With classes canceled due to the PSAT on October 11, the Junior class traveled to local bowling alley Bowlero on a mandatory trip from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Other grades each had their own programming: Seniors had optional college counseling meetings and the Senior Cruise, and Lowers had a scavenger hunt.
This special programming began after Andover moved the PSAT testing date to Wednesdays a few years ago. At the time, Juniors were the only grade with no scheduled activities on that day, as most Uppers and Lowers would be taking the PSAT. Christopher Capano, Director of Student Activities, saw this as an opportunity for a Junior class bonding trip.
“Students are so busy and have so much to do, and there was nothing for ninth graders that morning. We didn’t want you to just sleep all day or do homework all day and have no fun, so I was trying to think of ways to keep you all engaged that [wasn’t stressful]. We [also] didn’t want to do something passive…[like] a mall trip or going to the movie theater,” said Capano.
Comfort Halsey, Instructor in Spanish, is a faculty advisor for the Class of 2027. She voiced her hopes that students would have time to make new friends and memories during the outing, fostering a closer community in the Junior class.
“I think [the trip] is thought of as an extension of orientation and a chance to get the class together to just continue to get to know people and develop class identity… I think it’s always helpful to get off campus, out of the day-to-day routines, to remember that there’s a big world out there, and just to do something different. I hope that students have fun, and I hope they do talk to a couple people that they haven’t talked to yet,” said Halsey.
Students taking the PSAT were met with technical difficulties. Before the starting time, the website administering the exam crashed, resulting in a two-hour delay. David Xie ’25 reflected on the unexpected problem and shared his opinions on the PSAT’s new digital format.
“[The PSAT] was delayed by two hours because the application that we used crashed. Apparently, it crashed since there were too many people logging in at the same time. Other than that, it was kind of just a standard test. A lot of people just hung out with their friends [during the delay], which I think they would’ve done anyway after the exam or they just did homework. Overall, it was definitely inconvenient, but it didn’t really affect the test,” said Xie.
As for the Junior programming, though initially apprehensive of the mandatory bowling trip, Mercy Okoronkwo ’27 enjoyed the event overall. She hopes future events will feature a wider array of activities and experiences that could cater to a larger portion of the Class of 2027.
“I didn’t think we would have a lot of fun [on the trip], but it’s been pretty fun. I thought it was pretty strange that it was mandatory, but then [again], what else was going on? I would just want more interactive [activities], things that everyone likes to do, like going to an arcade instead of just bowling,” said Okoronkwo.
