Immersives look fun, until you’re a senior
By Catie Kean ‘20
From building forts in the library as a first grader to leading students through the basics of cooking as a junior, Experiential Days, Breakaway, and Winterim have always been a bright light in my experience at Catlin Gabel School (CGS).
Students hard at work in last year’s “America’s Next Top Better Than Satisfactory Chef” Winterim. Photo courtesy of Kenny Nguyen.
Historically, these experiential learning opportunities have taken place the week before Spring Break, providing students with a chance to step away from a traditional academic space while connecting with the broader community. For those wishing to explore further afield, global trips for Middle and Upper School (US) students were also incorporated into this timeframe.
Last year, the US administration proclaimed the end of Winterim and the implementation of Immersives. These and global trips would now occur in the final two weeks of school and be primarily led by teachers. With all regular schoolwork resolved and an extended time frame, the administration hoped to implement a more comprehensive and impactful opportunity for experiential learning.
As a rising senior, my initial reaction to this announcement was a mix of shock and dismay. After the announcement, it was all everyone talked about for weeks. From both observation and data collection, I can infer that the overwhelming atmosphere of the senior class has been disapproval. Seniors dislike the new scheduling of immersives because it interferes with senior projects, the senior trip and global trips, and threatens to decay tradition and community.
Thirteen seniors responded to the above survey asking “How satisfied are you with the timing of Immersives in the Upper School schedule (May 26th through June 12th)?”
Though seniors still had the option to participate in Immersives, doing so would shorten senior projects. Finding a month-long opportunity can be a difficult task for many, as project mentors have little incentive to train someone and only keep them around for one month. Locating a project that is two weeks long presents even more challenges.
As senior Nina Hunter described in a Google Form response, “No one wants to hire someone for two weeks.”
This time frame is not a negative aspect for everyone. Audrey Daniels is one of four seniors electing to participate in Immersives and is very pleased with the calendar placement.
“I wanted a shorter [senior project] and it’s great to have that flexibility,” said Daniels.
In contrast, senior Ellie Nicholson’s project researching and shadowing in the neurosurgery and neuroendocrinology department at Oregon Health and Science University not only cannot be accommodated in a two-week time frame, but she must begin sooner than the majority of the class.
“My senior project is very time-consuming. I have to start earlier because of the nature of the project,” she said.
Nicholson has known from the very beginning that she would not be participating in Immersives. However, she is still frustrated that she cannot take part in the experience.
“My biggest issues with Immersives are that I can’t participate,” said Nicholson. “When I was a freshman, I became so close with specifically the seniors who were in my Winterim. They had a pretty significant effect on me and I still talk to them and see them and that was really special to me.”
Nicholson was a member of the “Freaky Flix” Winterim as a freshman. Her main takeaways were the bonds she formed with the seniors. Nicholson now recognizes the vital role that seniors play for younger students.
“As much as we hate hearing this as seniors, we have a huge impact on the people around us. People are looking at us and how we act. We should be role models and build relationships with younger people,” said Nicholson.
CGS prides itself on community and never ceases to alert seniors of their responsibilities as the oldest students on campus. How can CGS preach community and its development through experiential learning when they are virtually removing an entire class (supposedly the most influential one) from the experience?
“With Immersives, you’re removing [the seniors] from the community,” said Nicholson. “For people like me who have done Experiential Days, Breakaway, and Winterim since first grade, and doing it with all grades every year, having that be so different is just sad.”
For me, it hurt to feel excluded from tradition, especially when so many aspects of the CGS experience had changed from last year. For example, the addition of SAGE dining service and Veracross, and many faculty departures. Leaving in June last summer as a junior, I knew things would be different as a senior, however, I did not register the full extent. Upon returning from summer vacation, I felt alienated from my second home. Though most things looked the same, the amount of small changes in such a short period of time was shocking.
My experience as a freshman on Winterim aligned with Nicholson’s. Though the bonds I formed with seniors were nowhere near as comprehensive and long-lasting, it was still amazing to get to know a group of people I was very intimidated by on a typical school day. Even as a junior, having this deep connective experience with both the seniors on my Winterim and on my global trip was profoundly impactful for me. I truly cannot imagine what going abroad last summer would have been like without the two seniors in the Spain Pilgrimage group.
