In a virtual Opening of Spring Term Hall on April 5, Headmaster Kerry Brennan welcomed students and faculty back from the spring break, ushering in the closing months of the school year and the hope that they represent. At the heart of Mr. Brennan’s remarks was decision-making—specifically, how we go about making decisions when the stakes are high, and the path forward is not clear.

“Today I want to talk a bit about making choices—big ones and small ones,” Mr. Brennan began. “We do it every day. And others, with more consequential positions, make them on our behalf every day. When we are young, our parents are making decisions for us: What will you wear? What will you eat? When will you go to bed? Where will you go to school? Over time, given maturation, children and then young adults are granted the freedom to make more choices… One of the great tasks of parenting (and by extension schooling) is to provide children with the tools and the training and the formation of healthy habits that will allow them to be more independent. Of course, independence suggests both greater opportunities for freedom but also greater accountability. And as we get older… consequences end up being more dramatic. More meaningful… There are big decisions in our lives. Sometimes the decisions we make have to do with life or death—our own or somebody else’s.”

Prompted by the 75th anniversary that took place last summer, Mr. Brennan moved to explore “the ultimate decision concerning life and death,”—the dropping of atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. “In August of 1945, President Harry Truman made the decision to drop these newly created weapons on these two cities in order to end World War II…. Truman, a plainspoken Missourian, was eager to bring the war to an end. The American people had sacrificed a great deal over the ensuing nearly four years and were eager to return to normalcy—families reunited, the economy operating on a peacetime footing, reassurance that foreign affairs determined to a great extent by our might would offer predictability and stability.”

In the lead-up to Truman’s decision to drop the bombs, he “had been told that there would likely be 20,000 casualties—mostly military. In fact, 20,000 Japanese soldiers were killed, but, so, too, were more than 100,000 civilians killed in Hiroshima, and more than 60,000 in Nagasaki. Horrendous injuries were sustained by hundreds of thousands of people defacing them and handicapping them for the rest of their lives. The presence of deadly gas caused unfathomable birth defects in subsequent generations.

“Within a week of the bombings, Japan surrendered to our commanding general in the Pacific, Douglas MacArthur. Virtually unanimously, Americans celebrated the conclusion of an awful war and did not dwell much on the terrifying, new reality that had been unleashed. We know from historical documents that the Japanese had been demonized in a way the Germans and Italians had not. Are there deep-seated racial biases involved in those feelings? Probably, yes. Did that make it easier to justify and endure the killing of innocent people? When all was said and done, how was the decision to end the war this way made?

“In my presentation today about decision making, making choices, there could be no greater decision than the one Truman made. It affected millions of people. And it decided who would live and who would die. As with even the simplest decisions we make each day, certain elements led to consequential outcomes. How do we decide? How do we amass the facts? With whom do we consult? Whom will my decision affect? Is the outcome simply expedient, or is there a more significant ethical consideration? What is my North Star? What’s in my best interest? What’s in the best interest of the group? The country? The global family? I hope you will consider the ramification of this world-altering event.”

On the following morning, April 6, Mr. Brennan enlisted students and faculty for a Part II of this talk, which would enable live, in-class discussion in which boys and their teachers together would grapple with difficult moral decisions, and how we go about making them. After a brief, instructional webinar—during which he posed the classic, philosophical Trolley Problem—he offered several questions for discussion, which boys and faculty engaged in for the period.

View the entirety of Headmaster Brennan’s address.

Does sugar water have an effect on ants’ learning? Are the heart rates of Daphnia magna affected by alcohol exposure? How does isolation alter the dietary habits of cockroaches? How does sound affect plant growth? Over the last couple of months, the Honors Biology students in Dr. Peter Hyde’s class were answering these ques­tions and more, with help from medical professionals and research scientists.

