TaborTalk Blog

David Horne has been a musical institution at Tabor for the past twenty-two years. During his long career, Mr. Horne has filled many roles: chapel organist, choral director, dorm parent, musical director, drama director, and advisor. Indeed, he has been the consummate boarding school faculty member.

“Senior Projects allow seniors in good academic standing to drop classes in the last seven weeks as necessary in order to pursue a project of their own creation.” This is how Senior Projects are described on the Tabor Academy website. One week into my project and that description doesn’t feel exactly right.

It’s 10:20 p.m. on a Wednesday night in Baxter House.  Dorm meeting is over, a yellow sheet cake with vanilla frosting and sprinkles has been devoured, and six girls sit on the floor of the Common Room playing Bananagrams.  With midyear assessments behind them, the girls are more relaxed and cheerful -- back to their old selves.

In May 2016, James Caple and I are starting our quest to row across the North Atlantic Ocean from Cape Cod, MA to Ireland. This distance equates to approximately 2800 nautical miles through one of the most notoriously difficult oceans in the world. Just ask anyone who was on the Titanic! Upon successful completion of our row, we will be the first American pair, the first ever mixed pair, and for me, the first American Woman, to complete an ocean row across this challenging route.

I graduated from Tabor in 2002, and this past summer, my husband and I moved to Marion. We purchased the Oliver Cobb House at 460 Front Street and opened the Silvershell Inn. Moving to Marion wasn’t an earth-shattering idea: I graduated from Tabor, my husband and I met at the Buzzard’s Bay Regatta in 2010, we got engaged on the dock at BYC, and we were married at St. Gabriel’s Church. But, the decision to buy a 216-year-old house was a leap into the deep end. We thought ourselves well-equipped—I was a technical theatre major and my husband worked construction during his summers in college.

After 27 years of teaching at Tabor Academy, I had the good fortune to receive and enjoy a fall semester sabbatical, which I have dubbed my “Seabbatical.” My Seabbatical has provided me the time and space to travel, write, volunteer, collaborate and spend time with my daughter. I’ve been asked countless times, “What have you been doing on your sabbatical?” My typical reply is, “ALL of the things that I wouldn’t have time for when I am working:”    

This article originally appeared in Tabor's student newspaper, The Log.

Following Alexis Jones’ talk on campus, one of Tabor Academy's newest faculty members Emily Kaplan joined a group of students living in Baxter in a discussion about the feminism talk. Beginning with their feelings on the speech, the conversation quickly turned into much more. Topics such as gender, sexuality, feminism, race and diversity were brought to the table and, when it was time for everyone to go to study hall, the participants begged Ms. Kaplan to continue these talks.