Milton Magazine - Milton Academy

A Day in the Lifeof the SchwarzStudent CenterWhat Happens in the Hub?Life in the Schwarz Student Centerbegins well before classes andextends well beyond. Early morningfinds clusters of students gathered athigh-top tables on the main floor, huddledover books or notes, sometimes calculatorsin hand, discussing a question or workingon a problem set. At the midmorningbreak between classes—recess—studentsfrom every corner of campus pour in,seeking out friends, classmates, teammates,for “business” or a few momentsof pure socialization among backpacks,bulletin boards and lacrosse sticks. Youcan count on seeing Academic Dean DavidBall standing midstream in the happymaelstrom, coffee cup in hand, banteringwith students who have plenty of ideas andopinions to share. At lunchtime, studentson the lower level, at the door leading outtoward Forbes dining hall, man tables thatshout their wares: tickets for the upcomingdance concert; pizza fund raisers forAIDS initiatives; student-made jewelry tosupport orphans in Tibet. Students at theCentre Street level check email at the variouskiosks, connecting with teachers andchecking on the status of assignments.Throughout the day, during “frees,” studentsplay foosball, grab bagels aroundtables, and confer at clusters of chairs thatoverlook the quad. The atmosphere quietsdown in the late afternoon; students movethrough on their way to team practices,play tryouts, concert rehearsals and athleticcompetitions, stopping for instant energyin the form of granola bars and smoothies,and yes, French fries, from the snack bar.Guitar strummers and their fans locatenear the front windows, overlookingCentre Street. Meanwhile, on the level onefloor above, editorial boards hunker downin The Milton Measure office, or in the denof the Magus-Mabus, brainstorming ideasand making assignments. The StudentActivities Office “lives” right in the middleof the Student Centre. Hope Rupley,student activities director, mixes withstudents—especially the crew who workwith her (Student Activities Association)to put together small and large events onthe weekends, from watching the Patriotsgames on the big-screen TV with pizza tostaging a winter carnival or a casino night.Banners advertising the upcoming Onyxdance and “Senior Showcase” circle thewall above and around the windows. Atthe center, cascading from the peak of thethree-story ceiling to just above studentson the lowest level, is the amazing sculptureby Sarah Sze ’89, “The Edge of Oneof Many Circles,” a gift of Lisa and RichardPerry ’73 with Tracy Pun Palandjian ’89.Dedicated to Rae and Marshall Schwarz’54, the beloved Student Center gatherspeople together and provides the locusand the opportunity for shared projects,both serious and frivolous. Students haveshaped the building to fit the needs of abusy community. The Schwarz StudentCenter is both literally and figuratively atthe center of Milton student life.Erin E. Hoodlet32 Milton Magazine