The National Merit Scholarship Program recently announced the names of students in the Class of 2020, across the country, earning recognition for their academic achievement. This year, 25 Roxbury Latin boys have been recognized (representing 48% of the class)—seven named National Merit Scholar semifinalists, and 18 others earning commendations from program officials.

In this 65th annual National Merit Scholarship competition, semifinalists have the opportunity to become finalists and compete for some 7,600 National Merit Scholarships, nationwide. The awards are supported by the organization and approximately 400 businesses and educational institutions, to “honor the nation’s scholastic champions and encourage the pursuit of academic excellence.”

About 1.5 million juniors in more than 21,000 high schools entered the 2020 National Merit Scholarship program by taking the 2018 PSAT, which serves as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest scoring entrants in each state. From the approximately 16,000 semifinalists, about 15,000 are expected to advance to become finalists. Scholarship recipients are selected on the basis of their skills, accomplishments, and potential for academic success at the college level.

Roxbury Latin boys earning recognition this year include semifinalists Avi Attar, David LaFond, Eric Ma, Ian Richardson, Jonathan Weiss, Andrew Zhang, and Christopher Zhu; and commendation recipients Ian Balaguera, Joey Barrett, Nick Chehwan, Jack Cloherty, Aidan Cook, Cameron Estrada, John Harrington, Rijs JohansonGordet, Evan Kisselev, Christian Landry, Austin Manning, Kameron Miller, Hari Narayanan, Liam O’Connor, Jack Ringel, Tim Smith, Michael Stankovich, and Blair Zhou.

On September 6, 43 new Sixies—along with intrepid Class I leaders and faculty chaperones—trekked to Beaver Brook in Hollis, New Hampshire, for a tradition that dates back more than 50 years. Upon arriving, Class VI boys were immediately met with their first challenge: a test of their knowledge of “the oldest school in continuous existence in North America.” Charged with successfully separating Roxbury Latin fact from fiction and producing the most correct answers in the questionnaire, Sixies face an uphill battle: Those well-versed seniors and teachers may purposefully throw them off track with bogus answers, allowing for the single time all year when our watchwords “honesty is expected in all dealings” goes out the window.

The day, organized by Class VI Master Hunter White, continued with team building activities (a low ropes course; the famously frustrating helium hula hoop game; an orienteering challenge that required a crash course in terrain maps and compasses). After dinner, Sixies gathered in the barn for the annual viewing of the 1957 film Twelve Angry Men, with small group discussions to follow; these were animated but decidedly more civil than the ones depicted on screen. The evening ended around the fire, where Mr. Opdycke taught new boys The Founder’s Song before it was time for s’mores. Bracing for the remnants of Hurricane Dorian, the group opted for a camp-in—under the protection of the barn roof—rather than a camp-out. No rain dampened spirits on this Class VI retreat, however.

The following morning, after breakfast, each Sixie addressed a letter to himself, to be opened at his senior retreat five years from now. As they closed their notebooks, packed up their gear, and boarded the bus home, the Class of 2025 joined a brotherhood of RL men and boys who have sat around the campfire at Beaver Brook, singing about Roundheads and eating s’mores. It is a brotherhood that spans generations.

View photos from this year’s Beaver Brook trip.

“Not every institution gets to celebrate its 375th anniversary,” began Headmaster Brennan at the Opening of Fall Term Hall on the morning of August 28. “This year it is our privilege and our pleasure to do that very thing on behalf of the idea, the history, and the school that binds us together—and binds us to countless boys, teachers, and staff who have constituted Roxbury Latin in its earlier, various incarnations.”

Under sunny, blue skies, the faculty and staff welcomed 305 boys—new and returning—to campus, as we launched the 375th academic year of Roxbury Latin. The traditional Hall—which included the singing of America the Beautiful, Gaudeamus Igitur, and The Founder’s Song—featured a reading of excerpts from Tony Jarvis’s book Schola Illustris, on the history of Roxbury Latin, delivered by Collin Bergstrom, Class I President. In addition to welcoming new students, introducing new faculty and staff, and honoring those adults celebrating noteworthy RL anniversaries, Mr. Brennan delivered an address that spoke to Roxbury Latin’s long history, as well as the place that admirable and longstanding institutions have in our world:

“Around the world and in our own country there are plenty of organizations founded before 1645, but not many of them have been continuously sustained. We laugh at that obligatory phrase ‘in continuous existence,’ but it does speak of a characteristic of the school not to be minimized, and that is its enduring, resilient nature. Our school is emblematic not just of the kind of commitment made to education in the early years of our nation, but has been successful at honoring our often distinguished past with reverence for history and traditions, while imagining a modern school, one that prepares its students for meaningful lives and the possibility of affecting positively the communities in which they will live.”

