It’s Cold Outside: Students Adjust to Inclement Weather

By Ashley Jiang, Anna Kim, Jane Park, Safira Schiowitz and Clark Wu

With New Hampshire weather gradually cooling, students have become more reluctant to stay outside while eating and socializing. However, COVID-19 guidelines continue to encourage outdoor meetings when possible due to increased infectivity risk in indoor spaces. As colder temperatures make outdoor gatherings less viable, the Exeter community will face health and spacing concerns. Plans for making more indoor spaces accessible are in progress.

Activity coordinators and other faculty and staff members have met to plan for the colder weather. Spaces like the Elizabeth Phillips Academy Center, Grainger Auditorium, Elting Room and Phillips Church are already being utilized for indoor events and social activities, according to Dean of Students Brooks Moriarty. 

These spaces also include the Music Building, which has been used for select group rehearsals and individual student practice. Some athletic facilities, including the Fisher Squash Courts and gym spaces, are also presently in use for athletics practices. 

“We will need more,” Moriarty said. “One goal we have now is to identify spaces outside of EPAC that offer students what EPAC does when we are not in a pandemic. So, we are trying to identify some ‘satellite’ EPAC-type spaces in other buildings.”

Moriarty added that the Academy is considering opening indoor areas of Wetherell and Elm Street Dining Halls as outdoor seating becomes less feasible.

Director of Campus Safety Services and Risk Management Paul Gravel said that he, Moriarty, Assistant Principal Karen Lassey and a team are working to plan preliminary safety precautions as conditions change. “Campus Safety will assist by providing Campus Building Monitors to those spaces once they are identified,” he said.

The imminent changes that will occur on campus have been on students’ minds. “Even already this term, there have been a couple times where it’s cold enough that it’s just unreasonable to eat outside,” upper Cyrus Braden said.

Other students are concerned about the impact that the colder months may have on socializing. “I’m worried that it will be harder to feel like a part of the Exeter community if there are less ways to meet with people outside my dorm,” upper Indrani Basu said.

Day students will also be impacted by changing weather. “Some of my concerns regarding [socializing] during colder months stem from the fact that I’m a day student, so I’m allowed into fewer buildings than boarders,” prep Amelie Bunnell said. “I’m not as connected to my dorm community as most preps are by this point in the term because I can’t go in.”

Amidst these spacing concerns, the Student Activities Office has been working to bring fun amidst the fluctuating conditions of the pandemic. Assistant Director of Student Activities Kelly McGahie said that her office is continually working to formulate indoor activities for the students as the temperature drops. Past events over this past term have included bingo nights, field days and a Harry Potter kahoot.

Student groups have begun reaching out to the Student Activities Office, hoping to utilize indoor spaces for upcoming events. McGahie recently worked with the Stand-Up Comedy Club to plan a comedy show in November. The location is tentative. 

As with many aspects of life during the pandemic, there will be some alterations to the typical comedy show. “The audience is going to be spread out,” McGahie said. “The comedians need to be prepared that the vibe isn’t going to be the insanity that it was when they were in the Agora.”

Overall, Moriarty hopes that as the Academy steps into the winter season, Exonians can continue to uphold safety guidelines as in the fall and socialize indoors in a safe manner. “It will be more challenging, but I know the community is strong and has shown a commitment to care for one another,” he said.