The hardest part of an MHS weekend might be deciding what not to do.

Thirty-two times a year, the student-led Social Committee and Director of Weekend Activities Tanya Kalischer cook up a robust array of activities on campus, off campus, and in the Berkshires and beyond. With some 20 offerings each weekend, that’s more than 650 activities, large and small, near and far, offered during the year!

An important piece of the student experience, weekend activities, of course, offer downtime and fun, but they also allow for intentional, meaningful, and informal connections. They are part of the “Miss Hall’s Magic.”

New last year was Tanya’s idea to introduce “takeover” weekends hosted by academic departments and other adult teams, with activities offered around a theme. They have proven quite popular with students and adults.

“The students have really liked it, and it’s allowed them to dive deeper into topics and to relate to adults and subjects in new ways,” says Tanya, now in her 29th year(!) of making sure teenagers have something to do each weekend. “It’s also connected departments in ways to think outside of the box, and it’s been fun to see departments working together.”

A recent History Weekend, for example, saw students visit Arrowhead, the just-down- the-street home of Moby Dick author Herman Melville; The Bidwell House Native American Trail in nearby Monterey; historic Hancock Shaker Village, a favorite MHS destination; and the Traveling Vietnam Memorial Wall, which made a stop in Dalton.

The Advancement weekend offered opportunities for students to network — virtually and in person! — with alums in different careers and stages of life, while the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion weekend featured a Mid-Autumn Festival celebration on campus, visits to Festival Latino in nearby Great Barrington and Westover School’s COLORES FESTIVAL, work on the MHS Jewish Affinity Group’s Sukkah, and helping the Berkshire Pride Center create a mural for its new headquarters in Pittsfield.

“It’s something I’ve been doing in another iteration for years, asking adults what activities they want to offer, but this has been a nice change, and opening it to the departments has worked really well,” Tanya adds.

A typical weekend always includes things to do on campus, local trips for shopping and food, and get-togethers with other schools, but Tanya and the committee also offer a mix of fun, engaging — and even educational! — activities. The Cultural Passport program encourages students to try an activity they might not otherwise consider — or even know about.

“As we strive to have our students be global citizens, I see the Cultural Passport Program as a wonderful opportunity to expose students to events that push them to explore and think about the world and their role in it,” says Tanya. “It also excites me to see students stretch and try new things, something cultural or nature-related that they might not normally think they want to do, and then it turns out that they really enjoy it.”

Tanya notes that the formula for a memorable outing varies. A trip can be popular because students need to buy things — so a bus trip to Walmart — or because a photo or description appeals to them. A required trip to see the movie, He Named Me Malala, stands out to Tanya.

“We rented an entire theater and experienced Malala's film as a community,” she recalls. “Years later, a student told me this was one of her fondest memories of MHS. The communal experience resonated with her, and she was grateful she was able to experience this as a weekend activity. That, to me, makes planning events for students a magical experience.”