Featured: Hawaii Preparatory AcademyAlumni Review #4, Class of 2002
About the Author:
College Enrolled
Hamilton College
Home Town, State (Country)
-, Canada
Years Attended Boarding School
2
Activities During Boarding School
Women’s Varsity Ice Hockey, Secretary of International Club, member of the Diversity Task Force
1.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school?
Winning the New England Championship for Ice Hockey was a wonderful experience. Also to graduate from Deerfield Academy was absolutely the best feeling ever, to accomplish something like that was not something that I had expected to do living in Canada.
2.) What might you have done differently during your boarding school experience?
I probably would have tried to branch out of my dorm a little more so I could have met more people; the first couple months were very difficult. To take a little study break before you begin is a good choice.
3.) What would you never want to change about your school?
The spirit and the feel when you step on campus. It is a safe place and I truly feel as though I am at home when I am on campus. Also the sit-down meals are very fun and give the school a more formal feel which I enjoy.
4.) What things could be improved about your school?
Better activities on the weekend and a student center would have been a great asset to the campus.
5.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students to your school?
The Greer Store is definitely a place to get acquainted with as it is the place where the majority of the “social scene” takes place.
I would encourage students to go see all the speakers because they are very intelligent people and they usually are pretty insightful.
Take a trip to the rock, the view is incredible.
Meet Dottie, Norm and Ron in the athletic storerooms, and Christine Huntley in the trainers. They are awesome people and they take really good care of you.
Go to sports events and encourage your classmates. School spirit is a huge asset to campus life.
Don’t spend your first few weekends going home, these are the weekends that make your Deerfield Career more fun. You need to spend these weekends meeting people and coming out of your shell.
French Toast for breakfast in the Greer is the best!!!!
7.) How was your experience as an international student?
As a Canadian student my only real concern was financial and Deerfield was great at meeting my family’s needs. Other than that people will make fun of Canadians a lot but it’s all in good fun, they really do love us!
1.) What did you like best about your school’s academics?
I liked the intimate relations that were developed between teachers and students. They treated us like real people and were always around to help you out. They don’t let any students fall through the cracks. Also the small class sizes were a great asset.
2.) What did you like least about the academics in your school?
There was a lot of work that was given and sometimes students would be up until 2am or all night long doing work.
1.) What did you like best about your school’s athletics?
I liked the Division 1 league that we played in. The school took pride in their athletics and supported all the teams.
2.) What did you like least about the athletics in your school?
The limited number of games were a deterrent, and also the fact that the hockey rink is one of the older rinks in the league.
1.) What did you like best about your school’s art program?
The performances that were put on at Deerfield were shows not to be missed; the talent that I found at Deerfield was unprecedented in high schools that I had attended. The pottery facilities at Deerfield are something that I took advantage of-- it is an excellent program.
2.) What did you like least about your school’s art program?
The lack of time that I was able to devote to the arts due to athletics and other work assigned.
1.) What did you like most about the extracurricular activities offered at your school?
There was a great range of activities that you could take part in, there wasn’t only sports. Also the clubs that you could be a member of were a great way to take a break from work and meet people with the same interests.
2.) What did you like least about the extracurricular activities offered at your school?
Again, the time that was allotted to these activities had to be limited because of the amount of time that needed to be devoted to work. There was only enough time to be seriously devoted to one or two clubs.
1.) What was the best thing about dorm life in your school?
Having the ability to live with your closest friends and develop stronger relationships with all of them was something that I loved about living in a dorm. The dorms at Deerfield are beautiful and are kept up by the Physical Plant. Most of the rooms are singles and that I think is great because to have your own space to go back to in such a busy, hectic lifestyle is such a nice thought. Each student is provided with internet connection and a phone number, this is a great convenience.
2.) What did you like least about dorm life?
The curfews were not a great thing but it did help get work done and allowed you to develop closer friendships with your dorm mates because you were forced to spent time with them. Another problem was the parietal rules that were difficult to accept. There was not enough time to hang out with friends of the opposite sex.
1.) What was the best thing about your dining arrangements?
The food was excellent at Deerfield and the sit-down meals were another great way to meet people. The dining hall itself is beautiful and a great location to eat. It can go from a very formal area to a casual walk-through environment.
2.) What did you like least about your dining arrangements?
The hours were not always convenient.
1.) How welcome did you feel by the other students when you first arrived at the school
Everyone was very nice at the beginning of school and made us feel very welcome. It was hard as a new junior to become acquainted with members of my class as strong friendships had already been established. Over time I was able to meet almost everyone in the school and came out with a large number of people I can never forget.
2.) Describe the level of diversity and integration of students in your school:
Diversity was pretty good at Deerfield, and students were open to it as evident in the very well-supported Diversity Clubs. Headed by the Diversity Task Force the clubs worked together to teach people about different ethnic groups.
3.) Describe typical fun activities you did on a weekend:
The weekends were usually filled with events planned by the Student Activities Committee, however, these activities were usually not very well attended. Students hung out at the Greer Store or went into town to watch movies.
4.) What was the town like?
The town around Deerfield is very limited but there were cabs that could take the student into town. There was shopping, food and movies. Just enough to get by but not take away from wanting to be at campus and spend time there.
Weekday
| 6:00 AM | Wake up and Breakfast |
| 7:45 AM | Class |
| 11:45 AM | Sit-down Lunch |
| 12:30 AM | Class |
| 3:00 PM | Sports/ Co-curricular |
| 6:15 PM | Sit-down Dinner |
| 7:00 PM | International Club Meeting |
| 8:00 PM | Homework |
| 11:00 PM | Bedtime |
Weekend
| 10:00 AM | Church |
| 11:00 AM | Brunch |
| 12:00 AM | Socialize and Work |
| 6:00 PM | Sit-down Dinner |
| 7:00 PM | Socialize and Work |
| 10:00 PM | Feed with Hall and Dorm Resident |
| 10:30 PM | Socialize |
| 11:00 PM | Bedtime |
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