differences. By 1978 Durham Academy had grown to 795 students in grades K–12. From the late 1970s to early 1980s the school developed an honor code, a Cum Laude Society, a faculty summer grants program and established an excellence in teaching award named after then-headmaster F. Robertson Hershey. In 1983, Durham Academy celebrated its 50th anniversary with ceremonies led by founder George Watts Hill. In 1986, the school added to the Academy Road campus with a new library/arts/science building. That same year, Durham Academy began hosting the Durham County Special Olympics, which includes an estimated 400 athletes from all Durham County Public Schools. The late 1980s and early 1990s saw major Middle School and Upper School expansions, the development of Upper School experiential education programming and growth in the number of Durham Academy athletic teams to twice their size. In August 2002, Durham Academy's Preschool and Lower School moved to 17 acres on the Ridge Road campus. The building opened has been recognized by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design for its style. In 2004, the school was ranked first in the Southeast by the New York Times and 30th in the nation by Forbes. The Upper School Learning Commons opened in February 2012. The 7,000-square foot building includes a library, college counseling, a student store, a faculty work room, and a computer lab with 20 iMac stations. The building also houses classroom and office space. The Upper School Kirby Gym opened in January 2013. The renovation and expansion resulted in seating for 900 spectators, a fitness center, locker rooms and trainer facility. Durham Academy received widespread press on February 12, 2014, after school administrators used rap music in a video announcing that the school would be closed due to snow. In 2015, Durham Academy's auditioned a cappella group, XIV Hours, released a video entitled "Lost in the Game" that discussed the sexual nature of many popular song lyrics. The video quickly became popular and was covered in several major news sites, including MTV and the Huffington Post. The music video was also nominated for Best High School Video in the 2016 CASA A Capella Video awards. Academics Students at Durham Academy have won national titles in chess and debate, and a member of the Class of 2007 was awarded second place in the Intel Science Talent Search. Over the past four years, Durham Academy has had 49