For junior Jessica Katzman and eighth grader Julia Katzman from Arizona, life at Hockaday represents more than living away from home. Although boarding life separates both of them from their parents, the sisters still have each other’s company. How are their lives different and how do they feel about living in the same school as sisters? The Fourcast interviewed Jess to find out.
What made you decide to come to Hockaday?
I decided to come to Hockaday because I wanted to challenge myself. I also had wanted to try boarding school for high school, so Hockaday was the perfect opportunity.
Did you and your sister intentionally choose the same school?
We did. We had heard of Hockaday from one of my mom’s best friends who went and her daughter is in fourth grade here, so it had constantly been in the back of our minds.
How do your parents feel about sending both of their daughters to the same school?
My parents were not on board with boarding school at first. I had always wanted to try it because I feel like I’m more independent and a lot of my friends went, but my dad was pretty adamant about staying at home, especially since I had asked during the heat of the St. Paul’s scandal. I never really imagined that my sister and I would go to boarding school together, but my parents actually really happy that we are. Since my sister is pretty young, it definitely makes my mom feel better that I’m here if Julia needs anything and honestly vice versa. I know she’s just downstairs if I need her and it’s comforting to know that I’m not here alone.
How does it feel like to live in a place far from home with your own sibling?
We get into our arguments and fight a little bit like we would at home, but we don’t have our parents to mediate anything so sometimes issues just don’t get resolved. It’s also really interesting to see how she lives and how she adjusted without our parents here. I’m seeing a different side of her that is awesome that I didn’t know she had.
Water Emergency
On the evening of Feb. 13, during the Residence Department’s special Valentine’s dinner, some girls found out that all the taps on campus had mysteriously stopped functioning. Later that evening, it became clear that getting the water system fixed might take longer than just a few hours—the Residence Department had encountered a water emergency. The executives of the Hockaday Residence Department quickly came to a decision: all boarders were to stay at the nearest Hilton Hotel at Lincoln Centre. Three buses immediately started transporting boarders between Hockaday Campus and the hotel, and by 10 p.m., all the boarders were checked in safely.
Different Style
Despite rooms being comfortably designed and very convenient, many rooms at the Residence Department are arranged in almost the same way. However, stepping into junior Pilar Lopez’s room, you’ll quickly notice her unique style of her room arrangement. Lopez arranged her furniture innovatively. Utilizing the space on the side of her bed, Lopez pulled her table aside and created more room.
“By moving the table where I do my homework at away from my bed, I feel like I isolated a safe space from the stresses,” Lopez said. “Honestly, if I could, I would like to decorate my entire room. I will be leaving next year and I don’t think I can do that, but I still really enjoy creating my own safe space in my own style.”