Mr. Brennan asked the audience to “pause to consider a few phrases that are part of our distinctive catechism,” and that “inform who we are today and who we wish to become.” He expounded upon those phrases that are in some cases emblazoned on the walls around campus, and in every case etched on the hearts of those who hold Roxbury Latin dear: Known and Loved. Democratically Gathered. Diligent Use of One’s Talent. Leading and Serving. You can read Headmaster Brennan’s full address here.

The opening day ceremonies concluded with the traditional all-school handshake, which serves to welcome people new to the RL community, and with everyone receiving a “RL Nation – 1645” anniversary t-shirt to wear with pride this year. View photos from the day.

For four concentrated weeks each spring, Class V students convene every F Block for a lesson in what it means to be a responsible, engaged, informed citizen of the United States. This Civics mini-course, conceived of by Headmaster Kerry Brennan, has been a hallmark of the Class V program since 2011. It provides students early in their RL tenure with a lesson on the inner workings of the United States government, their own civil rights and responsibilities, and the many forms service to country and commonwealth can take.

The course is team-taught by Kerry Brennan, Stewart Thomsen, and Chris Heaton. Throughout the month, they cover topics like the American election process, our branches of government, and immigration and naturalization. But more often, the three of them step back, handing the class over to an impressive collection of guest speakers who offer first-hand accounts of public service.

This year’s speaker series began with Captain Colin Murphy, RL Class of 2005, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2011 to 2015. Colin gave an overview of the structure of the U.S. Military; the extensive training that is required to join; the reality of active duty; and the many paths that veterans follow after service. Colin was followed by former RL parent and Boston City Councilor Mark Ciommo and his associate Daniel Polanco. They spoke with the boys about serving on the legislative branch at the city level. Finally, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Gareth Cook (father of Aidan Cook ‘20) walked the boys through an exercise designed to help them identify “fake news.”

Sometimes expert speakers came in the form of RL faculty and staff. When the course turned to the topic of the legal system, for example, Mrs. Berg, Mrs. Dromgoole, and Mr. Lieb shared their experiences and insights having performed jury duty. In a second RL panel, Mr. Diop, Mr. Roumally, and Elias Simeonov of Class I shared their own personal immigration stories and paths to citizenship. This particular presentation followed the perennial favorite “May Madness” competition, which mirrors the U.S. Citizenship test. Nicholas Martin and Bobby Zabin won May Madness this year (though all boys were allowed to maintain their citizenship).

As a capstone of the course, each boy became a campaign spokesperson for a candidate in the 2020 presidential election, presenting on their candidate’s political platform for their peers. It is fitting that this Civics course relied on so many teachers—including, with final presentations, the students themselves. To rely on the collective efforts of many individuals is in itself a lesson on the American government and civic responsibility.

On Saturday, June 8, Class III French students boarded a plane for Caen, France, and Class III Spanish students embarked for Cadiz, Spain. Both groups make up RL’s signature month-long language immersion program, now in its ninth year.

The students are keeping blogs of their studies and adventures, their adoptive (homestay) families, and their own reflections and discoveries. Follow them as they unfold via the links below:

Caen, France

Cadiz, Spain

 

On the morning of June 8, the 374th year of The Roxbury Latin School ended with Closing Exercises and the graduation of the Class of 2019. When Headmaster Kerry Brennan finished reading the names of the 53 members of Class I, and each had received his diploma from Board Chair Bob O’Connor ’85, thunderous applause burst forth from the family members, friends, and faculty who filled Rousmaniere Hall. Following the benediction, the tolling of the school bell, and a rousing rendition of The Founder’s Song, all in attendance streamed outside onto the Senior Grass for hugs, handshakes, and farewells. (See photos.)

 

Class valedictorian, voted by his classmates, was Ethan Kee who spoke about the gifts of both comfort and discomfort that Roxbury Latin has afforded to this graduation class. In addition to “saying goodbye to teachers and advisors, classmates and teammates, stages and studios, classrooms and playing fields,” Ethan said, he and his classmates were also “saying goodbye to comfort—that baseline sensation of contentment and familiarity which has allowed us to walk with certainty, to talk with conviction, and to act with initiative… The comfort with which we walk these halls today was forged from experiences: hardships and successes, risks and rewards, conflicts and resolutions. We’ve reached this proverbial destination together by intimate, and sometimes comical, encounters with cold, sweaty-handed, discomfort… Surely, these moments of discomfort did not pass by unscrutinized, without a response. So we studied better, practiced longer, went to bed later, woke-up earlier, and eventually the moments of failure and defeat were countered with ones of resilience and success. Most importantly, in the times of our greatest discomfort, we found the most genuine moments of camaraderie.”

