(Photo/Courtesy of Bob Lee)

For all Academy students, the gyms are often a place for the largest of school gatherings: pep rallies, honors assemblies, and even Commencement and Convocation on rainy days. While it is rare for all of the student and teacher body to gather, the gyms are a symbol of the Academy community uniting. And what better way to honor that sense of community with a dedication to someone who appreciates it the most than former headmaster, John Mackenzie.

Head of School, Melissa Soderbergh announced the dedication to the school’s faculty and staff on November 29, under the guise of a typical morning meeting. Mr. Mackenzie was there to greet them and spread the news, and the “New Gym” became the John Mackenzie Gymnasium, or The Mack, for short.

Over the last couple years, the administration had been considering ways to honor Mr. Mackenzie’s 16-year tenure at the school. “The school grew a lot while he was here,” said Mr. Hunker. “Enrollment grew, we added new facilities, philanthropy grew. It just seemed like it would be a good opportunity to recognize his tenure here and all that was accomplished during that time.”

With the new construction project coming to a close, there were plenty of new potential dedication sites. It was the New Gym(built in 1980), however,-that would be renamed. While the gym is certainly a staple of our athletic program, its role in bringing our school together is what Mr. Mackenzie valued the most. “The gym is one of the few places on campus used by students in every grade,” says Mr. Mackenzie, “and it is the place where the whole school most often comes together.”

Finally, Hunker hopes that in addition to honoring Mr. Mackenzie’s work as head of school, the renaming will allow for people to start referring to the gyms by their given names. “One of the things we want to get away from is the Old and New Gym,” said Mr. Hunker. “We want it to be the Jones Gym and The Mack. We felt that it would be important to honor the Jones legacy as well.”