Alyssa McNally ’16, daughter of Head Trainer Laura “Darby” McNally ’80, was no stranger to Middlesex before she matriculated. Not only did her mother graduate from Middlesex, but five cousins, two uncles, and one aunt also attended the school. Her parents were married in the Chapel, as were her aunt and late uncle. Perhaps most importantly, Alyssa has lived at Middlesex for seventeen of the McNally family’s twenty-eight years on campus. In her senior Chapel, she addressed some “frequently asked questions” about faculty kids.
1) Are you a boarder or a day student?
This is probably the most common question. All of the faculty kids who live in campus housing are considered day students.
2) Does Darby make you check in and out of your house?
Of course. How would she ever find me without a sign in sheet?
3) Do you hang out in StuFac over breaks?
Believe it or not, there is actually a faculty kid fight club that uses StuFac as a boxing ring during vacations, and the rivalries get pretty intense.
4) Do you eat Flik [dining services] food over the summer?
Obviously. It’s the finest cuisine around.
5) Were you born on campus?
Honestly, this is a silly question, because what’s the point of living on a campus with a health center if you aren’t going to use it 24/7?
6) Is it weird having Darby as your mom?
Is it weird having your mom as your mom? I don’t know.
(Clearly these aren’t all true. I don’t have a house sign-in sheet, I was born in a hospital like most people, and there is sadly no fight club, but waiting for the bus together in elementary school got pretty close. )
7) Did you like growing up here?
People always say that faculty kids have the best of both worlds. I get where they are coming from – I mean I can have a home-cooked meal AND see my dog whenever I want. But having an on-campus childhood definitely had its ups and downs.
When I was younger, all the faculty kids were a lot more mischievous than they are now. Pretty much 80% of the minor inconveniences students experienced were the result of the deliberate action of a faculty kid. Attacked with pillows and goldfish while cuddling with your boyfriend in StuFac? Faculty kid. Hit by a piece of fruit while walking to the athletic center? Faculty kid.
We would make up our own games in the dining hall hallway. We built forts on our own island on Bateman’s. We would sled down the Higg hill and build igloos on the circle. We would spend hours outside the rink for the sole purpose of getting the opportunity to cheer on the zamboni. We took advantage of everything that was available to us and turned this campus into our playground.
Of course there are many positive aspects of growing up in such an indescribable community, but being constantly surrounded by such amazing and supportive people definitely tops the list.
However, it was also tough being constantly surrounded by high school kids. For example, I had an extensive vocabulary by the time I was six, and these particular additions to my vocabulary can’t be found in the Words book. I saw all of the accomplishments of Middlesex students, and I wanted to do the same, so, in a way, I believe I grew up too fast.
Once I started actually going to school here, I wished I had the ability to separate myself; I spend all my vacations here and leave campus, at most, once a week during the school year. When my class graduates and everyone is leaving campus, you’ll see me just walking back to Oates Lane, per usual.
I would not be the person I am today without the influence of the hundreds of people I’ve interacted with growing up here, and for that I am forever grateful. And just like the students I grew up around, each one of you has the ability to influence the kids that spend their entire childhood on this campus. I advise all of you to make the impression you leave on them a positive one.
Thank you to all of the former and current faculty and staff for helping raise me – I will always consider you as part of my family.