As we enter this coming school year, it’s easy for anxiety to bring back memories of work imposed all-nighters, early Saturday mornings, and painful exams. However, let me suggest that instead your attention is turned to the many fun events planned for this fall. Groton’s Student Activities Committee, otherwise known as the SAC, has been hard at work all summer planning events and outings to brighten student’s moods. In addition to the traditional fall staples such as the preseason ice cream social, s’mores on the Webb patio, dances, Fall Jam, and Movie on the Circle, the SAC has scheduled new activities to shake things up.

One such activity replaced last year’s Dorm Olympics, a school wide competition on the Sunday of opening weekend. The new event differed in terms of structure and intensity; in fact, it was more of a school-sponsored social hour. As such, there was no dorm to dorm competition for points. The SAC instead set up lawn games including spikeball, cornhole, volleyball, and sidewalk chalk. Overall, this new kick-off event seemed to be more comparable to the spring CircleFest than its predecessor, the Dorm Olympics. SAC member Ambrey Hayes ’20 described the event as “a less stressful way for dorms to bond.”

Coming up as well is the notorious Awkward Dance. Except… Not awkward dance, again? The administration has elected to nix the traditional theme in favor of an event called Dorm Storm. This decision resulted from the connotations and expectations associated with the original dance, which were thought to make some students uncomfortable. The “Welcome Back Dance” theme of last year was met with a lukewarm response from students. Dorm Storm will be a voluntary costume competition between dorms, maintaining the dorm bonding component, without the awkwardness.

Aside from Not-So-Awkward Dance and the Dorm Olympics substitute, word on the Circle is that Mr. Leroy has been in contact with Lawrence Academy in an effort to plan a joint dance between Groton and LA, possibly the first of many.

SAC heads Julien Alam and Eliza Lord ’19 have made it their goal to fill every weekend with many activity options, hoping that every student can find something that appeals to them. Be on the lookout for Leroy’s weekend activity emails for more specifics.