Where do you draw the line between creating relationships and forcing them?
Freshman Bridge was created to bring new students and those from middle school closer together through activities multiple times a week during lunch, and with a trip to Bretton Woods as the culmination of the program.
While the program is advertised to the freshmen as a fun way to bond, it has become disliked by many.
The leaders of the program have kept a positive view on the program, with Upper School Spanish teacher Profe Meyer saying, “We’ve seen some bridging of the bridging, if you will, of the gender divide, which I know in the middle school, there’s a lot more divide with gender and so it’s kind of nice to be able to bridge that divide.” Along with this, she said that the program has made freshmen “bond with some other kids that maybe are not their normal group.”
She addressed how in past years participants in Freshman bridge didn’t like the program. As she said, “Obviously, the biggest feedback is always kind of, can we do something that’s not this? And that one’s not an option, but we do try to take into account that students prefer certain activities over others and try to make it more engaging and really fun,” said Profe Meyer.
When asked about the group selection, Meyer said, “the groups are random. We use a computer system that kind of randomizes the groups. We do check over to try to make sure that no one is necessarily with the exact same people every time,” although some freshmen have had little to no new kids in their group occasionally.
However, student opinion on the program has yet to change. During the homecoming pep rally, a loud roar was heard coming from both the Freshmen and Senior sections, as the program was cancelled for the day.
Besides this implied feedback of Freshman’s view on the program, many have given specific feedback, claiming that “I feel like it’s important that the new kids get to know people, but it’s not enjoyable, change the activities we’re doing to be more competitive,” said Tea Cragin-Padilla.
One student even claimed that “I like the idea that we get to meet lots of people, but I don’t like the way it’s done.”
While the majority of students dislike the weekly program, Alex Thompson ‘29 said, “I do really like Freshman Bridge, because I get to talk to new people and play fun games with my friends”.
Because the Freshman Bridge program is during the beginning of lunch, freshman would much rather be “eating lunch, because sometimes you want to hang out with your friends and sometimes [Freshman Bridge] limits the time to do that,” said Emma Driscoll.
Although the student feedback has been taken into account, Freshman Bridge remains mandatory for all freshmen.
As two freshmen who went through the program this year, we think that the program could be improved through a wider variety of activities as well as choosing a time that is not as hot on Kelleher field. A large portion of freshmen wish that the program could be changed to a different time than lunch, because a lot of days there isn’t much food left for everyone. We also think the program would be a lot more appreciated if it took place less often. Maybe just once a week for a slightly longer period of time, or two days a week instead of three. Because when it takes place too often it feels like the relationships being made are forced.
Overall, we think the program does what is intended to, helping the freshman make connections. But it often feels more like a burden than a bridge.
