The newly made Friendship Field is catching everyone’s attention. With the vibrant turf and the bright lights accompanied by the backdrop of founders hall, the belltower, and the mountains, it is a scene you wouldn’t want to miss. The maintenance of it was truly spectacular with triumphs and struggles, such as the lack of rain and working 7-10 hours a day, as Jay King said in an interview. With the fall sports coming to an end, the Bulldog Bulletin gathered a bunch of interviews ranging from the maintenance department to the boys soccer team, mountain biking team, and Mark Tashjian. The majority of the feedback was positive, with most people having appreciation for the lights, stands, and backdrop. Junior Rhys Jones, a captain of the Boys Varsity Soccer team said, “Playing on Friendship Field gives us an extra boost of energy because not only is it under the lights, but it brings out a lot of people in the community and packs them into a short, small area. It really shows us the support we have and motivates us to play better”. This clearly shows as the boys team is undefeated going into the championship round of playoffs. Along with Jones, we heard from head soccer coach Pat Zilkha who said, “One (Judy McCormick turf) has stunning views of our BBA's Spires, the Equinox mountain and the history of the past decade filled with memories of current students and past alumni who have spent their high school days grinding it out with teams from all over the state of Vermont and beyond. The other (Friendship Field) has an amazing view of the Taconic Mountain range, the allure of the lights at night,
and what the future holds for current and future students. We're lucky to have both”. The overall consensus of the new addition to our campus is positive, with an abundance of appreciation for the location and connection that it brings.
Friendship Field sits in a positive light in many’s eyes, however, the negatives about the field have gone unseen. According to mountain biking team captain Addi Greenland, the construction of Friendship Field, “actually destroyed a part of our [mountain biking] trail”. What many don’t realize is that according to Greenland, they “weren’t acknowledged at all like, hey, your trail is getting destroyed for this field.”A part of the trail right above the bleachers was destroyed, forcing the mountain biking team to take a day off of practice to rebuild their trail. Along with this, there are talks about the name of the field. According to the survey that was sent out, many people said the name was “bad” or “cheesy”. Yet, there is a deeper meaning to the name that Mark Tashjian shared in an interview. Tashjian said, “Friendship Field is named in honor of the friendships forged through athletic competition. Anyone who has competed in a group, knows you form a special bond. And those friendships last a lifetime. All of a sudden, it makes sense”. The meaning of Friendship Field reminds us of the connections and friendships that sports brings, leaving a long lasting impact on students all around for years to come.