Settling In
By Christian Bahr
Assistant Dorm Director
September 24, 2008
Henry David Thoreau wrote that “Time is but the stream I go a-fishing in,” which may lead one to ask, “What did you catch?” With nearly a month behind us in the Bolles dormitory our large dorm family of 60 teenage boys have each been making the most of time in their own particular way. And each time they cast another line in the stream they seem to be better equipped to bring a bigger catch to shore.
The school year started off in tumultuous fashion for all of us here with the onslaught of Tropical Storm Fay’s ceaseless rains and winds. Power outages delayed internet accessibility. Rain caused small problems with small patches of ceiling in Bolles Hall. They were slight inconveniences, a very real part of living in Florida during the peak of hurricane season. Luckily our area escaped the worst of it and everything in the dorm was quickly “business as usual”.
Ever since then the dorm has been a hive of activity. During the day your sons occasionally scurry through the halls after school books or to play the occasional game of ping pong during activities and lunch. After school they are off to play hockey or football, to swim, train for crew, or undergo conditioning for soccer. For some it has taken time to get used to their demanding schedules while many have stepped right in without missing a beat.
Our very large and very diverse dorm family recently went on a paintball expedition. They’ll soon be heading down to Busch Gardens in October for a Halloween outing. Already they have visited the beach on weekends with some even daring to surf. They have hit the movies, gone to the mall (we’re sure you’ve seen the bills!), spent the night with their friends, and basically done everything teenage boys are supposed to be doing.
Our student-athletes are winning hockey games, swim meets, and football games all while meeting their obligations in the classroom. Those who are new to the dorm have hit their stride and all of the boarders are settling into the routine of living in a home away from home.