Zebra Tales
Zebra Tales
2020-21

Maddie '23

Hometown: Concord, Massachusetts

Groton activities: Varsity soccer and basketball

Most surprising when you first arrived at Groton: I did not anticipate how much fun dorm life could be, or how quickly everyone becomes a family, even if you are a day student (like me). I received so much love and support from people I had met only weeks before, and I was happily surprised by how quickly I was able to form deep connections with my formmates.

Favorite class: Third Form Biology, taught by Mr. Belksy, a fantastic and engaging teacher. I loved this course because it was the first science class where I was finally able to do real, hands-on experiments. Dissecting fetal pigs and learning pig anatomy was the highlight of winter term, and the most exciting thing I have ever done in a school room.

Most memorable Groton moment: Thinking about my first year at Groton brings back a lot of great memories, but the one that really sticks in my mind is Surprise Holiday during winter term. A few friends and I decided to take a bus to the mall and spend some quality time off campus, without having to worry about impending tests or homework. Although most of the day is a blur and I can’t recall what I ate for lunch or if I bought anything, I vividly remember every second that we spent in a cramped little karaoke booth singing old Katy Perry songs. It was an important reminder that while we go to Groton to get an excellent education, it is necessary to let loose and have fun when you get the chance.

Favorite dining hall food: Tacos

List of 7 news stories.

  • From left to right: Fiona, Dani, Calen, Hannah, and Avery (all form of ’23) playing with cats on Dr. C’s porch.

    Best Term at Groton?

    A combination of COVID protocols and a bad ankle sprain that left me on crutches for three weeks made for an interesting spring term. I never thought I would see the day when I complained about the sprawling Groton campus. However, the mantra that I have been repeating for the past few months, “see the best in every situation,” has paid off. In fact, this may have been my best and happiest term at Groton!
    Read More

  • Thank You, Dad

    “MADISON GET IN HERE!” My dad shouts from the other end of the house. I almost drop my computer in my haste to get from my secluded office to the living room, where he was watching the final game of March Madness: Stanford versus Arizona. Arizona had just upset UConn, who had been favorites to win this year, and Stanford had only scrapped its way into the final game. This was going to be fun (and fun it was).
    Read More

  • Home Again

    Coming back to campus was accompanied with a rush of emotions. Most of them are gleefully cheerful, as I am finally able to see my friends and classmates face to face, without staring at a screen for hours on end. While it is frustrating at times to wear masks for several hours straight or to eat lunch in separate spaces, these frustrations come with a high reward. I continuously find myself sitting in the “bubbles,” the allotted Fourth Form study space, doing homework and talking with friends (sometimes a little too much of the latter, but in difficult times it is necessary to indulge ourselves). When I think back to just a few weeks ago, all I wanted was to be back on campus, and now here I am, home again.
    Read More

  • Silver Linings

    Needless to say, the pandemic has been extremely hard on everyone.  I myself have struggled to find ways to return to normalcy and get into a routine that doesn’t drive me crazy. I think we are all searching for an escape, a way to forget about what is going on in the greater world.
    Read More
  • Here is a picture of me (left) and Karenna (right), enjoying our lunch, and the much needed mask break, before heading off to practice.

    Return to Campus

    I have to admit, it was a struggle to watch boarders return to school a week before classes while I sat at home, locked away in my quarantine cave.
    Read More

  • A Camping Misadventure

    When I was little my family went camping all the time but, as I got older, weekends became devoted to sports. So this summer my mom decided we should go to Vermont for a quick camping trip, just us and my dad, my younger sister, and our two dogs.
    Read More

  • Vintage Trip

    A couple days ago, my mom and I were able to escape our house and go to an amazing vintage shop in Somerville. I had been waiting, rather impatiently, to go to this store for so long (but hey, quarantine). I was excited to finally get the chance to browse its selection of clothes, shoes, vinyls, cassettes, and other odd tidbits, dating back to the 1960s. Walking into the store was like walking through a whirlwind of the past. The blur of odd items was a bit overwhelming for me, but so fun for my mom, who was thoroughly engrossed in the records the moment we entered.
    Read More