For the eighth year, Honors Bio students spent the winter term immersed in Inde­pendent Research Projects (IRP). Posing questions of their own scientific interest, the boys developed experiment proposals and turned to the professionals for real-time feedback, honing their approaches all the while. Even before the winter break, the students met with their IRP mentors—RL parents and alumni who are also research scientists, surgeons, hematologists, oncologists—virtually. With the feedback from those sessions, the boys refined their experimental plans, and in January and February they collected their data. The IRP mentors then met with their mentees again to discuss the data and findings, and worked with the students on developing compelling presentations. In a typical year the students’ work culminates in a science fair-style event, in which faculty, staff, and fellow students can walk around perusing project posters and asking questions of the budding scientists. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the students instead submitted videos as the culminating presentation of their hard work. You can view each of those videos here.

Other research projects included the effects of dissolved oxygen on yeast respiration and CO2 production; the effects of changing soil pH on the growth of Wisconsin Fast Plants; whether hyperoxia improves learning in fruit flies; and how the concentration of potassium ions affect the heart rate of Daphnia Magna.

Special thanks to our generous mentors, who include:

Sirisha Emani (P’17, ‘22), PhD, Department of Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital 

Andrew Eyre ’02, MD, Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Ephraim Hochberg (P’25), MD, Departments of Oncology and Hematology, Massachusetts General Hospital

Matthew Hutter ’87 (P’21, ’23), MD, Departments of General and Gastrointestinal Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital

Julie Lin (P’24), PhD, Clinical Development, Rare Diseases and Rare Blood Disorders, Sanofi-Genzyme

Cynthia Morton (P’10), PhD, Department of Cytogenetics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

David Wilkinson (P’21, ‘23, ‘25), MS, Department of Systems Engineering, Vicarious Surgical

Scot Wolfe (P’15, ’18), PhD, Department of Molecular, Cell and Cancer Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical School

“Central to Roxbury Latin’s mission and tradition is tending to the spiritual growth of our boys,” began Headmaster Brennan in virtual Hall on April 1. Throughout the year, Roxbury Latin students hear from speakers of various religious traditions about topics of faith, spirituality, and living with purpose. As Jews began their celebration of Passover, and as Christians looked forward to the culmination of Holy Week, RL trustee and parent Jim Frates shared his personal reflections on the meaning of Holy Thursday—and how the lessons relate to each of us, regardless of our faith or beliefs.

He began with the story of RL alumnus James Drummond Dole, Class of 1895, who had set out for Hawaii to make his fortune and—after much trial and error—found success, ultimately, in pineapples. He then shared the tale of Captain Eddie Rickenbacker, who “might have been the most interesting man in the world,” Mr. Frates said, who in his life excelled in engine repair and then race car driving; became the greatest flying ace in WWI; went on to own Indianapolis Motor Speedway and establish Eastern Airlines; and even authored a comic strip.

Mr. Frates then recounted a sermon that his uncle—a former Navy priest and WWII pilot—used to deliver about when Captain Rickenbacker and his crew crashed into the Pacific and spent 21 days adrift:

“After exhausting their supplies, starving, and near the point of death, Captain Rickenbacker organized a prayer meeting: ‘Master, we are in an awful fix, as you know. We are counting on a little something by the day after tomorrow at the least.’ Rickenbacker then lay on his back and pulled his hat down over his face. At that point something landed on it. A seagull. He slowly reached up and captured the gull, and then divided it among his men. The remainder provided him with bait for two fish which were quickly captured. There were no skeptics among those men.” He recounts how two days later, near death from dehydration, Rickenbacker prayed for water. That evening a squall occurred, providing the men with enough water to survive until they were rescued.

Finally, Mr. Frates arrived at one of the most important stories in the Christian tradition—that of Holy Thursday. “In the episcopal tradition, Maundy Thursday is the day that sets up and highlights all that is to follow.” He recounted the details of Christ’s Last Supper, the washing of His disciples’ feet, and finally the agony in the garden at Gethsemane. 

“Jesus’s commandments to his disciples during the days leading up to his death are some of the lessons I hope you take away today,” said Mr. Frates. “To love one another as I have loved you; the importance of fellowship—caring for one’s friends and neighbors; and leadership through service. If you want to truly lead you must take care of one another… Combine these lessons with those of Dole—dream big, don’t give up, look to your friends for support, take care of those around you—and Richenbacker—work hard, find your passion, give all you can, remember it can change at any moment, be a leader, and don’t be afraid to pray.

