In October, rapper Lil Uzi Vert held a concert at the Wallingford Oakdale Theater. A few freshmen boarders, including Sutherland Brown ’20, Lucas Nelson-Madore ’20, Andrew Price ’20, and Gavin Galiardo’20 scored tickets. As they entered the building, they received a call from the Dean on Duty telling them to immediately return to campus. Two months later in late December, a shooting killed two people at a Meek Mill concert in the same theatre, renewing concerns about student safety at the Oakdale.
Boarders do not need permission to go into Wallingford during the day, as it is considered a part of Choate campus according to the Handbook. The Handbook also states, “In general, underformers are not allowed to leave campus on academic nights to attend concerts, sports events, etc.” The concert was on a Saturday, however, and the students would have returned before curfew.
However, according to third form dean Mr. Gordon Armour, “We have different rules about concerts because people are apt to be in altered states in concerts, and therefore they act a little less logically than they might otherwise.” This is supported by the Handbook, which states, “Students may not go directly from school to a concert, unless driven there by a Choate parent (not a car service, taxi, sibling, or friend) who then assumes responsibility for the student(s).”
Mr. Armour also believes that even if an activity is allowed in the Handbook, faculty members have the autonomy to prevent students from doing certain activities. “We have to trust the adults to understand that the Handbook cannot cover every single situation possible and that certain situations arise.”
Day student Selden Griffen ’20 attended the Lil Uzi Vert concert as planned. Griffen commented, “The Dome at Wallingford is notorious for its bad concerts and the use of drugs and alcohol inside. At the most recent concert there, a performance by Meek Mill, someone also got shot in the parking lot. Since the shooting was after the Lil Uzi Vert concert, I assume the reason that freshman boarding students were not allowed to attend was because of the dangerous people there and the risk of drugs and alcohol.”
He added, “I have never been harmed in any way during any of my visits, nor have I felt the need to partake in any of the illegal activities that may go on there.”
Lucas Nelson-Madore ’20 said, “Our teachers had even asked us what our plans were for the weekend, and we told them we were going to a concert, and they didn’t say anything against it.”
Sutherland Brown ’20 added, “We were very mad about because it was not brought up in any conversation”.
However, Clara Haxhi ’20 said, “The School’s safety policies are pretty fair, though I do think it may have been inappropriate the way the school handled the situation by calling them en route.”
Third form dean Ms. Emily Lovejoy White encourages students to trust the judgement and experience of faculty, “Faculty members can just have a sense sometimes when something doesn’t seem right.”