A Chat at the Midpoint of the Year

​By ​Sung Min Cho ‘22
It’s almost the end of Aquarius season, and at Westminster, the academic year is at its halfway point. The final stretch of the year poses exciting and challenging perennial traditions: exams, the Lawn Ceremony and Commencement; however, it is also the point at which students feel fully acclimated and involved in the workings of the Westminster community. As such, I sat down with Jaden Goodsell '23, a new Martlet, and fellow Memorial Hall resident, for a quick and “low-key” chat about his time at the school, especially with the changes posed by the pandemic.

Sung:
How has it been getting to meet new peers within your form? Is it easier or harder than you would expect?

Jaden:
Really easy. I knew some kids before coming: Oliver Hocking '23, Colin Pogue '23, Jack Rockefeller '23. They’re super friendly, so personable.

Sung:
What do you guys do?

Jaden:
We play sports usually. In the fall, we would sit on the quad and bop to music, watch whatever was going on.

Sung:
Yeah, you know that’s so similar to what students did before the pandemic. Even with these huge changes to society, I guess there are only so many things teenage students can get up to. Good to hear though! How has it been interacting with upperclassmen and those in different forms? Is there a lack of mixing between forms?

Jaden:
‘Meh, not as much. There are some upperclassmen who I’m close with. They’re mostly in Memorial. It’s harder to know those in different dorms. Not always though — one would be Baker (Baker Morton '22), who lives in Squibb. But I do know most people’s names!

Sung:
That’s pretty legit, yeah. Even in a normal year, there’s the seniors you know — the ones who are sort of your seniors -- if that makes any sense. They tend to be in the same dorm, like you talked about. But yes, the fact that you know most people’s names is such a relieving thing to hear. One of the greatest quirks of our school is that everyone has an idea of who everyone else is; I was worried the pandemic was going to undercut that knowledge, but I guess the spirit has lived on. It’s cool how resilient humans are to preserving social systems.

Jaden:
Yeah, there’s such a friendly community here and a lot of activities to do even during the restrictions. Next year, I’m excited for more freedom. I hear about what it used to be like. Studs on Saturdays right? Ha, and [I] really look forward to visiting other dorms and open houses. Same with the dining hall. On my tour I was really impressed by it: the options, kids huddled over tables, the panini press, and the salad bar. Also, Simsbury is a cool town, and I know students used to be able to sign out, grab food at the stores and cafes, and take long weekends off. Westminster has been an amazing time, but freedom of movement in town is something I really look forward to.

Sung:
You’d definitely have fun at studs, and the town experience is something I miss, too. The Westminster experience is so much larger than the physical campus and academic schedule: it encompasses the towns nearby us, the stores, restaurants, and weekend activities like you said. It was sad to see you guys miss a part of that, but it’ll only get better from here. The dining hall is such an eclectic space for friendships and community. It’s crazy to think about the amount of dialogue that’s happened in that one space. Westminster has adapted well though: it's impressive how much the school has managed to preserve in light of this public health crisis.

In so many ways, what makes Westminster an exceptional community lives on. To know that our newest Martlets have a good acclimation to the school is just fantastic. Looking forward, the spring is the season of celebration at Westminster: a time where the earnest effort of each academic year matures to a peak. Let’s keep the energy going, and send off the 2020-2021 academic year as one to be remembered.