“I am sure you hear this a lot, but you have been given a great gift,” concluded Mr. Frates. “Your community here at Roxbury Latin is special—your friendships, your classmates, and your teachers. Remember your fellowship. Carry it forward. Don’t be afraid to lead, and don’t be afraid to rely on your friends.”

Mr. Frates is the Chief Financial Officer of Amylyx Pharmaceuticals—a company focused on developing new treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Alzheimer’s Disease, and other neurodegenerative diseases. In addition to serving as treasurer of Roxbury Latin’s Board of Trustees, Mr. Frates serves on the boards of Sage Therapeutics and St. Francis House, and formerly on the Board of his alma mater, St. Paul’s School in New Hampshire.

View the entirety of Mr. Frates’ Hall talk.

On March 9, Massachusetts State Representative Dr. Jon Santiago spoke to students, faculty, and staff in virtual Hall and discussed—from his personal experience—the many ways in which one can choose to meaningfully serve others and their community. Dr. Santiago is the Representative for the 9th Suffolk District (Boston), centered in the South End, and an emergency room physician at Boston Medical Center. A lifelong public servant, Representative Santiago was a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic, and he continues to serve as a captain in the Army Reserve. He spent five years abroad working in community organizing and public health. His current policy and clinical interests are focused on improving quality and access to care for underserved communities.

“I’m a relentless optimist,” he said in Hall. “I do what I do because I think the world can be a better place. I made the decision to enter the Peace Corps, to join the Army, to work in BMC’s ER, to serve as an elected state official, because I am ultimately a believer in people, and a believer that the world can become a better place. While I was with the Peace Corps, in the Dominican Republic, I was sitting in bed—alone, in a different country—thinking, ‘Is the world becoming a better place, historically speaking? And can I have a role in making that so?’”

Recently, Representative Santiago has used his roles as both an elected official and ER physician to advocate for resources and equity-oriented policies during the COVID-19 pandemic. He worked in the emergency room each week during the COVID-19 surge, sharing social media videos to provide up-to-date information for hundreds of thousands of viewers. He has also been active in national and local media discussing a host of COVID-19 related issues while writing several Boston Globe op-eds. One of 14 legislators of color in the legislature, Representative Santiago played an instrumental role in leading the charge for police reform as a member of the Massachusetts Black and Latino Legislative Caucus. Born in Puerto Rico, Dr. Santiago earned his bachelor’s degree in religious studies and biology from the University of Texas at Austin, his master’s in public health from the University of Washington, and his doctor of medicine from Yale. In February, Dr. Santiago announced his candidacy for Mayor of Boston, a post left vacant as Mayor Marty Walsh assumes the post of Secretary of Labor in President Biden’s administration.

Listen to the complete Q&A session with Dr. Santiago that took place at the end of his recent Hall.

This winter’s Kingswood Oxford public speaking competition took place virtually on February 8. For the sixth year in a row, Roxbury Latin’s team earned the Googins Cup, awarded to the school that places first overall in four categories of competition: Persuasive Speaking, After Dinner Speaking, Impromptu Speaking, and Ethical Dilemmas.

The four RL boys contributing to the team’s success this year were John Wilkinson (I), Nick Raciti (II), Vishnu Emani (II), and David Sullivan (II). In addition to their team success, two boys earned individual recognition: David not only placed first in Impromptu Speaking, and second in After Dinner Speaking, but he also placed first as the Top Overall Speaker in the competition, which included 52 students from eleven schools across New England. John also earned a third place finish, in After Dinner Speaking.

The virtual nature of this year’s debate and public speaking tournaments has not lessened the boys’ hard work and commitment, faculty advisor Stewart Thomsen has noted. Faculty member Ken Hiatt ‘93 served as the judge for Roxbury Latin’s team of four at this winter’s virtual competition.