Advanced 3D Design (AD3DD) students have been learning about Fay’s history and designing a monument or memorial to honor an important moment, individual, or group in Fay School’s 155-year history. 

To give students some historical background, Director of Marketing & Communications Erin Sullivan and Director of Equity and Inclusion Jill Anthony visited the AD3DD classes. Erin shared a presentation entitled “15 Decades of Fay History in a Little More than 15 Minutes” that started with Fay’s founding and early years under the leadership of sisters Eliza Burnett Fay and Harriet Burnett. Jill and Erin highlighted some critical transition points in Fay’s history, such as the decision to go fully coed in 1977. They discussed the key people and events that shaped the school and the different types of memorials or monuments that already exist on campus. 

Students created mood boards with images of various monuments and memorials to inspire their design. They then decided on a world event that connects to Fay or a Fay-specific piece of history that they believe deserves to be remembered on campus. Design Teacher Andrew Shirley asked his students to consider how people might interact with their monument, the location, why this event or person is worthy of a memorial, and whether the materials are essential to the design. Each student came up with three designs for a monument and a location on campus. However, any monument at Fay needs to resonate with students of all ages, so they visited Kindergarten classes to get feedback on their work. They shared their ideas, which included a monument to all the international students who have attended Fay, the first class of girls that took Fay coed, Fay students who lost their lives in WWI and WWII, and a COVID-19 memorial honoring the students who attended Fay during the pandemic. Kindergarteners are tough critics, and they were quick to share the ideas, colors, and designs that they like best and why.  

The AD3DD students took the feedback and narrowed their ideas down to a single design to prototype. Students used Adobe Illustrator to transfer their designs to the laser cutter, and this week students finished assembly. Their work reflects Fay History in its broadest sense. Steven Q. ’22 designed a biplane to commemorate Victor E. Chapman ’03, the first American flyer killed in World War I. Kaibo W. ’22 created a White and Red Mirror, focusing on the Fay red and white color competition. The colors are separated along a diagonal, and two corners of the mirror are curved to represent the unity of the community. The other two are sharp to represent competition and rivalry. Emily L. ’22 chose to memorialize the importance of the schoolroom experience in Old Main, a building that was torn down in 1986. Emily designed a new schoolroom in the heart of Fay’s campus that would function as a library and study space for all with a glass ceiling and large windows for sunlight. Yuto H. focused on the experience of Fay’s first three black students who graduated in 1972. He decided to commemorate this moment by designing a moose statue with a student riding on its back to represent these pioneering Fay graduates. “It represents Fay moving into the future,” Yuto adds.