By Elizabeth Miller ’15, Co Editor-in-Chief
Dr. Rob Macrae, Head of School, strongly believes in the concept of “leaving the campsite better than you found it.” He has done an amazing amount to ensure that Country Day is a better community, a better school, and a better campus than it was when he arrived in 2005. His final endeavor is the transformation of the North Campus, including the construction of an amphitheater.
This year, Cincinnati Country Day School became eligible for a grant from the E. E. Ford Foundation, the largest foundation that gives grants to private institutions. The Foundation requires that, if rewarded, the grant is used for a project that would not be possible without the grant, and that the project is high-school-centric. Mrs. Stephanie Luebbers, Upper School Head, had not found a project that truly connected with her or the school until a representative of the E. E. Ford Foundation suggested an amphitheater, and she realized that this was a rather obvious suggestion. An amphitheater creates an outdoor community space, one much like the commons or the dining terrace, which the school lacks. This set the plan into action, as Mrs. Luebbers began to write the application and form a vision for the project.
The grant from the E. E. Ford Foundation was for $50,000, however Country Day is responsible for fundraising in order to raise enough money to create the amphitheater in full. On March 2, a fundraiser was held in Keeler Theater to begin this process. Held on the stage, this gathering was aimed to start the fundraising for the project. Although the amount of money given after the fundraiser has not been disclosed, Mrs. Luebbers stated that it was very successful, and that elements of the amphitheater will be named after large donors.
The prospect of having an amphitheater on Country Day’s campus is especially exciting because it can be used in so many different ways. Mrs. Luebbers hopes that the amphitheater will be used for tailgating, outdoor classes, performances like Lindahlapalooza, open mics, socializing, and graduation. She strongly believes that it “can become the center of this campus.”
Upper School Drama Director Mark Femia shares Mrs. Luebbers’s enthusiasm, and explained to those present at the fundraiser that the theater is a performer’s “playground.” For him, “the notion and the possibility of expanding this playground out to the amphitheater is kind of mind-boggling.” Country Day already has a “fantastic venue and arts program,” and the amphitheater will provide another way to celebrate the arts and create a new environment for performance on campus.
At this time, the planning for the amphitheater is still in progress. Different parts of the project are being locked into place through the fundraising process. A landscape architect has been hired, and the school has expressed its wishes to create a traditional amphitheater with “a little modern flair,” Mrs. Luebbers explained. There is no clearly set timeline for construction, as it will start with that of the pool. The earth that is dug up in that construction will be used to make the hill that will serve as the foundation for the amphitheater. Mrs. Luebbers also wants to make it clear that the North Lawn will remain intact for Frisbee and kickball games.
When Dr. Macrae wondered how he could “take a school that had so much” and add “facilities to change children’s lives,” he helped begin a process that will create a new venue for the community, and especially for the arts. He will be leaving the campsite better than we found it, and the dozens of community members past and present who have contacted him, Mrs. Luebbers, and Mr. Femia overflowing with enthusiasm and wanting to be involved in any way possible are clear proof of that.
