Interview with Kent Adams…

WHAT DID YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT BLAKE? “I had a truly wonderful Blake experience that I hoped that my children could also experience in their own way. […] I loved the Blake teachers and coaches, I loved the small classrooms. I loved the opportunities a small school gave students to get involved in varsity athletics and extra-curriculars. I loved the history of the school, both as an all boy school as well as a coeducational school from my 6th grade on.  I made great lifelong friends because of Blake. I liked the drive from Northrop campus to Blake campus after school. I loved the school spirit and the cheerleaders who led the cheers. I loved the tradition of a speech in front of the whole school as a graduation requirement. I loved participating in Blake plays and in Blake sports.”

HOW DO YOU THINK BLAKE IS DIFFERENT NOW FOR YOUR KIDS THEN IT WAS FOR YOU? “Today, Blake is a larger school, a more diverse school and a more complicated school in a more complicated society. Much more technology based (we did not have technology!). Its resources and facilities are much stronger today, but when I went to Blake I actually thought the resources and facilities were pretty cool. In general, the Mission and the School’s long-term objectives remain the same. The lunches are much better for you now!! Back then, no Lacrosse, no girls’ soccer, no fencing, much larger interest in football.”

Interview with Joan Nolan…

HOW DID YOU FEEL HAVING YOUR CHILDREN SENT TO THE SAME SCHOOL YOU ATTENDED? HOW HAS IT CHANGED SINCE YOU WERE A STUDENT? “I feel great about having my kids attend Blake. The academics are strong and the school is supportive. It is nice to carry on the tradition. There are many more opportunities today for kids to explore lots of things and really discover their passions.”

Interview with Mike Sill…

HOW DO YOU THINK BLAKE IS DIFFERENT NOW FOR YOUR KIDS THEN IT WAS FOR YOU? “We wanted our kids to… transition to Blake in sixth grade to take advantage of the strong academic offering… The smaller learning environment, consistently strong teaching, and superior facilities offers that our kids would be well prepared for life beyond high school.  My Blake experience in the 1970s was excellent, and I’m pleased that my children can have that same positive opportunity… I attended Blake for four years when it was all boys and then five years after it went coed.  It was a rowdier time, with fewer rules, more distractions and less parental involvement.  The teaching was good, but expectations weren’t as high as they are today.  Blake was more of a privileged school in the 70s as there was not a diverse student body as there is today.  Blake’s current endowment is able to attract a stronger student body because of its financial aid program and as a result, there are more talented kids at Blake. As a final observation, girls have opportunities to succeed beyond academics that were not available to them in the 70s.  When I look at the success of the Blake girls athletic teams, as an example, we’re seeing success today in sports which didn’t exist for girls in the 70s…no soccer, no hockey, no lacrosse as examples.”