Long Weekend Provides Students with Opportunities to have Fun on Campus
By Caitlin Lomazzo ’11
News Reporter
Every trimester, the students and faculty members at Choate Rosemary Hall anticipate this special occasion. Everyone on campus seems to know, weeks in advance, how much time is left before it arrives. It is an extended or “Long” weekend—yes, three entire days on which no classes are scheduled and no rehearsals or practices occur. This year it spanned April 25th-27th.
Most students used these three days of freedom to escape the frenetic pace. Some students, however, either live in foreign countries or in distant states and had to remain on campus during this time. Overall, these students seemed very pleased with the calm environment that the newly quiet campus offered. Sabrina Shin ’10, who could not travel back to her home in Korea during the mini-vacation said, “It is quiet, but relaxing, great timing for AP exams.”
The administration does not force students who do not go home during long weekend to remain on campus throughout the entire 72-hour time period. There were several opportunities for them to depart from Wallingford, Connecticut and explore other parts of New England. Jim Yanelli and Chris Bielizna worked hard to set aside times at which shuttles could pick up eager students and transport them to malls, supermarkets, and various shops in New Haven and New York.
For students staying on campus, the weekend kicked off with a required meeting in the SAC, followed by an evening movie shuttle and pizza party Thursday night. On Friday, there was an afternoon New Haven Excursion and evening Asian Snacks. Then Saturday’s afternoon trip took students to the Westfield Connecticut Post Mall, followed by “Love that Chicken from Popeye’s” Night. On Sunday the SAC hosted a day-long New York City trip, which gave students the opportunity to visit such sites as Time Warner Center, Rockefeller Center, Time Square, and the Empire State Building.
These opportunities are regulated by several faculty and staff members. Each student staying on campus must check in at his or her dorm at 11 p.m. every night. Bill Berghoff, the dean on duty during this break, said that if, between 9 and 10 pm, he could not immediately find a student supposed to be on campus, he began to search for him or her. He spent a great portion of his days walking around campus to be certain that everyone was doing well. Fortunately for Mr. Berghoff, only the large dorms, such as Logan Monroe, Clinton Knight, Memorial Hall, Hill House, the Library, Nichols, Archbold, and McCock remained open during this weekend. Because the smaller dorms were closed, it was easier for people like Mr. Berghoff to keep track of who was supposed to be at Choate.
Chau Hoang ’11, who could not travel home to Vietnam, commented on her way to the Connecticut Post Mall, “The overall atmosphere is very happy….At night, they have snacks at 9 PM. People can go to the SAC, have snacks, and hang out with their friends.”
The faculty members who are on campus during this weekend also have the chance to enjoy themselves and the peaceful atmosphere. According to Ms. Grunwald, an adviser in Nichols, the freshman girls’ dormitory, who was on duty during the long weekend, “It is pretty quiet. I went for a walk today and I did not see many kids at all. In Nichols, there are only fifteen girls out of 48.”
Ms. Sarah Perkin, an adviser in Hall, who was not on duty during this particular long weekend, said that there were only 50 people in the dining hall on Friday morning. She said, “They were mainly staff members, not faculty or students, but staff because it was not a working day. Most of the staff I had never seen before.” On Saturday, Ms. Perkin observed only between fifteen and twenty people in The Dining Hall. In addition to purchasing a new hammock over the weekend, Ms. Perkin travelled to Windsor, Connecticut with her advisee to attend a dinner sponsored by the organization that had funded the student’s trip to the United States
When asked about what he was doing to enjoy the respite on Saturday, Mr. Olmo, who was not on duty in his dorm Clinton Knight, replied that he went to New Haven, bought a Wii, and was planning a trip to Bridgeport. His comments, however, were continuously interrupted by explosions from the screen and several excited Spanish words from his mouth—savoring those precious minutes in front of his new game.
Shelby Tulley ’11, who lives in Memorial House, was enjoying his stay on campus on Saturday night. “The coolest trips are on long weekend,” he said.
