Celebrating Family Weekend With Follett Hall Ribbon Cutting and Founder’s Day Traditions
Curtain up on a new chapter. On September 27, the Masters community celebrated the ribbon cutting of Follett Hall, the School’s beautifully renovated performing arts building — a space where creativity, collaboration and expression will continue to thrive.
Follett Hall’s story is one of remarkable transformation. Built in the 1950s as a dining hall, the 20,000-square-foot building pivoted in the 1980s to become home to Masters’ performing arts classrooms. Four decades later, it has been reimagined once again as part of the School’s historic Our Might campaign — this time as a center for music and dance instruction and performance.
Head of School Laura Danforth, life trustees Susan Follett Morris ’57 (the building’s namesake) and Edgar Masters H’98, former board chair Edith Chapin ’83, and Department of Performing Arts chair Jen Carnevale reflected on the building’s legacy and the bright future of the performing arts at Masters.
Their words came to life moments later when student performers filled the new performance patio with music and movement from the a cappella group Dobbs 16, FUM the band and Masters Dance Company, which delighted guests with a surprise flash mob.
After the ceremony, the celebration continued inside Follett Hall with guitar workshops, recording sessions and informal jam sessions.
Jack Barek ’29, a member of The 1877: The Band Edition, took part in one of the guitar workshops and shared his enthusiasm for the new space. “I love Room 218 — the atmosphere, the view and especially the acoustics,” he said. “I also love all the new instruments, especially the guitars — the Telecaster and the Jaguar — with the Jaguar being my favorite.”
The ribbon cutting capped off a lively Family Weekend on campus, which began with the spirited Founder’s Day celebration and the time-honored Delta vs. Phi rivalry. The tug-of-war, always a crowd favorite, did not disappoint.
Ellie Di Domenico ’30, one of the middle school co-chairs, described Founder’s Day as a special tradition that unites the Masters community. “It allows the whole school to come together to compete and see which team will win,” she said. “But more importantly, it’s a day to celebrate our School, its history and our community as a whole.”
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