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It is the day before winter break. Everybody is anxious to go home for two and a half weeks, but for boarders there is one thing left to do. It is freezing outside, but dorm spirits are warm as each of the four boys’ dorms embarks on a journey around campus full of mirth and melody.
Tis caroling season! Everyone is bloated after the annual boarder dinner. This year there was roast beef accompanied by various a cappella groups singing everything from archaic hymns to Lady Gaga. The mood is always festive, the food is always good, and the boarder unity is unparalleled.
Afterward, the girls get ready for a show of their lives and the boys get ready to impress. Every boys’ dorm wants to be the best at caroling. Each dorm’s list of songs is a classified secret until the big night, where 160 boys in 40-man prides roam across the snow-covered campus, performing for the four girls dorms as well as for our headmaster Mr Bland.
The boys sing loud and with passion. They are not necessarily the next American Idols, but the togetherness and joy are palpable. Each dorm performs four or five different songs every year, as well as some traditional house songs. For my dorm, Wolcott House, we do “Wolcott House is Coming to Town,” a parody of the much loved Christmas tune, and “Happy Birthday Jesus” with a dorm mate dressed in a white toga.
Caroling is always a time to look forward to; I certainly do. As a senior, I just caroled at Milton for the last time and these memories will stay with me forever. Caroling is the epitome of boarder life–the affection and passion with each other and for each other.
Hi, and thanks for visiting us! We’re the leaders of Milton’s Orange and Blue Key (OBK) Society. OBK is the group of about 160 students who give tours to students and families visiting our campus. We work closely with the admission office to make sure you get a good sense of what it’s like to be a student at Milton. We hope that you’ll visit us in person, and until then, enjoy this “insider’s” view of the School we love.
