BOARDING UNCOVERED
Peter Heller (Year 12) takes a trip to the boarding houses to find out how life works in this fascinating part of the school
T o many a Dulwich College day boy, the world of boarding can seem distant, yet intriguing. What is it like living in school? Does it get boring? Do you get lonely? I have often pondered these questions on seeing a line of boarders streaming out of the narrow passage next to the Medical Centre. Finally, one wet Thursday lunch- time, my curiosity got the better of me, and I decided to leave the comfort of the Lord George Common Room and head off for parts unknown. I approach the two senior boarding houses along a ser- pentine pathway behind the Medical Centre. On arriving at a large brownstone 1930s building with a newer structure stuck on the front, its interior criss-crossed by blue staircases, I proceed through the front door into an open hallway known as the Link. Here, I am greeted by my guide for the day, Khanh To (Year 12). Khanh, from Hanoi, Vietnam, has been boarding here since September 2023. He lives in Ivyholme, one of the two senior board- ing houses at the school, the other being Blew, right next
door. Most junior boarders (those in Years 9 to 11) live in Old Blew and the Orchard, located opposite the main gate on the South Circular, along with a handful of Upper School boarders.
‘Every night we go to the gym and play table tennis in the Link’
Affable and engaging, Khanh is very involved in board- ing life, and I learn that he is an active contributor to the termly boarding newsletter. I gaze upwards at the ceiling, which is adorned with Chinese New Year lamps (a large majority of boarders come from Hong Kong and China), until Khanh directs my attention to a noticeboard on the wall. A list of boarding trips is drawn up in purple marker pen, including outings to an escape room and the Tate Modern. The noticeboard also advertises more relaxed activities inside the house, including a movie night and an Easter egg treasure hunt. Next to the noticeboard stands a folded table tennis table (it’s the end of term and people are tired), and through a door I can see a music room, with guitar cases strewn across the floor and sheet music littering the table, indicating frequent use. Two doors stand at either side of the Link, the left-hand one heading to Blew and the right-hand one leading to Ivyholme. I opt to take the ‘ Blew’ pill (they really don’t pay me enough) and am met with a spacious communal area equipped with a PlayStation 5 and an air hockey table. After several quite shockingly unsuccessful rounds of air hockey, I remember my true purpose in being here and sit Khanh down for a chat.
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THE ALLEYNIAN 712
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