Nathan Ramani ’27 (left) and Karena Kapoor ’29 (right) in the snow.
The thirty-sixth Head of School Day (HOSD) on Monday, January 26, coincided with a severe snowstorm, prompting safety concerns. Following the announcement of HOSD on Friday, Susan Esty, Dean of Students and Residential Life, sent additional emails to the Andover community detailing restricted hours for certain buildings and facilities, including the Oliver Wendell Holmes Library (OWHL), the Addison Gallery of American Art, Pan Athletic Center, and Falls Music Center.
Mark Leonard, Director of Campus Safety and a member of the school’s designated ‘storm team,’ explained how administrators evaluate weather-related safety concerns and make campus-wide decisions accordingly.
“The planning for a storm like this starts a few days in advance. We look at the timing of the storm, and one of the big considerations is, ‘Will our Office of Physical Plant have time to open campus before classes start, or before people have to report for work?’ Making sure that entrances and egresses are clear [and] making sure that in the event of something happening, like a fire alarm, people can get out of the building and then get into a building safely, are some of the main concerns that we have,” said Leonard.
HOSD provided students with a four-day weekend, with many teachers pushing assignments back by one class day. Philip Molina ’28 noted that HOSD gave students greater flexibility to catch up on work.
“The rest of the week will actually feel lighter, because Monday classes are cancelled. When assignments are pushed back, a lot of people have time to catch up if there was any work they wanted to do, any extra credit or assignments to be handed in… My week will feel easier because I will have time to come more prepared than ever,” said Molina.
While some students welcomed the extended break, others questioned whether HOSD was an appropriate response to the storm. Darian Reyes ’28 argued that, given HOSD’s purpose as a morale booster, the conditions instead warranted a traditional snow day.
“[The day off] should have happened regardless of whether or not it was Head of School Day. Head of School Day is more a casual day off where you just rest, nothing formal. There’s no particular reason for you to do it. However, a snow day is more safety-focused. That’s something you implement in cases of emergencies, which is what I feel like the snowstorm was,” said Reyes.
Eliza Francis ’26, however, pointed to the absence of snow days in Andover’s culture, suggesting that HOSD may have been the most practical option.
“It feels like a reasonable decision, given the downpour of snow we’re seeing. I certainly would not be wanting to go to school on Monday, so if it was Head of School Day or nothing, I would select Head of School Day, although I think a snow day would be fun. Snow days aren’t a huge part of Andover’s culture because a good majority of our students board, but an equally good majority of our students are day students, and I would hate for them to risk their safety,” said Francis.
For day students, the storm also disrupted plans to spend time on campus during the extended weekend. Nishi Amin ’28 shared that the weather prevented her from seeing friends who are boarding students, something she would typically be able to do on HOSD.
“I’m going to be stuck at home for another day this weekend, which is going to make me feel pretty isolated because I won’t be able to see my friends for another day. Usually if it was a Head of School Day or a long weekend, I’d be able to go to campus to see my friends or hang out with people, but because of the weather conditions I won’t be able to do that,” said Amin.
Although boarding students were unable to leave campus, some dorms used the snowfall as an opportunity to build community. Katie Clark, Instructor in Dance and House Counselor in Paul Revere House, described the activities her dorm organized and the morale she observed.
“In Paul Revere, in particular, there’s been a lot of camaraderie. A lot of our New Englanders and people who are used to weather like this have been really helpful in making our non-New Englanders feel more comfortable. [The house counselors] also try to make it fun. We did a snowman competition that’s still ongoing. I’ve observed mostly positivity around this storm, around the snow this time around. For the most part aside from some mumbles and grumbles about shoveling, I’ve observed mostly that people were excited, and it is exciting. We’ve got so much snow outside, [and] you can do all kinds of things with it,” said Clark.
