|
Alumni
Review #1, Class of 2002 |
|
|
| College
Enrolled |
|
Bates College |
| Home
Town, State (Country) |
|
Bedford,NY |
| Years
Attended Boarding School |
|
3 |
| Activities
During Boarding School |
|
I was a member of the Varsity Field Hockey, Squash, and Lacrosse teams. I worked on yearbook and was the editor my senior year. I was also a member of the John Hay Society as well as S.O.N. (Student Organization for the Needy). |
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1.) What do you think makes your school unique relative
to other boarding schools?
|
| |
| The faculty at Westminster was amazing. The attention I got from my teachers and coaches motivated me like no other. At first it was tough going to such a small school like Westminster (about 350) but once I realized how to take advantage of living in such a tight-nit community, my academic interests and extracurricular activities grew immensely. Secondly, sports were pretty big. I never considered sports a big part of my life until I attended Westminster. However, after making Varsity field hockey my sophomore year, I discovered an entirely new passion. |
| |
| 2.) What was the best thing that happened to you in boarding school? |
| |
| The biggest thing I got from Westminster was the school taught me how to be independent. I learned that it was ok to sit alone at lunch or dinner. When I first got to Westminster, it was a huge ordeal to figure out who I was going to sit with at meals. Also when I left the school, I feel like my teachers and friends encouraged me to go on and succeed, but I still always had a place at Westminster to come back to. It is a nice feeling. |
| |
| 3.) What would you have done differently during your boarding school experience? |
| |
| I wish I had been a bit more outgoing, and not quite as intimidated as I was in the beginning. I was definitely shy and it took me a good year or so to realize that I was in the same position and I was no different than anyone else. I also felt like the application process for boarding schools was a huge pain. I applied to five schools total, and every application was so individual, it was a lot of work to complete every one. |
| |
| 4.) What would you never want to change about your school? |
| |
| The traditions at Westminster were great. Hill Holidays were awesome. Assembly meetings twice a week were always so much fun. I loved bonfire in the fall, and the lawn ceremony in the spring is something I will never forget. |
| |
| 5.) What things could be improved about your school? |
| |
| I think the academic building could be spruced up a bit, especially the library. It was a bit dreary looking. |
| |
| 6.) Do you have any final words of wisdom for visiting or incoming students
to your school? |
| |
| My experience at Westminster was unforgettable, and I owe it mainly to the faculty. For boys, the big dorm to check out is "Memorial", and for girls it would have to be "Edge." Also, be sure to see the new squash facility and swimming area. For the past several years, Westminster seems to be building newer and better facilities, so it is definitely amazing to see how far this school has come along in such a quick time. |
| |
| |
| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s academics? |
| |
| I loved the small classes and dedicated teachers. I also felt like the school's daily academic calendar was very good. You normally took five classes each year. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday there were 7 blocks of class time a day so you always had 2 or 3 blocks off each day. On Wednesday's and Saturdays, there were four blocks a day. |
| |
| 2.)
What did you like least about the academics in your school? |
| |
| Since classes were usually 40 minutes long, it wasn't ever enough time to do a project outside of class. It is always nice to do hands on activities and I would have enjoyed it more if I had been able to participate in that. |
| |
| |
| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s athletics? |
| |
| I loved my coaches and teammates. I also felt like there was a lot of healthy competition at Westminster. Practices were always great, and I always left the field satisfied. |
| |
| 2.)
What did you like least about the athletics in your school? |
| |
| I always had a great time representing Westminster on the athletic field. My only criticism is I felt some of the coaches of 3rd teams were not skilled enough to introduce students to a new sport. Some coaches had never even played the sport themselves. It sometimes created bad habits early on in a students athletic career. |
| |
| |
| 1.)
What did you like best about your school’s art program? |
| |
| I was very involved in the studio art program at Bates. I thought it was great but it was definitely small. In my AP Studio Art class, there were only 4 of us. However, I always loved going to the plays put on every trimester by other students. |
| |
| 2.)
What did you like least about your school’s art program? |
| |
| It could have been more developed. |
| |
| |
| 1.)
What did you like most about the extracurricular activities offered
at your school? |
| |
| There was a lot to choose from. I felt like I was able to get involved in mnay different activites on campus. |
| |
| 2.)
What did you like least about the extracurricular activities offered
at your school? |
| |
| Some clubs didn't do much as a club; they were merely another picture in the yearbook. It would have been better if maybe those clubs could have been enforced a little more by faculty and made more organized. |
| |
| |
| 1.)
What was the best thing about dorm life in your school? |
| |
| I loved it. Such a great time to be a kid and hang out with your best friends. The dorms at Westminster are brand new too, so the bathroom facilities and rooms are so nice. |
| |
| 2.)
What did you like least about dorm life? |
| |
| Sometimes it got a little loud around the 9:00 - 10:00pm time slot. It was frusterating when you had a big paper or test due the next day. |
| |
| |
| 1.)
What was the best thing about your dining arrangements? |
| |
| Our cafeteria was cute and comfortable. It was always a nice place to get together with friends or teachers and talk. |
| |
| 2.)
What did you like least about your dining arrangements? |
| |
| There weren't many food options. You were forced to be creative with meals. |
| |
| |
| 1.) How welcome did you feel by the other students when you first
arrived at the school? |
| |
| My first year, I had a really hard time adjusting. I happened to live near some not-so-nice girls who didn't make me feel very welcome. It was a tough transition. However, by my second year I was having a blast and made some great friends. |
| |
| 2.)
Describe the level of diversity and integration of students in your
school: |
| |
| There isn't much diversity at Westminster. It is frustrating because there was definitely segregation amongst races at meals. One of my friends was of a different ethnic background, and when I sat with her at lunch, I was definitely the only "white girl" at the table even though Westminster is primarily Caucasian. |
| |
| 3.)
Describe typical fun activities you did on a weekend: |
| |
| Went to the movies, & out to dinner mostly. Trips to the mall with friends were also fun. I went to Boston once to see a Red Sox game. Weekend life at Westminster usually happened off campus since a third of the students are day students. |
| |
| 4.)
What was the town like? |
| |
| Simsbury is a great boarding school town. There was plenty to do walking distance from school, and even more great areas a short drive away. Brookside Bagels was extremely popular amongst Westminster kids and they delivered which was even better! |
| |
| |
| |
| 7:00 AM | wake up and shower | | 7:45 AM | breakfast | | 8:00 AM | class | | 12:00 AM | lunch | | 1:00 PM | class | | 4:00 PM | sports practice | | 5:45 PM | dinner | | 7:30 PM | study hall | | 9:15 PM | free time | | 10:00 PM | back in dorms | | 10:30 PM | back in rooms | | 11:00 PM | lights out or be very quiet. | |
| |
| |
| 10:00 AM | wake up | | 11:00 AM | breakfast | | 11:30 AM | chapel | | 12:30 AM | go to mall | | 6:00 PM | dinner in Simsbury with friends | | 7:30 PM | Study Hall | | 9:15 PM | free time | | 10:00 PM | back in rooms | |
| |
|
|
Featured: Webb School 
