On February 12, Choate concluded the ground breaking ceremony for the two student dormitories to be built on the “Quantrell Meadows” on North Elm Street. Attended by the Mayor of Wallingford and receiving local news coverage, the proceedings marked the launch of a long-anticipated physical revitalization of our campus—and a move away from the community-oriented housing that has for so long been a part of Choate Rosemary Hall.
The construction of these two new dormitories—each of which will house forty students and will rank among the largest on campus—is only one of many changes in store. Four other large dorms are also in the works. Once the housing additions are complete, smaller house dormitories that have been designated as “substandard” by the Choate Rosemary Hall Campus Master Plan will likely be converted into faculty living—if not demolished entirely.
With the transition from small, close-knit dorms to housing plans that are more reminiscent of colleges, Choate’s social scenery will also experience an overhaul. While the addition of brand-new dorms—as well as other facilities such as the new track—will certainly freshen up Choate’s promotional brochures, it will also herald the loss of a less-visible but exceedingly vital part of our school: our sense of community.
There is no question that smaller dorms are more conducive to student bonding than are the larger housing arrangements. Over my time at Choate, I have observed that the advisers of smaller dormitories are better able to connect, interact with, and get to know their advisees. Simply put, the fewer students a faculty member is responsible for, the more time each student will get to spend with that adult. Furthermore, a smaller house makes student-student interaction almost unavoidable. It’s exceptionally difficult to ignore or avoid others when you share a 10-person house with them; whether they like it or not, by the end of the year, students co-habiting the small dorms will know each other very well. Small-scale housing also affords more opportunities for dorm-bonding activities. Has Hill House or Bungalow had more dorm-wide food runs this year? I would be very surprised if (Hill House adviser) Mr. Gadoua’s “Mighty [Chevy] Malibu” of physics problem fame could even hold enough food for that many boys.
Then why did the creators of the Master Plan decide on larger dorms for the future? Money. It is simply less expensive to construct and operate one forty-student dorm than it is to run four ten-student dorms. Instead of four heating systems, we would only have to pay for one.
Though this might put Choate on better footing to win future Green Cup competitions, it is not representative of the spirit of the school. (One might also note that, if Choate were fully committed to reducing energy consumption, all of our campus facilities would be consolidated into a single warehouse. Dining hall, classrooms, dorms, athletic facilities, and locker-rooms would all comprise a huge, Taft-like monolith).
This is not the Choate experience, and neither is living as one among thirty-nine other forgotten students in a dorm. Choate is a distinguished academic institution that prides itself on its unique sense of community. Indeed, the tripartite promotional slogan “Tradition of Excellence, Spirit of Innovation, Culture of Caring” is truly representative of the essence of our school. The Master Plan pits our “Spirit of Innovation” directly against our “Culture of Caring” about our classmates. If the Master Plan’s goal of “reinforce[ing] the unique traditions of Choate Rosemary Hall and the student experience” is to be fully realized, careful consideration must be given to reconciling the ever-present need for development with the campus culture that is too precious to lose.
