By Peyton Fisher ’27 News Editor

Music in the front hallway of the school? Red lockers instead of beige ones? Carpeted hallways radiating red and gray? Bright red chairs in the library and Kaltenbacher Hall? Newark Academy’s Upper School is beginning to resemble the Middle School. As the new Head of School, Mr. Tom Ashburn settles into his role, bringing notable attributes from the Wilf Middle School, where he served as Principal for the past 17 years, along with him. 

Known for its vibrant color and cheerful music, the Middle School reminds people that although it prioritizes education, skills, and knowledge, it also values the happiness and joy of its students. As described by Allied USA, a company that designs and manufactures school furniture, color in schools can be thought of as a “powerful tool that can enhance learning, improve focus, and create a positive emotional climate.” This is supported by the concept of color psychology, which examines how hues can influence human mood and behavior. The bright colors also add a sense of school pride around the school. It makes students more connected to the community and heightens school spirit from past years. Amara Emehelu, a junior, emphasizes how the red in the school brings out “pride” in the school and makes her “feel ready for the day in the morning.”

Music is also known to have a positive effect on emotions. The National Association for Music Education, an organization for American music educators, details how listening to happy music can stimulate the release of neurotransmitters that can help regulate mood and invoke feelings such as joy and relaxation. As the school year started, not only was the new splash of color the first thing someone noticed, but so was the upbeat music in the lobby. Alyssa Bell ’27 reflects on how music, especially in front of school, “truly makes me happy and smile throughout the day. I sometimes have a hard test, and then the unexpected music turns on, and I can’t help but smile.”

Mr. Ashburn noted that when helping to design the Middle School, he read about the benefits of starting the day with music and how studies have shown that music “can elevate mood, reduce stress, and even help with focus and connection — all things that make for a better start to learning.” In bringing some of these attributes to the Upper School, Mr. Ashburn cultivates an environment that makes NA students feel more “at ease, more attentive, and more connected to their community,” he says. 

Color, carpeting, comfortable spaces, and music are all small things, but they have a big impact on NA’s community. These were all major parts of discussions when designing the Middle School, as Mr. Ashburn says, and have now been integrated throughout the majority of the entire school. Whether someone is stressed about their math test or an English presentation, they can find some sense of relief in the bright colors and through the uplifting lyrics of a classic song.