First Weeks in Whittall

29 September 2021Sajeev S, Whittall ‘22

As a beautiful year in paradise begins, the campus flourishes with newcomers from around the world. Whittall House, also known as the best house or house of the Bull, had attained quite a few new students this year with the majority of juniors being new to Brentwood. The atmosphere on the first day was a large mix of emotions from excited grade 12s to nervous young bulls ready to prepare their journey to becoming one of the many great leaders of this amazing house. Of course, there were parents who were more nervous than many kids – having to let go of their precious children – yet they had a sense of security knowing that the flawless Houseparent, Mr Gage, and Assistant Houseparent, Ms Rogers, accompanied by the new leaders of Whittall House, would take care of their wonderful children.

Soon after the arrival of all the new students, the first interhouse event of the year took place: Fun & Games. For any returning student, this is considered one of the most exhilarating events of the year. All eight houses are brought together in the Foote Center to take part in a series of events and games, hence the name “Fun & Games”. The only catch is that virtually nobody knows each other except for the few Grade 12s and returning students who gave up a piece of their summer vacation to participate as an Orientation Assistant. The atmosphere in the gym was electric. Students who may have been shy at first were yelling and screaming and cheering on their housemates. Isaac R, Whittall ‘25 said, “This was an insane amount of fun and it’s definitely going to be one of the highlights of my year.” Shortly after this event, the fine gentlemen of Whittall and the alright ladies of Alex joined together for some ice cream and bonding.

The final major event that tied Whittall House deeply together was the second most intense interhouse event of the year: Eco-Challenge. Fabian H, Whittall ‘22 says, “Im super sad this is my final Eco-Challenge. It was a great experience and something I’ll never forget.” In this event, once again, all eight houses join together except this time they come together on the waterfront to participate in a rapid series of events from kayak relay races all the way to shelter building. The reason this event is so important to so many people is because it’s the first interhouse event of the year that’s worth points. Both houses competed to their full potential and put in all their effort. It was a great way to start the year and it bonded Whittall in a way some may say is unbreakable.

Sajeev S, Whittall ‘22

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