Every Sunday during their junior year, Kevin O’Sullivan and Harrison Winrow walked into the Nonotuck woods together. It was nothing weird, they explained to me, they just liked to perform and practice improv for the forest.

“Although it sounds a little odd that we would do this, it really helped us to practice. Harrison brings out the weirder side in me,” said Kevin.

The two are both seniors now, and their friendship is stronger than ever, and widely known around campus.

It didn’t start off that way, however. The two met because they were paired up during their sophomore year orientation.

“I remember we had to tell our partner things about ourselves, like our favorite movie and stuff, and then they had to tell the group,” recalled Kevin. “I remember that he said my favorite book was Nancy Drew and that I was really disappointed in the movie adaptations with Emma Roberts.”

Although that wasn’t true, Kevin played along.

“Kevin was agreeing and clapping and going wild, which surprised me because I didn’t tell him I was going to do it,” said Harrison. “But we didn’t become friends right away. Kevin was a jock, he played football, and I knew he was going to wrestle, which was what I was interested in, which intimidated me.”

Harrison added that Kevin, “exuded confidence,” while he “was more subdued.”

During their sophomore year, they both lived in Sawyer dorm together, and although they both wrestled in the winter, their experience in being a part of 2017 fall play “The Comedy of Errors” during their junior year is what really made them friends.

“It just kind of happened,” Kevin remarked. “We became a dynamic duo.”

Theater Director Emily Ditkovski had kind words to say about the two.

“They are incredibly dedicated to their craft which means they aren’t satisfied until their work on a show is perfect,” she said. “They are not daunted by challenges and enjoy taking artistic risks.”

According to Ditkovski, their role in theater productions is more than just memorizing lines and blocking.

“They actively support their fellow actors and the entire production team,” Ditkovski said. “If someone is down or needs help they are always there. If they feel the energy of rehearsal or pre-show warm up is down, they encourage everyone to raise the bar.”

She also emphasized their differences, adding, “And while they are super tight and it would be easy to think of them as one unit, they are terrifically unique and are just as different as they are similar. That’s part of what makes their friendship special, too.”

Both theater and wrestling (this year they will be co-captains) helped the two realize their common interests.

According to Harrison, the two are both “academically curious.” He continued, “We both like to learn new things. We like to take advantage of everything that Williston has to offer, and really step out of our comfort zone.”

He added that both “enjoy attention.”

“I hate when people are so modest about the fact that they like attention, and we are not like that.”

Kevin laughed and said, “Yeah, we honestly thrive off of an audience. I think that’s another reason why we’re friends, because I feed off of Harrison’s confidence in himself. He pushes me out of my box.”

The pair both value confidence, and always like to try new things.

“I think as seniors and as informal leaders, we try to push ourselves to show underclassman and our peers that it’s ok to be goofy, it’s even kind of fun,” Harrison said. “For example, when I wore a dress to Convocation, and when I accessorize, it’s not only for me, but to show other people that you can wear a dress as a guy, and you can break the standards.”

Kevin acknowledged that although he doesn’t dress in as unique a way, he fully supports Harrison.

“I think it’s super awesome,” Kevin said, “and I think it’s super important for other people to see that you can be super goofy if you want to.”

Harrison and Kevin consider themselves lucky to be able to attend Williston, and credit the “boarding school experience” to their friendship.

“Friendship at boarding school is very strange,” Harrison said. “We spend so much time together, and it accelerates the ‘get to know you’ process, which isn’t always good for some people, but it was really good for us.”

He concluded, “It’s like each step clicking and falling into place. It forms a really unique bond.”