As the winter season draws closer, the Poly community has created new winter routines, returned to the same ones they love, and reminisced on memories made from past winters.
As the weather gets cooler, Poly community members are changing how they spend their time on campus. Some places on campus that Drew Brandmeyer ’29 noted are more crowded than they usually are during the winter season include the Joseph Dana Allen Library, the Student Center and the Novogratz Center for Athletics. Isaac Wise ’28, who enjoys doing homework in the library as it gets colder on campus, describes it as “very warm and inviting, especially when I can listen to soft music and get my work done.” In addition to this, Wise also enjoys walking outside and absorbing the winter scenery: “The air is always so crisp, and it’s nice to sit by the pond and just listen to the winter sounds.”
According to the Poly Prep Website’s Calendar, on campus, some upcoming activities include the Winter Music Concert, the Winter Arts Festival and the Grade 9 and 10 Play, Emma. In close proximity to Poly’s campus is the Dyker Heights Christmas Lights, a very popular and festive activity amongst New Yorkers. An NBC News article wrote, “since the dawn in 1986, neighbors joined the festivity in the detailed furnishing with homes stretched beyond 11th to 13th Avenues and 83rd St. to 86th St.” Every December, Eman Elhenawy, Upper School Science Faculty, loves to attend the Dyker Heights Christmas lights, where she gathers with all of family members and appreciates the glimmering light displays..
At Poly, sports are also a popular winter activity. On campus, various sports teams can be seen vigorously practicing and participating in heated games. This year, Brandmeyer has noticed that more of his peers have begun playing squash, the co-ed winter sport Poly offers. Beyond campus, Kara Shum ’28 enjoys skiing during the winter, sometimes visiting Salt Lake City in Utah. “Being there during Christmas is very nice, because there’s snow, decorations, and the whole place feels very cozy,” Shum said. One year, Shum visited Utah during the 2022 World Cup. “Everybody was dressed up in the colors of the different teams and celebrating.”
During winter, many members of the Poly community love to travel around the world, as they have time off for holidays. In her early twenties, Elhenawy loved to travel and explore the world, especially during the winter months. At one point, she visited Iceland. “Iceland was the one that really stuck out, because you’re going to a really wintry destination in the winter time.” Elhenawy recalls seeing the northern lights, hiking a volcano and scuba diving in freezing water between the two tectonic plates. Since Elhenawy has exited her early 20s, she now focuses on “little mini getaways, rather than a solo trip.” She adds, “It’s more like family-oriented trips now.”
During the holiday season, Poly Prep students and faculty have different traditions and favorite parts. Soleil Pena ’27, who spent her sophomore year studying abroad in Italy, recalls that “I spent Christmas Eve with my host family and spent Christmas Day eating dinner with everybody.” Keith McDonald, Upper School Performing Arts Teacher, said that during the Christmas season, he enjoys “the gift giving, the family being together, playing in the snow, and having big crazy meals.”
Starbucks, a popular coffee shop known for its festive seasonal drinks, attracts teens everywhere. As a senior at Poly, Elizabeth Rorech is able to leave Poly’s campus for lunch and will often visit Starbucks. She notes, “it’s a convenient place to get a quick bite or drink and my friends and I all enjoy it. I always have a good experience because I will order on the app and it’s super easy to quickly pick up.” Wise also says that “every winter, there’s a Starbucks very close to my house that I like to do homework with my friends at, especially on really cold Sundays when we go and I get hot drinks.” This fun-filled Poly recreation was also very popular in Poly’s past. In Caitlin Starr’s 2015 article, she writes about the disruption to the Poly community’s annual winter tradition of collecting Starbucks’ holiday cups when “[Starbucks] released their new red holiday coffee cup. This plain and simple cup has managed to inflict much pain and outrage.”
To make their winters feel special, many in Poly’s community practice favorite traditions. Wise says, “I love going to sleep on cold winter nights when you can hear the wind howling or there’s a thunderstorm and it’s super cozy.” He adds, “a cozy night in and some hot chocolate with a movie is always my favorite.”
