The start of a new school year brings to Andover Hill a myriad of new faces, and with that, new and different outside perspectives. PA has the tendency to become a bubble without mirrors and we lose objective sight of how outsiders view us. I asked two new students, after their first week of classes, how they liked PA. I expected to hear about how amazing and difficult classes are, or how large and beautiful the campus is. Instead, I was shocked when these two girls replied that the students on this campus aren’t friendly. Incredulous at first, I had trouble believing that these girls had picked up an accurate impression of the school. I had always considered PA a receptive and welcoming environment. Later that night we went to Ryley Room, the hub of Andover nightlife. It was then that I noticed the Andover bubble had caused me to lose my sense of objectivity. It didn’t take me very much time to realize that these girls had a point. Unfortunately our student body fits too neatly into different packages or stereotypes. This was evident in Ryley Room, which broke down neatly into small groups of people sitting at tables or standing in tight circles with their friends, oblivious to the outside world. Commons, especially during dinner rush hour, represents the extreme model of the voluntary segregation that takes place on this campus. Everyone knows about the four different dining halls and their corresponding stereotypes. We all know who to expect in lower right and who we might see in upper left. Within lower right, my dining hall of choice, tables form night after night as if a seating chart exists. Because every sports team sits together at dinner, one could easily fill out a roster of every PA sports team just by wandering around Commons. Throughout campus, small groups of students stand in circles talking. It looks ridiculous. There are multiple circle-conversations taking place right next to each other, with no interaction between them. Nobody is trying to argue against having close friends. In fact, that’s what makes PA such a special place is that everyone develops a close network of friends with whom they will stay in contact long past graduation. This campus would become a whole lot livelier and friendlier, however, if everyone was more comfortable trying something new, talking to someone different, sitting in a different dining hall, or even a different table. We should be more chivalrous and make a point of greeting everyone as we walk on the paths. In an environment like Ryley, people should make an effort to surpass the limits of their circle a couple times to talk to people they usually ignore. This is especially important at the beginning of the year when there are so many new faces. At this year’s Matriculation Ceremony, Ms. Edwards told new students to live by the famous adage, “You miss 100% percent of the shots you don’t take.” Returning students would benefit from this wisdom as well. There are many people outside of everyone’s immediate social circle with whom they are sure to share many things in common. During the first week of classes, I met a new Lower and discovered that her dad played several seasons for a professional sports team in my home town. Even though she lives in a different country now, we discovered that we had a lot more in common than we could have imagined. Turns out that I grew up playing hockey with two of her best friends in Colorado. PA students have never taken a minimalist attitude towards their academics and extracurriculars. They should take on this attitude when it comes to interacting with people as well. The majority of students need to develop a “glass-half-full” mentality. There is so much to see in life, so many people to meet. When everyone loosens up and opens up a little bit we will surely find a more interesting world waiting. In the words of poet E.E. Cummings, “Listen: there’s a hell of a good universe next door; let’s go.”
