Each year many seniors at Pingree participate in a longstanding tradition: the monthly Polar Plunge. Seniors receive an email at the beginning of the month from Mr. Gistis, who runs the plunge, informing them of the upcoming date. The time and location are always the same: Pavillion Beach in Ipswich, 6:30 am sharp.
The rules of the plunge are that you are not allowed to miss one or you are out, and you must completely dunk your head in the water. Retakes are an option if you absolutely have to miss a date, but only one can be missed.
Temperatures vary depending on the month. The October plunge, our very first, was 59 degrees in water temperature and 49 degrees in air temperature. These numbers continued to drop as the months went on. The last plunge, on January 12th, had an air temperature of 29 degrees and a water temperature of 42 degrees.
Attendance still seems to be pretty high in January despite the colder temperatures, and many students are determined to continue the challenge until the end of the year seen through the minimal changes in the numbers since our first plunge. To many people, waking up before sunrise and plunging into freezing cold water isn’t their idea of fun. So why do so many seniors choose to do it every month?
“I wanted to prove to myself that I could stick to something that is challenging and continues to be more challenging,” says senior Charlotte Lee. “It is about discipline, internal challenge, and self-motivation.” This sentiment was shared by many other seniors who are also determined to participate.
Senior Kate Littlehale likes to participate in the Polar Plunge due to “the challenging nature of the activity that unites our grade, and allows us to bond and grow closer to each other.” Calling it a “once in a lifetime experience,” she explains that “because it is our last year at Pingree we’ll never have the chance to do something like this again.”
While it is true that many seniors have set out a goal to complete the Polar Plunge there are some seniors, however, who are not as interested in the activity.
Bridget Ayles says, “I decided to do the first one, but after completing it decided that: “I don’t like being cold in the morning.” No one can deny the challenge the Polar Plunge poses. Doing it is not for everyone.
All in all, whether students decide to join the Polar Plunge or not, all seniors can agree that it is an exciting opportunity offered during their last year at Pingree. The plunge truly is a great representation of the community built throughout the four years you spent as a student here. It goes to show that with a great community, anything can be fun, even early morning plunges into the cold New England ocean.
