Boarding Student Bonding

By: Stephanie Andrade '16

It has been over a year since I stepped foot into what would be my second home for my first two years of high school. At first I didn’t believe it - I didn’t think I would get used to living far away from home, especially because my home was five hours away in Newark, New Jersey.  To my surprise I got over my homesickness really quickly with the help of all the kind and supportive girls who lived with me in Harrington Hall. Even though I didn’t know them that well right away, they went out of their way to welcome me and always asked how I was doing.  Especially the RA’s – upperclassmen students who have leadership roles in our dorms - were like my big sisters. On my first night in the dorm we had a tour of the campus and the main places we would need to know for the first day of class.  During the tour, a girl walked up to me and introduced herself.  She was also a freshman and she seemed jolly, smiling as she told me about herself; we ended up becoming very good friends and she introduced me to her other friend who was also a freshman. Friendships really do start with a “Hello” in our dorm.  The bond the Harrington Hall girls had only became stronger as the school year progressed.

Four months ago I was once again stepping foot in Harrington Hall, my dorm. It was easier to settle in now since I knew my way around and I also knew some of the girls who were living in the dorm. However, there were many new faces that seemed excited, but also nervous, probably because they wouldn’t see their family for a while - I was familiar with that feeling. I knew what it was like to be in their position and now it was my turn to welcome them. My friend and I walked around the dorm that night knocking on girls’ doors introducing ourselves and welcoming them. I have gotten to know many of the new girls and it’s fun living with them - it’s like having a sleepover with your friends every day. 

Apart from the bonding the girls have in Harrington Hall we also have amazing dorm parents! This year we have four new dorm parents who can be strict sometimes but that’s only because they are looking after us and want us to be safe. They are also funny and entertaining! They are some of the kindest people I’ve ever met; for instance, on Halloween morning one of the dorm parents, Ms. Cotton, left us bags of candy in front of our doors. We also had a dorm Halloween party, which was a lot of fun! There are lots of activities we do as a dorm throughout the year such as holiday parties, dorm bonding, baking contests, etc. Harrington Hall has truly become my second home.