The Impact and Presence of Sixth Formers in Third Form Dorms

​By Rhys Marschke ’24
For years, it has been a running tradition here at Westminster to have a select handful of Sixth Formers live in the Third Form dorms. These handpicked students are chosen because of their exemplary leadership, and the trust dorm faculty have in them to deal with the young, inexperienced Third Formers. I, as one of the freshmen, have only positive things to say about these young men. I speak for all of my first-year peers in Alumni when I say that these seniors have had an enormously positive impact on our first few months here. Whether it be giving us bits of insights into social life at school or helping us with our academics, the Sixth Formers continue to push us to be our best selves.

In my case, the young men in my hall have served as more than mentors for me; they have been like older brothers who have certainly changed my outlook on the school tremendously. I also admire the boys for showing us the ropes and the ins and outs as well as the dos and don'ts around the school, despite their busy lives during the pandemic. In an interview where I asked fellow Third Form boy and the class president, Will Whiting ’24, about the role of upperclassmen on him thus far, he said, “The seniors have had an amazing impact on me during my first year at Westy. They have been really supportive of everyone and have encouraged us to try new things.”
 
Part of the job of the Sixth Formers in Alumni is to push us out of our comfort zone, as Will said, and I think they do a great job with that. Whiting also said that the Sixth Formers on the prefect board “have encouraged (him) to run for the student council.” Their years of experience at school, here, whether this is their third or fourth year, aid them in serving as shining examples of what it means to be a successful Westminster student — socially, athletically, and of course, academically. They believe that they need to pass the torch to us underformers the right way, and what better way than teaching us themselves. Through everything they’ve been through, including COVID-19, it is truly remarkable that they never lost their positive spirit. I applaud the seniors for being such great role models for us new Martlets, and I can’t wait for the rest of the year ahead with them.