Changes in dorm assignments for each grade have been made due to health and safety regulations regarding COVID-19. As 9th grade dorm rooms, otherwise infamous for being doubles, became converted into singles, the need for more rooms turned into a major project. The Student Life Office and Physical Plant worked all summer long to make these adjustments. As well as converting the modular housing units (MODS) into an upperclassmen boys dorm, common rooms in dorms such as Harold Smith (HS), John Williams, John Louis (JL), Pocumtuck (Poc), and DeNunzio were all remodeled into personal rooms for students.
Many of the students who received these makeshift rooms enjoy special perks not seen in a typical dorm room. Kate Stenger ’22 lives in the Poc 2 common room where she gets to enjoy a corner room three times the size of a regular Deerfield “closet” room with multiple windows looking out onto Old Main Street, a wall of built-in shelves, and her very own bathroom. No need for sharing a sink with twelve other kids.
JL 2 North proctor, Whitney Spater ’21, lives in one of the JL common rooms. These rooms feature large windows, hard wood floors, and tall ceilings without any sprinkler pipes to ruin the vibe. Spater has so much space, one could never figure out what to do with it all! That’s a problem no Deerfield student thought they would ever face…
In HS, Kaitlyn Kelly ’22 and Jackson Kinsler ’22 split the old common room with two-story high ceilings, exposed wood beams, and chandeliers on each side (that’s a whole lot better than those typical fluorescent lights!). Kinsler has two french doors on her half and enough room to run laps—no need for the outdoor track! Kelly has built in shelves and a large closet space that used to be the kitchenette. Is there anything such as too much storage space? Probably not with the amount of clothes kids bring to school these days. New England weather is so unpredictable though!
Harry Niles ’21 lives in the second floor common room of Denunzio. Two large windows allow for plenty of natural light. With the amount of space he has, Harry can do cartwheels for days. He has made use of the space by adding a stylish rug. Wait….is it grass? This room sure makes it look like clutter is not in his vocabulary.
An experience unique to the year and unique to only a few on campus, those who live in common rooms have taken full advantage of their spaces. Before returning to campus, students feared they would get a “dreaded” makeshift room, but those who did, now have many doing a double take.