Chess tables honor former history teacher
Juniors Asha Patel and Kiran Chinniah play a game of chess at the new tables in the courtyard between Gordon Parks Arts Hall and the high school building. The chess tables were donated by a group of Laboratory Schools alumni in honor of Chris Janus, former high school history teacher.
December 6, 2021
Two outdoor chess tables have been installed in the courtyard between Gordon Parks Arts Hall and the high school building in honor of Chris Janus, former high school history teacher and chess club adviser who retired in June. A group of Laboratory Schools alumni donated the tables.
The nine alumni, who connected with Mr. Janus through the Chess Club during their time at Lab, surprised Mr. Janus with the table alongside members of Mr. Janus’s family.
“One nice thing about doing something other than in the classroom: you do an activity where you really get to know the students well, so this was sort of my activity,” Mr. Janus said. “And the students in the club, I really liked and got to know better than I would if they were simply in my class.”
According to Heather Tamburo, assistant director of alumni relations and annual giving, Class of 1996 alumnus Benjamin Hron had been planning the event since last spring, in anticipation of Mr. Janus’s retirement after 33 years of teaching at U-High.
While there is no longer a chess club, the tables will carry on Mr. Janus’ legacy.
“They’re beautiful tables. Whether that will inspire the emergence of another club? I don’t know. I guess I’m just happy that they were created,” Mr. Janus said.
Students can pick up special weighted chess pieces from the Learning and Counseling Office to use with the tables.
Ben Hron • Dec 6, 2021 at 11:12 pm
This gift would not have been possible without the generous support of my fellow Lab and Chess Club alums. It really was a team effort. I won’t call them out lest they prefer to remain anonymous, but I believe I speak for all the donors when I say that being part of the Chess Club was one of the best things I did at Lab. Through chess, I learned important life lessons, gained confidence in myself, and made life long friends.
None of that would have happened without Chris Janus, who spent countless hours during school days, after school and on weekends being a coach, mentor and friend to me and many others. We have donated these two tables in his honor in the hope that they will encourage current and future Labbies to pick up the game and give them a chance to realize some of the same benefits I was afforded by a wonderful teacher some 25 years ago.
Judy Keane • Dec 7, 2021 at 12:03 pm
Wonderful tribute, Ben!