Boar Pen poses for a photo showing off their jerseys.
The start of the school year’s athletic competitions has been thrilling, and the new Boar Pen is ready to unify our campus teams. The Boar Pen is a group of seniors carefully selected by the previous year’s members based on their outgoing personality and commitment to school spirit. This year’s members are Andrew Goddard ’23, Ava Parker ’23, David Hallal ’23, Rachel Miller ’23, Sachi Mehra ’23, and Enzo DeFranco ’23.
Boar Pen now has six members rather than its usual four in hopes that school spirit will be a focal point of our community in a post-pandemic era. The Boar Pen’s goal on campus is to unite the Choate community across different grades and sports teams. They support student organizations on campus, organize themed sports events, announce games on their Instagram account, and create the energy on campus that makes Choate’s school spirit unique.
These members hope to bring back the energy and connection within the community that was lost when Covid-19 restrictions were implemented. Hallal said, “School spirit has definitely taken a hit over the past few years thanks to Covid-19, so I hope I can help revamp some of the energy that drew me to Choate in the first place.” Goddard added, “There are a lot of new students this year, and I want to make sure everyone feels involved.”
Boar Pen encourages the community to show up for one another. Miller claims that it is essential for students to “treat Choate as a family, and to show up for that family when it matters. I want us to help everyone succeed, even if we don’t know them personally.” Similarly, Mehra’s goal is to “support a variety of groups on campus” to ensure that every group gets the recognition and support it deserves. DeFranco said he wants supporters at any game, “whether it’s a varsity soccer game or a thirds volleyball game.” He noted that Boar Pen is trying to have a SAGE grill before each game to increase participation.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Choate-Deerfield rivalry, and Boar Pen is looking forward to hosting this special Deerfield Day at Choate. This year marks a centennial celebration; Parker wants to “make it the best Deerfield Day yet.” Deerfield Day always brings a strong sense of unity among the Choate students and intensifies athletes’s grit during the games. Miller hopes that the Choate spirit will make Deerfield students “cry all the way back to Massachusetts.”
As the athletic schedule fills up, a new school year is in Boar Pen’s hands. It is clear Boar Pen is passionate and excited about Choate. They hope the rest of the Choate community will share in their enthusiasm as they work towards maintaining the togetherness and energy that makes the community unique.
