Deerfield Students Petition For a Zipline

Our time usage at Deerfield has been dangerously inefficient. 

A typical student needs at least five minutes to walk from the Koch to the MSB, and students who live in the eight dorms across Main Street need another five minutes to walk from the MSB back to their dorm. Even then, seven times a week, students take around 10 minutes to make it to the Dining Hall in time for sit-down dinner. This is simply exhausting. 

Throughout the day, almost all students have to trek from one end of campus to the other. This exhaustion poses a major hazard to the community, as everyone is in no mood to study by the end of the day. Thankfully, students have come up with an optimal solution: a zipline. 

By installing a zipline from the Village to the Dining Hall, students can save up to ten minutes of walking time. In the fall, the zipline would make transitioning to Deerfield so much easier for new students. In the winter, it would relieve everyone of the pain of trekking through ice and snow. In the spring, when the weather is a little warmer, the zipline would provide a perfect breeze to enjoy on the way to class, cheering students up before they have to face daunting exams and in-class essays. 

Freshmen and new students aren’t used to the large amounts of walking. Ahana Bhansali ’30 complained, “I have to walk, and my legs really hurt after walking.” The pain from walking too much can result in dire and undeniable consequences, including physical and mental fatigue building up throughout the day. This can lead to a sub-par performance at co-curriculars, an inability to focus on homework and studies and not enough energy to socialize with friends and peers.

Meanwhile, careful consideration shows that a zipline is an all-in-one solution. Many students happen to advocate for this new addition to campus, such as Sydney McNeil ’30, a freshman who walks from her dorm to the gym and back every day. “A zipline would make Deerfield life so much easier,” she said.

Sophomore living in John Louis expressed a similar sentiment. Millie Huang ’29 commented, “I sprained my ankle yesterday, and walking to the dining hall took me 15 minutes. Having a zipline would be very much appreciated.”  

Due to these concerns, it would be much appreciated if the school could come up with a plan to install a zipline by the end of the term and a potential plan for further expansion over the winter.