Which life is better? That of boarders or of day students?

The debate between boarding and day life is constantly circulating through Williston. Boarders point out their 24-7 contact with friends; day students have cars; boarders say that they can be more involved in the community; day students have cars; boarders argue that boarding school prepares you for college life; day students have cars. There are so many different aspects that it is impossible to say which is better, but the issues can certainly be better understood.

Williston prides itself on having a similar number of day students and boarders. This is not true for many other prep schools in the area.

Some schools like Kingswood Oxford and Hopkins School are 100% day students. One student from Hopkins says, “I like being a day student because I get to see my friends outside of school and family more often.”

Deerfield is 88% boarders, according to boardingschoolreview.com. One day student at Deerfield says that there is “a big divide” between boarders and day students. He says that most day students “make an effort to spend a lot of time on campus at night, at meals, and on the weekends.”

Williston is in the middle of the spectrum, with approximately 65% boarders and 35% day students.

Behind these statistics lies a complicated social structure of boarding and day student life and the countless interactions between boarders and day students. Though there is extensive overlap between the two, there is a social divide between boarders and day students. This is due in part to the extremely different situations.

Boarders live on campus 24-7, which allows them to  participate in campus wide events all the time. And because they’re living with their friends all day, every day, it is understandable that they can form closer friendships.

However, boarders’ activity off campus is limited. Everything from an overnight stay at a friend’s house to a quick trip off campus to buy a snack at CVS is closely monitored, and some boarders may complain about their relative lack of freedom. Boarders can spend all of their time in the “Williston Bubble.” Even the simple factor of having a car plays a huge role in student opinions.

Then there is the issue of school itself. Some may say that it is easier to get work done as a boarder because of the mandatory evening study hall and lack of time spent commuting.

Junior Katie Lucchesi, who switched from being a day student to a boarder earlier this year, says, “I think having study hall and having the structure is very convenient for me and it makes me more productive.”

Sophomore Pinky King, who was also a boarder at one point, disagrees, saying that she had difficulty sitting “still for two hours straight during studyhall.”

No one can argue with the fact that these time management skills are a crucial aspect of college life. Many say that learning this skill in high school has vastly improved their college experience.

Junior Julia Valine, who is a day student who lives on campus, views the time management required for boarding life as preparation for later life. She says, “I think it would benefit me more to live in a dorm because it would prepare me better for college and enable me to make my own choices.”

Why is this distinction so prominent? Events of the past tell part of the story.

According to the Director of Alumni Relations Jeff Pilgrim, in recent years, the ratio of boarders to day students  has ranged from 65-35 to almost 50-50, but there have always been more boarders than day students.

Back in the 1960s, Williston was more than 80% boarders. According to Glen Swanson, “you could only be a day student if you lived in the Hamptons.”

Swannee, who graduated from Williston in 1964, says that back when he was a student, “day students were really segregated and separated” from boarders.

Mr. Pilgrim, who was a day student when he attended Williston years later, had no problem with the divide between boarders and day students. He said, “I felt that it gave me the best of both worlds.” He pointed out that as a day student, you could go to school and “do your academics, play your sports, hang out with your friends, and then go home and sleep in your own bed.”

Charlotte Wilinsky, a recent Williston alumni, was a day student for 6 years and says that she never wanted to become a boarder either. However, she says that “there was definitely a divide between day students and boarders.” She is unsure as to whether this divide has grown or shrunk over the years, but she says that “the relationship between day students and boarders can always be improved,” pointing at new ninth grade program as an example of encouraging overlap.

This statement is true. Though there is a social difference between day students and boarders, it certainly isn’t an impossible divide to cross. There are always day students hanging out in dorms and boarders spending the night at friends’ houses. Although the relationship between day students and boarders is strong, the debate continues.

Which is better, boarder or day student? It’s up to you to decide.