 

The commencement address was delivered by Roxbury Latin trustee and parent Professor Ron Sullivan. Professor Sullivan is the Jesse Climenko Clinical Professor of Law at Harvard University. He is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law and procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics, and race theory. At Harvard, he serves as faculty director of both the Criminal Justice Institute and the Trial Advocacy Workshop. He is also the first African American appointed faculty dean in the college’s history. In his address to the graduation class (which includes his son Trey) he shared a little known anecdote about John F. Kennedy, who—as a swimmer at Harvard—was noted in the school’s records as a “swimmer without distinction”—in other words, “a good swimmer, but not a great one,” Professor Sullivan asserted. The speaker then went on to share a story of JFK as an active duty member of the navy, when he saved the life of an injured, fellow naval sailor by clutching the man’s life vest strap in his teeth, towing him as JFK swam them both to safety for more than three miles. “So you see, JFK was perhaps not a great swimmer, but he swam greatly.” Professor Sullivan implored the members of the graduating class to do their own versions of “swimming greatly” in their lives—stepping up in the moments when they see a need, feel called to duty, and have the ability to do something great with the gifts they’ve been given.

Three major senior prizes were also awarded during Closing Ceremonies.

The Richard A. Berenberg Prize, for generosity of spirit and concern for others, was presented to Quito Sanchez.

The Class of 1913 Award, for significant contributions to the life of the School, was presented to Rohan Sheth.

The William Coe Collar Award, for achievements and contributions to the School that are deemed by the faculty as most deserving of recognition, was presented to Ethan Kee.

 

On June 5, the Class of 2019 took their front row seats in Hall for the last time as the First Class, and anticipated, along with the classes behind them, this year’s roster of prize-winners and their plaudits. As Headmaster Kerry Brennan began, “Our purpose for gathering today is to recognize discernible excellence in all areas of school life—academic and extracurricular. In singling out certain prize winners, we are intending to affirm the highest standards of schoolboy endeavor. We do this even though we know that others in your seats may be more deserving of congratulations for they have struggled mightily, come far, taken risks, and been honorable boys. To you goes the faculty’s admiration and congratulations.” While some of the major Class I awards are announced at Closing Exercises, this year’s prize winners are as follows:

Major athletic awards to Class I:

ISL: Liam Rimas

Sportsmanship: Kevin Demore and Alvin Massenat

Scholar-Athlete: Nate Lopes

Best Athlete: Will Greer

Varsity athletic awards to Class I:

Soccer: Ethan Kee

Lacrosse: Deven Varney

Hockey: Jack Luca

Tennis: Brendan Jimenez

Football: Sean Russell

Basketball: Myles Davis

Track & Field: David Meneses Ontiveros and Milan Rosen

Cross Country: Aidan Bowen

Wrestling: Doevy Estimphile

Baseball: Ben Rounds

Major book awards to boys in Class II:

Holy Cross Book Award: Collin Bergstrom

Brown University Book Award: Jonathan Weiss

Dartmouth Book Award: Andrew Zhang

Harvard Book Prize: Avi Attar

Academic awards:

The Joseph A. Sasserno French Deturs: Justin Shaw V, George Madison IV, Thomas Gaziano III, Jonathan Weiss II, Trey Sullivan I

Headmaster’s Spanish Deturs: Matt O’Connor V, Vishnu Emani IV, Daniel Sun-Friedman III, Michael Stankovich II, Quito Sanchez I

The Isabel M. Fowler History Prizes: Lucas Vander Elst VI, Colin Herbert IV, Peter Frates III, Collin Bergstrom II, Rohan Sheth I

The Richard M. Whitney Science Deturs: Matt Consigli VI, Gabriel Stankovich V, Will Specht III, Andrew Zhang II

The N. Henry Black Science Detur: Raphael Deykin I

The Donald L. Whittle Math Deturs: Eric Zhu VI, Eddy Pan V, Josh Krakauer IV, Rohil Dhaliwal III, Chris Zhu II

The Islay F. McCormick Mathematics Prize: Kalyan Palepu I

The Anna Cabot Lowell Deturs in English: Theo Coben VI, Kevin Wang V, Teddy Glaeser IV, John Wilkinson III, Liam O’Connor II, Izzy Goldsmith I

The Trustees’ Greek Deturs: A.J. Gutierrez III, Jonathan Weiss II, Coleman Smith I

The Anna Cabot Lowell Deturs in Latin: John Tompros VI, James McCurley V, Eli Bailit IV, Thomas Gaziano III, John Harrington II, Adam Berk I

Extra-curricular awards:

Lower School Latin Declamation Prize: Rami Hayes-Messinger

Upper School Latin Declamation Prize: Daniel Sun-Friedman

Greek Declamation Prize: Austin Manning

The Cameron A. Rylance Music Prize: Eric Zaks

The Ralph F.F. Brooks Art Prize: Erik Zou

The Philip A. Kaye Prize: Leonardo Bene

The Joan M. Regan Service Prize: Jared Brosnan

The Class of 1976 Dramatics Prize: John Ryan

The Gerhard Rehder Prize in International Relations: Izzy Goldsmith

The Albert W. Kelsey Debate Prize: Trey Sullivan

The Publications Award: Adam Berk View photos of this year’s Prize Day Hall.