Now, to go on a global trip during the Immersive time period, seniors have to miss half of senior projects. Given the opportunity, many would still consider the sacrifice worth it. I had an unforgettable experience last year, and personally believe that everyone should have the opportunity to go on a global trip.
With the new schedule, students on a global trip would miss not only senior projects but also the ceremonious senior trip. Had the timing not overlapped with the senior trip, I likely would have applied for a global trip again. It appears many share my reservations, as of the 26 students who signed up for global trips, zero were seniors.
The senior trip occurs the weekend before the last week of school. It is a four-night, three-day excursion, longer than the typical one or two-night class retreats for the rest of the US. It is one of the last opportunities for a senior class to spend time together before going their separate ways.
Eliot Edelen O’Brien, Class of 2019, had the opportunity to go on a global trip and the senior trip last year. He remembers both fondly, saying he would never have wanted to “choose one over the other.”
“The global trip with Catlin Gabel was amazing,” he said. “I had never been to Spain, I met some great people, had a lot of fun, and I made some amazing memories. The senior trip was a great culmination of my high school experience. It was a good farewell from the Catlin Gabel community and my class. I wouldn’t want to make any students choose between the two. That seems unfair.”
Hiking on the senior trip. Photo courtesy of Eliot Edelen O’Brien.
For non-seniors, there are advantages to the new time frame for global trips. In previous years, students have had to miss school days for the experience. According to US Head Aline Garcia-Rubio, this is one of the positive aspects of the new timing.
“Students who go on a global trip don’t have homework hanging over their heads and they can just focus on the trip. Part of what we've experienced in the past is that students who go on global trips end up making up some of the learning for their academic classes when they return,” said Garcia-Rubio.
Garcia Rubio acknowledges that there are problems with the time frame.
“We couldn't find a good solution for the senior trip. I'm acknowledging that it's imperfect and I'm not sure what the right solution is,” said Garcia-Rubio.
For months, I have been angry about the timing of Immersives, what I was losing, what others were gaining, and what felt like a gross injustice to the entire senior class. However, talking with Garcia-Rubio was very insightful. It made me realize that it is an incredibly difficult thing to find the ideal time for effective experiential learning opportunities. Though there are definitely things that could be changed, the administration truly explored multiple options.
The discussion about timing started last year with the entire faculty. Other options, such as the implementation of a January term (or J-term) at the semester break were discussed.
“That would largely eliminate the burden for upperclassmen, but it wouldn't be helpful to the yearlong courses because you would pause and disrupt the flow of learning. Then, if we take into account the weather, wanting to be outside and the idea of having all other academic work finished, we arrived at doing it in May and June after all other academic work is done,” said Garcia-Rubio.
In addition, there was a discussion of having Immersives remain before Spring Break but be two weeks, or moving back senior projects by two weeks so seniors could participate. However, these were deemed too disruptive to the spring semester schedule.
Though this is a difficult situation, I think there are a few viable solutions. The timing of the senior trip is the easiest issue to resolve. For example, it could be done in the final week of school during days that have been allocated for community engagement, Green Dot training, and other projects. Faculty attendance would be the biggest issue with this timeframe, however, with classes resolved, it seems possible.
As for the actual timing of Immersives, I think a so-called “J-Term” could potentially work. The weather and existence of schoolwork are obvious limitations, however, a good amount of coursework would be finished. In my mind, having the entire student body present is more important than both of these concerns.
Finally, I propose having senior projects before Immersives. To alleviate concerns of a shorter spring semester, the end of the first semester could be before Winter Break. Having three weeks of school after Winter Break but before the semester break has always been strange. Often, I have finals for a class a significant time after learning the majority of the material. After two weeks of doing no school work, a good amount of time is allocated towards relearning material after Winter Break. Ending the semester before Winter Break might make more sense for the flow of learning. If the fall term is too short as a result, school could start earlier and end earlier.
When making this decision, the administration clearly had many variables to contend with: schoolwork, sports, semester-length, and faculty workload. I truly believe that student wellbeing was at the forefront of their mind and while these are important aspects when making future plans, student input and impact on the community should be considered. When decisions are made, CGS always proclaims it is in the best interest of the students. However, they cannot truly know what is best because they are not students. To ensure fairness and avoid feelings of betrayal, discontent, and powerlessness, the student voice must be respected.