Williston students are enjoying their peers’ company around the campfire.
A Williston tradition during the fall and spring is to sit around campfires that the school has placed around campus. The students are taking advantage of this and have fires almost every day before study hall.
Since Covid, 2020, the school has supplied the students with multiple fire pits for the students to access. Five years later. the students still use the pits as much as they possibly can.
David Koritkoski, Williston’s Dean of Students, implemented the firepits as a way to help get students socializing during the pandemic.
“It was an idea the school had to make sure students could hang together,” Koritkoski said. “We didn’t allow students to hang out in rooms during the Covid year, so outside by the fire made sense.”
Annika Song, a four year senior, spends most of her time by the fires.
“Okay, if I’m being honest I spend almost everyday at the fires unless it’s like really gross outside,” Annika said. “What makes the campfire so special is that we literally no matter what, you spend time with people that usually you wouldn’t be sitting with or spend a weekend with. You just get to socialize, like usually we’ve been playing a lot of games there and I learned a lot of new things about new people which helps me connect with more people.”
Although Annika enjoys the campfires, she also believes there could be some nice additions.
“I think just chairs that are easier to move or just also places that you can just like sit,” she said.
Peter Mahon, a post graduate student, loves how many activities there arp when hanging around campus.
“It’s [the firepit] a great place to socialize and enjoy friends company,” Peter said. “There’s also lots of yard games and activities to do right next to the fires. I mostly like to play cornhole or spike ball.”
Peter said the addition of a grill “would make things a lot more interesting, we could cook out and make burgers and hotdogs on nice days.”
Caroline Channell, Assistant Dean of Students for Community Life, loves the feeling of seeing students together on campus.
“It’s a great way to formally bring students together and to create a formal time,” Channell said. “It’s a great vibe with low stakes.”
Channel also loves how involved the students are with the fires.
“No one is on their phones when I walk by,” she said. “Each fire has its own vibe.”
Williston isn’t the only school to have firepits; Cushing Academy, Northfield Mount Hermon. and Hoosac School also have firepits all over their campuses.
