ANDOVER, Mass.— In Phillips Academy’s 227th commencement ceremony, filled with tradition and jubilation, 308 seniors—154 boys and 154 girls—graduated Sunday, June 5.

About 3,000 people attended the graduation exercises, which took place in front of Samuel Phillips Hall on the school’s Great Lawn. In a time-honored Andover tradition, the graduation procession of faculty and students was led by the stirring sounds of the Clan MacPherson Pipes and Drums of Lawrence, Mass. Boys wore suit coats and ties; girls wore white dresses, and each carried a red rose.

Sunday’s celebration followed a weekend of commencement events, including a senior-faculty banquet, a senior concerto concert and a candlelight baccalaureate service Saturday evening in Cochran Chapel.

In her commencement address to the graduates, Head of School Barbara Landis Chase discussed the lessons contained in a time capsule that will be placed in the foundation of the Memorial Bell Tower, currently being reconstructed on campus. The capsule will be opened in 2055 at the 50th reunion of the Class of 2005. “The contents can be looked at as symbols of what you experienced here on Andover hill, as reminders of the skills and knowledge and understanding you gained,” she said. “Those things, unlike the objects themselves, will have endured, immune to the vagaries of fashion.”

Chase talked about the significance of some of these objects:

• The Phillipian and student literary publications—“Appreciate the power of words. Use them to elevate the dialogue around you, to illuminate the landscape of life, to change minds and hearts.”
• Photos of staff members—“Remember to respect all kinds of work and the people who do it.”
• Class schedule—“The learning that occupied those neatly-framed spaces will have remained and will have formed the foundation for years more of accumulating knowledge and understanding.”
• The Face Book directory—“Youth from every quarter, you have all brought talent and motivation and humanity. As Andover graduates living and working in every quarter, may you fight for inclusion and create opportunity for others.”

“Remember all the things in that box and what they stand for,” she concluded, “so that when you stand at life’s inevitable crossroads—between hard work and ease, hope and despair, principle and expediency, sacrifice and selfishness, love and hate—you will be able to call to your mind’s and heart’s eye the image of the Bell Tower.”

School President Daniel B. Adler ’05 of Hunting Valley, Ohio, also spoke with eloquence to his classmates. “Andover has helped us understand the balance between pride and humility,” he said. “We’re ready to take the next step, proud of what we’ve accomplished and humbled by the experience.”

Chase announced major prizes awarded to outstanding members of the graduating class:

• Alexander S. Lebow of Newton, Mass, received the Non Sibi Award, given to the student who has honored Phillips Academy’s non sibi (not-for-self) tradition through efforts on behalf of others. He will attend the University of Southern California.
• Katherine K. Dix of Andover received the Yale Bowl, given to the member of the senior class who has attained the highest proficiency in scholarship and athletics. She will attend the University of Pennsylvania.
• Emma E. Wolman of Andover received the Faculty Prize for outstanding scholarship during the senior year. She will attend Swarthmore College.
• Morissa G. Sobelson of Concord, N.H., received the Madame Sarah Abbot Award, given to a young woman for strong character, leadership and outstanding scholarship. She will attend Tufts University.
• Daniel B. Adler of Hunting Valley, Ohio, received the Aurelian Honor Society Award for sterling character, high scholarship and forceful leadership. He will attend Harvard University.

The Phillips Academy Class of 2005 will matriculate at a total of 98 four-year colleges and universities. Top choices, accounting for 40 percent of the class, include: University of Pennsylvania, 17; Cornell, 15; Harvard, 14; Brown and Georgetown, 13 each; Columbia, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt and Yale, 9 each; Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Stanford, 7 each.

Phillips Academy, better known as Andover, is a coeducational independent boarding high school of 1,083 students, known for its extensive and rigorous academic program. A diverse community of teachers and students, the academy was founded in 1778.