Nichols prefects borrowed inspiration from the 2024 Summer Olympics in decorating their common room.
By Deyi Meng ’26
For many Choate students, a dorm is much more than just a simple brick building; it’s their home as they navigate the tribulations of boarding school life. Recently, prefects have begun selecting a dorm-wide decoration theme each year, adorning common rooms and attaching posters and name cards on every prefectee’s door. As the school year kicks off, here’s a look at how prefects are helping to liven up the dorm decor!
East Cottage
After a week of brainstorming, the prefects of East Cottage decided to go with the theme of Brawl Stars, a fast-paced, multiplayer, online arena game. The game, which both the prefects and prefectees play, has fostered dorm bonding by encouraging teamwork and friendly competition. “You can always find at least five people in the common room playing it together, and that’s really how the dorm became close,” East Cottage prefect Alex Wang ’25 said.
As a result, the prefects randomly matched everyone in the dorm to a picture of a certain brawler with their own personalities and abilities. Although not everyone landed their favorite brawler, students were happy to see familiar faces on their doors. “Some people teased me about what brawlers I picked for them, but … it was fun,” Wang said.
Logan Munroe
Logan Munroe initially had the idea of doing car brands for their theme but decided to transition to the Cars movie because, according to Logan Munroe prefect Jordan Dodd ’25, “it’s more recognizable.” Students and parents alike enjoyed the theme, and even resident House Mentor and Humanities teacher Mr. Jonas Akins joined in on the fun, receiving the car “Sarge,” while his daughters were given the twin cars “Mia” and “Tia.”
McCook
As opposed to choosing the theme before students arrived, McCook prefects asked everyone to rank their favorite music albums after they all moved in. Using Photoshop, they made personalized posters and hung them on each door. Nia Watts ’25, a prefect in McCook, said that they enjoyed receiving student input because “people can be iffy about what [prefects] put on [the doors].”
In October, the prefects of McCook plan to put decorations in the hallways representing the residents’ cultures, such as images of food from around the world. Reflecting on this decision, Watts said, “It’s an all-inclusive dorm at the end of the day, so we just want to make sure that we are including everybody.”
Nichols
Inspired by the exhilarating 2024 Summer Olympics, the Nichols prefects assigned different sports to each dorm member. Nao Murata ’25, a prefect in Nichols, chose wrestling for herself: a sport with which she has a personal connection through her father, who was on the wrestling team at Choate.
Nichols also decorated their common room with a sign that says “Nichols is Gold,” with the Olympic rings and the names of every dorm resident inside of the rings. The prefects hope to boost dorm camaraderie and spirit with these fun decorations.
West Wing & Hall
West Wing and Hall, two dorms that recently merged into one, went with disparate themes this year. The former went with the show “Gilmore Girls,” decorating their doors with autumn leaves along with signs and characters from the show. Since the boarding school that the main character Rory Gilmore attends is heavily inspired by Choate, the prefects knew students would recognize the concept. “It’s fun, and [it’s] fall,” Katerina Karathanasis ’25, a West Wing prefect, said.
Hall chose cereal, pairing each roommate duo with their own flavor such as Cocoa Puffs and Cocoa Pebbles. The prefects have vintage cereal brands, and the House Mentors have special versions of Frosted Flakes, such as Minecraft and Star Wars editions. Reflecting on this choice, Syna Mathod ’25, a prefect in the dorm, said, “We wanted to do something fun … that people would resonate with and enjoy. I think cereal is … a commonly shared experience, [and] if not, it’s still a cute idea.”
Mead
This year, the prefects styled Mead to resemble Lanphier (Lanphy) Cafe. Student doors are decorated with cafe drinks, while the House Mentors’ posters feature food items. There are also signs in the common room spelling out “Lanphier Cafe” in big letters and a menu displaying commonly used phone numbers and important facts. “We really wanted to do something that was going to be useful for the kids to know,” Mead prefect Quinn Farmer ’25 said.
Though students may be away from their families, these dorm-wide decorations help the space come alive, and more importantly, build a sense of community and belonging among the residents. Each dorm’s creative theme reflects its students’ individuality, making our school upon the hillside feel like a home away from home.
