Seniors sled down the hill together while linking arms.
By Ellie Porter ’25
Racing down the freshly-powdered hill is synonymous with a particular Choate tradition: senior sledding. On January 7, at around 8 p.m., sixth-formers rushed to the hills of Gunpowder Creek.
There are only two conditions for senior sledding: there must be greater than four inches of snowfall, and the event must take place during study hours. Director of Student Activities Ms. Alexandra Long said she knew Sunday was the day: “We looked at the weather and then looked at the hill and thought it was perfect.”
For many of the 100 seniors in attendance, senior sledding was an opportunity to bond with the entire grade and spend time together after returning from winter break. Christian Madon ’24 said, “The highlight for me was reconnecting with friends I hadn’t seen in a while, and I also got to make some new friends with people I hadn’t necessarily met yet.”
Ivie Ojior ’24’s favorite moment from the activity was when she and her friends “all linked up like a train and went down the hill.”
Sixth-form Deans Ms. Amy Howland and Dr. Yaser Robles supervised the event with help from the Student Activities Center (SAC). “You look to the top of the hill and see all these masses of students as they are sledding down, screaming and laughing,” Ms. Howland said.
Senior sledding provided the senior class with the opportunity to take a break and have fun: “It served as a great way to destress from school and college applications,” Madon said.
Ms. Howland also hoped that an activity as simple as sledding will help bring back nostalgic memories, which seniors experienced.
Claire Liu ’24 said, “I had a great experience senior sledding, and I thought it was really fun to spend time with our entire grade and enjoy an activity that reminds me of my childhood.”
While senior sledding is a senior-only tradition and rite of passage, sledding during the winter season is open to all. Ms. Howland hopes that students will head to the SAC with their IDs the next time it snows enough, check out a sled, and make some memories.
