WHAT MAKES TAFT TAFT ?

SIT-DOWN DINNER

Twice each week Tafties sit down with faculty members and fellow students at assigned tables to engage in meaningful conversation around current issues. Table assignments change for each meal, allowing students to connect with different members of our community each week.

Red Rally

Prep school rivalries are as old as prep schools themselves, and ours is one of the best: On one Saturday in November nearly every fall sports team takes on the athletes from Hotchkiss. But not before “Spirit Week” and a giant red pep rally and bonfire the night before. “Red Rally” is a highlight of the school year and a great lead-in to a fun-filled Hotchkiss Day.

Super Sunday

The first Sunday of the school year marks a favorite Taft tradition: Super Sunday. Students start on teams designated by color, but blend to become one giant, colorfully painted community after a day of fun and games, from sack races and egg tosses to Crisco slides and a hotly contested tug of war.

Spiritual Life

Taft is a non-denominational school with no single religious affiliation, yet we believe that educating the whole student includes the mind, body, and spirit. We acknowledge, celebrate, and nurture the diverse religious traditions within the school, while respecting the differences and integrity of each. The Religion and Spiritual Life Council facilitates healthy dialogue among the many religious and spiritual traditions represented at Taft, as well as other school groups, including Gender & Sexuality Alliance, United Cultures of Taft, Jewish Students Organization, and FOCUS.

Feeds

Advisors, coaches, dorm parents, faculty members, classes and clubs all want to feed you! Whether it is ice cream, sushi, pizza, cupcakes, or cookies, “feeds” are a fun break from the routine, and always involve A LOT of food.

Ecomons

Monitors—mons—are our student leaders. EcoMons take the reins in ensuring that Tafties think green and live green. With an eye on environmental stewardship, EcoMons work to keep efficiency and sustainability at the forefront of campus life.

The Jig

Formally named The Donald Oscarson Jigger Shop, the Jig is Taft’s student union. You can hang out with your friends at the Jig, play pool, ping pong or foosball, and even get yummy food at the snack bar. When the sun is shining, expect everyone to gather on Jig Patio, next to Potter’s Pond.

WEEKENDS!

Saturdays are usually class days, and a big day for athletic competitions, but there’s still time in the weekend for movie nights, coffeehouses, dances, rallies, charity walks, and service projects. There are often club meetings and activities, and special events hosted by campus groups and organizations. There are cultural celebrations, arts performances, game nights, and off-campus excursions. Tafties hang with friends, skate on Potter’s Pond, ride bikes, take trips to the mall, dine out, create music and art, play pick-up games in the gym, go skiing, work out…the weekend options are almost unlimited.

Our Motto

Our school motto, Non ut sibi ministretur sed ut ministret, means “not to be served but to serve,” and serve we do. We are a community dedicated to making a difference, both locally and globally. Each season, every Taft student is invited to engage with service partners across the state through their Afternoon Program activities, while working with those organizations to meet their wide-ranging needs.