In preparation for the 50th anniversary of coeducation in 2024-2025, the school has introduced two new co-curriculars for the 2024 spring season that will focus on women’s contribution to the school: “Archives—Girls and Women in the Arts at Hotchkiss” and “Production Assistant for the 50th Documentary.”
Ms. Robin Chandler ’87, communications project manager, will direct the first co-curricular, which will examine the history of women in the school’s arts program.
Ms. Chandler said, “Beginning with the first female trailblazers who enrolled in the fall of 1974, we will reflect on their inspiring legacy, pay tribute to the achievements of girls who followed in their footsteps, and gratefully acknowledge the female faculty, trustees, and alumni who helped boldly steer the school forward.”
Students will use the archival findings to create physical and digital displays. Students will help set up shows in the Tremaine Gallery. They will highlight HDA productions, guest speakers, and musical performances featuring women and be involved in choosing next year’s all-school read.
Petal Hammam ’25, who enrolled in the winter co-curricular on women in athletics, said, “We interviewed coaches, went through old yearbooks to compile images of female athletes from the past 50 years, and aggregated the records of all the womens’ teams since 1974. One of my favorite experiences so far was interviewing my volleyball coach from my Prep year, Mr. [Dave] Bolmer, who has such a deep history with Hotchkiss.”
In addition to the co-curriculars, a student steering committee will spearheading a variety of initiatives, including on-campus events and community outreach.
One member of the committee, Marisin McLain ’25, said, “Last year, we had a panel with several faculty and staff members who were female students at the school. I was very inspired by their stories, so I reached out to Ms. Chandler, the head of the adult steering committee, and proposed an art engagement committee for students. The crux of that presentation was a proposed mural.”
McLain’s mural will be a 4×8 foot sheet of plexiglass of signatures from matriculation books throughout the years layered on top of each other, creating a value system that, when looked at from afar, will appear as an image of the Main Circle and Building.
McLain said, “That mural represents all of our identities and backgrounds coming together to create one cohesive, shared identity. When you shine a light on the plexiglass, the signatures homogenize on the wall behind it, creating a solid black image of Main Building. When you get up close, you can pick out people’s individual signatures, which shows the individuality that makes up our community, regardless of gender.”
The second co-curricular offered in the Spring will allow students to serve as production assistants for the documentary being made to celebrate 50 years of co-education.
The film will cover the founding of the school in 1891, the transition to co-education in 1974, and highlight the many contributions made by women over the last five decades.
Students will have the opportunity to work alongside Ms. Rosemary Davis, archivist and records manager, and the Communications Office to find material for the film, review footage, and generate feedback and creative ideas for the documentary.
Additional events will include a celebration at the beginning of the year, where all 80 of the first women at the school will be invited back to participate in an all-school panel, and a spring gala in honor of the landmark year.
Ms. Chandler said, “The main objective is to commemorate the legacy of women at Hotchkiss and in our broader society. We hope to deliver programming that engages and inspires the entire community.”
