12:1ff; Ps. 102:23
c. The third area of concern focuses on the concept of your “redeemed humanity.”
1 Cor. 6:19-20
3. Practical implementation of the prin...
2022-07-1359 min
First Community ChurchFaith Kit Hosted by Glen Miles featuring Jim KeckJim, born in Des Moines, Iowa, started heading west for undergraduate study at the University of Colorado, Boulder and graduate study in Berkeley. He received his Doctorate of Ministry from Andover Newton Seminary and was ordained in the United Church of Christ in 1990.
In 1993, after serving churches in Berkeley and Corona Del Mar, California, he became the Sr. Minister of the West Concord Union Church, in Massachusetts. In 1999 he became the Sr. Minister at the Congregational Church of San Mateo, California. He also served as an adjunct faculty member at Pacific School of Religion; as president of the Peninsula Clergy...
2022-06-3048 min
Sweet Valley DiariesBook #52: WHITE LIESIf you're expecting a book titled WHITE LIES to be a cold, hard look at the exclusionary racial culture of Sweet Valley, California...well, keep waiting. The white lies in question here are all about a sweet sophomore, her ill-advised love affair with bad-boy Rick Andover, her sick father, and the sports writer who indirectly causes a rift between them all. Also, Elizabeth is involved. Dr. Daniel Okobi joins Marissa to investigate this twisting tale, Ricks Who've Wronged Us, HIPAA violations, and, of course, the recorder. Metropolitan (1990) Coronary Intervention This is all I...
2021-05-061h 14
Every QuarterEpisode 25: Institute for the Recruitment of TeachersHow do we educate our society as it consistently evolves?
The Institute for Recruitment of Teachers seeks to answer this question. Founded in 1990 by Kelly Wise, the IRT has a nearly 30-year history of producing socially justice minded educators in both the K-12 and professoriate.
In this episode of Every Quarter, we sit down with the new Executive Director of the Institute for Recruitment of Teachers, LaShawnda Brooks and Jessica Acosta Chavez '06, IRT ’12, Phillips Academy's Associate Director of Admission and Outreach. As an alumna of both the program and Phillips Academy, Acosta–Chavez has the unique opportunity to speak with...
2019-03-1200 minEvery QuarterEpisode 24: Architect Peter Chermayeff ’53You may not recognize the name Peter Chermayeff, but if you’ve ever lived in, or visited Boston you’ve probably experienced his work. Have you been to the Boston Aquarium and walked the spiral ramp along the central tank? Did you ride the T to get there and wonder why each line is colored the way it is? Well, Peter designed both of these Bay State projects and are just two of the topics he gets into on this very special episode of Every Quarter. He’s joined by his niece—filmmaker Maro Chermayeff, Class of 1980—and they discuss Peter’s ea...
2019-02-1200 min
C Tolle Run61: Dave McGillivray - Defining MomentsCarrie interviews Boston Marathon Race Director, Dave McGillivray! Dave discusses running his first Boston Marathon, the depth of the 2018 elite field, running the World Marathon Challenge and much more. Show notes for this episode can be found at ctollerun.com. Dave McGillivray Dave McGillivray, Race Director of the B.A.A. Boston Marathon, the B.A.A. Half Marathon, the B.A.A. 5K and the B.A.A. 10K, manages and oversees all operational and logistical aspects of these world-class events. He also directed the 2008 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Women’s Mara...
2018-03-1545 minEvery QuarterEpisode 13: USA Gymnastics, Fake News, and #MeToo with NBC News Correspondent Stephanie Gosk '90A member of the Class of 1990, NBC News Correspondent Stephanie Gosk, returned to campus recently to discuss her latest assignment: the rise of the #MeToo movement and cases of sexual misconduct that are plaguing industries from business and entertainment to sports and politics. In this episode of Every Quarter, she talks about the scandal erupting around USA Gymnastics, journalistic integrity, and what it’s like to report from a war zone. Super Bowl fans will want to stick around for her decidedly biased view of the big game.
2018-01-3100 min
Empower Your VoiceES006 Body Mapping and Alexander Technique w/ Marieke Schuurs006 Every Sing: Marieke Schuurs on Body Mapping and Alexander Technique Marieke started to consider Alexander Technique and Body Mapping after attending the Voice Care Network in Minnesota in the 1990’s. After, she started working with Barbara Connable on Body Mapping. Cathey Madden - Seattle Alexander Teacher, UW Drama dept. Certification in Body Mapping from Andover Educators and is a certified Alexander Technique Teacher from Alexander Technique International At the beginning the teacher has to build a bridge from the student’s understanding to what Body Mapping can teach The Fundamental tenant of Alexander is that you have an overall u...
2017-08-0739 min