Sydney Hallowell
“As a freshman I was very quiet, timid. Boarding school was a new experience. ... I was in my bubble and scared to leave it, but over the years, especially now, I'm not afraid to do the things I want to around campus but also say the things I want in classes, especially when there are topics important to me.”
We recently caught up with senior Sydney Hallowell, who says the school has pushed her out of her comfort zone. “This is my fourth year in Arabic,” she said, “and that is a course I would not have taken, but it is opportunities like these that Loomis has provided for me that have helped me become a better person.” Sydney is part Indigenous and has been involved with events on campus heightening awareness of Indigenous issues. Last year on National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Awareness Day, also known as Red Dress Day, Sydney presented a workshop on traditions of the Plains Native Americans at the Center for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI) Symposium on campus. She wore a Ribbon Dress, which is a traditional Native American dress; and brought instruments and beaded work, explaining the significance of each. “For me, it was an opportunity to go out of my comfort zone,” Sydney said. “I wasn't used to presenting myself as a Native American, so representing those traditions was important for me but also for the students who attended because there are a lot of generalizations around Indigenous people, and showing the traditions and culture helps break down generalizations and stereotypes.”
Sydney, wearing a Ribbon Dress, presenting a workshop on traditions of the Plains Native Americans at the DEI Symposium.
Year: Senior
Hometown: Lowell, Mass.
Activities: Resident Advisor in Howe Hall, a PRISM president, Peer Support Network mentor, rows at Riverfront Recapture.
Favorite home-cooked meal: “A traditional Portuguese soup that my mom makes; it has collard greens and linguiça, and it is really good in the winter.”
Favorite snack: “Cheez-Its. I always eat them when I’m studying.”
Favorite place on campus: Her top spot was the greenhouse in the Clark Center for Science & Mathematics, now a classroom kitchen. She and a friend would go there to study. “You can see the Meadows from there, and even when it was freezing outside, we’d go up there because it was so nice and warm.”
If there was one thing you could change about the world, what would it be? “That’s a hard one, but right now, in times like these, it would be for everyone to become a little more understanding ... to hear everyone out even if we don’t agree with one another.”
Describe yourself as a freshman and now as a senior: “As a freshman I was very quiet, timid. Boarding school was a new experience. ... I was in my bubble and scared to leave it, but over the years, especially now, I'm not afraid to do the things I want to around campus but also say the things I want in classes, especially when there are topics important to me.” She also talked about gaining the confidence to try new things, such as beekeeping her sophomore year and rowing this year. She had played volleyball and softball at Loomis.
Favorite courses or homework assignments: She mentioned her Comparative Religion course this year and the final project in Arabic during her sophomore year in which students cooked and shared various Middle Eastern dishes.
If you could own any exotic animal, what would it be and why? “A sloth, which is my favorite animal. They’re really cute and chill.”
If you could live 100 years in the past or 100 years in the future, which would it be? “One hundred years in the past. Our history is very important and makes up who we are, so going back in the past and learning from others and learning from mistakes and the good things that happened, would be very interesting.”