Graphic by Yujin Kim/The Choate News
Hunger hits me the strongest after swim practice, but a close second is anytime my brain is working — while studying, calculating the latest possible time I can get up for class without arriving late, or thinking about how long a spider web has been sitting on the top ledge of my window. In other words, always.
Perhaps this is what initially drew me to spending my freshman year free periods in the dining hall. The idea of the warm, crispy toasted bottom of an everything bagel smothered in whipped cream cheese was constantly tempting me. Now, in my junior year, I still find myself returning time and time again to the seats in the back of the freshmen section. They are, in my humble opinion, unrivaled as the best seats in the dining hall.
One of my favorite quotes from The Lion King is “Everything the light touches is our kingdom.” In the back of the freshmen section, I feel like Simba, a little lion cub forced to fend for itself after being abandoned in Wallingford, Connecticut, two and a half years ago. You can see everyone — your math teacher who just walked out with their to-go box in hand, your friend obsessively scrolling through TikTok, or your classmate scrambling to finish an essay due next block — a perfect location to avoid sneak attacks or unwanted awkward small talk. Then again, if I want to socialize, I’ll just walk over to my friends, or, my preference, text people to come to me. See? The dining hall is my kingdom.
With my computer open, sitting in a horrifically slouched posture, I plug my earbuds in and, boom, it’s my main character moment. Though, now that I think of it, perhaps I feel cool only because I idolized the upperclassmen who sat in the freshman section of the dining hall when I was a freshman. I don’t think anyone really notices my presence in the freshmen section. I guess there’s peace in anonymity.
Whether I’m genuinely doing work or just pretending to (likely the latter), I love the quiet chaos of the freshmen section. Even when I can barely keep my eyes open from sleep deprivation, the freshmen have a sense of rowdiness, but also a refreshing energy and excitement. I need some of that on a Monday afternoon as I sit and look ahead at my hectic schedule for the week.
For me, the freshmen section holds those cute, warm and fuzzy memories — many of my “firsts” at Choate. My first year. First dining hall class. First Choate omelet. First team dinner. First Whimsgiving. During free periods when I sit there alone, the air feels familiar and comforting. Maybe that’s why I love it so much. When everything else is speeding forward, the freshmen section is always there and the same. I can go back, search up a YouTube video, and allow myself to feel like a freshman again.
