Weekend Activities Bring much needed Break

By Vanessa Leung ‘25

Every Friday, an email sent out containing a Google Slides document provides a preview of the following weekend's activities. Documents will be open for sign-ups to trips outside of school usually after lunch. Once students sign up they will convene at the front circle where transportation is provided to the designated location. A time period of 45 minutes to an hour and a half will be allotted for the students to spend. After that students will be transported back. For weekend activities happening at school students simply have to show up at the specified place and time to participate. 

Weekend trips usually contain trips to Target, Natick mall, and to festivals or places slightly farther away where students have the opportunity to experience the culture and environment around them. On campus activities also include fun choices such as painting, decorating donuts, making pies, karaoke and so on.

Perhaps the only point of frustration that many students share is the way that signups are held. Giving students access to edit the Google Slides is an efficient way of allowing students to sign up by simply adding their names on the list, but this also means the possibility of students deleting other students' names to make space for themselves. While this action is really unfair towards the students who signed up early, there is no solution to this and the person that modified the list of names can not be easily found. The only way is for people to trust each other and to respect the ones who already entered their names. Online sign ups might not be the most effective way of signing up, but it is the best for now. 

Another suggestion is for the slides to include an esitmate how much time the trip might take, because oftentimes students might underestimate the time period the trip takes and lose time they planned on doing something else. 

All of these activities and trips outside of school have been really fun and enjoyable. Trips are a great opportunity for students to hang out with their friends in different settings rather than only school, and school activities are a great way of showing that our school is not just for academics. The balance between locations that sell necessities and places that provide entertainment in weekend trips are great. 

Ongoing Debate on Semester vs. Trimester System

Andrea Xu ‘24

After a year and half of remote learning, the comeback to normal school in September feels unprecedented and fresh. In retrospect, I still gasp at how much the world and our social behaviors have changed. In previous articles, the staff writers discussed the pros and cons of online learning. On the positive side, remote learning opened us to explore new hobbies and interests. On the other hand, it divested us of social interactions, and, is however unfavorable to our wellness. Understandably, adapting in normal school could be overwhelming. Time inches steadily toward the afar. In the blink of an eye, eight weeks passed. In this page, I want to consider the academic prospect of in-person learning. 

The end of Window One is November 5th. Arguably, the date induces widespread discontent. Seniors had to meet the college application deadline in early November, and teachers had to write insane amounts of recommendations while grading final assessments or projects. In addition, under-formers felt stressed from piled-on work in the following week. Some teachers alleviated the stress for freshmen by giving them delayed due dates.

Faculty interpreted this situation from their unique perspectives. Mr. Palmer, the Science Department Head, shared that Window Two feels the shortest, “first of all, Window Two is broken up into breaks- the Thanksgiving and Christmas. And from the end of Window One to Christmas, people want to accomplish something.”

Ms. Killeen, a History and Social Science faculty, expressed that the transition to St. Mark’s takes time, “I see Window One as a warmup, especially for freshmen. Figuring out St. Mark’s is a lot, sometimes too much.” Furthermore, she unfolded her outlook for Window Two: “Another thing is the winter practice schedule. In the fall, all the athletic teams have their own fields, whereas in the winter, there are not enough facilities to accommodate all the teams all at once.” As a result, the athletic department made decisions to stagger the practice times. Interestingly, some Junior Varsity and Thirds teams even have practice that runs into study hall and beyond. Occasionally, some days are harnessed under special schedules for events like evening chapel. Ms. Killeen opined that this lack of rhythm was chaotic. 

Biologically speaking, dullness sweeps through the winter because we have less exposure to sunlight. In our bodies, higher quantities of melatonins are activated, resulting in lethargy and symptoms of depression. 

Ms. Matthews, who teaches Writing Workshop and Literature on Trial, a senior English elective, metaphorically set out her teaching during the pandemic as a “beautiful censorship.” Jokingly stated, she had her first Thanksgiving in fourteen years without grading papers. “It was difficult,” she remarked. “I understand that kids missed a year and half of school. I only got to see them twice a week for 45 minutes!” Also, she gave varied weights to different windows, “I weigh Window One lower because everyone is learning how to become a student at St. Mark’s. The workload in Window One is low stakes. My students have a haphazard span of knowledge on grammar. I gave them diagnostics to do.” 

She continued, “I weigh Window Two higher. Everything is real work. High expectations. This feels like a heavy lift to freshmen.” 

While it seems, some propose a shift to a trimester schedule so that the first grading period ends on the start of the Thanksgiving break. 

Dr. Harwood, the head of the Classics Department, believed learning is a natural procedure,  “the learning process is organic. The student’s learning doesn’t necessarily fit into arbitrary units of time. If we want to create a holistic education, we should adopt the trimester system. For example, language learning takes place over a period of years, and it doesn't always fit into smaller time frames.”

During my interview with Dr. Harwood, she digressed from the trimester system to the assessment week. The assessment week is also known as the midterm. It happens in the last week before Christmas. Dr. Harwood highlighted that students need time to rest in order to synthesize and integrate information. “Deeper learning happens this way,” she added. This made me think about my own learning differently. Should I only seek results or make a report that displays my solidification for everything I have learned so far? 

Jacob Cifuenttes’ 24, a sophomore, alleged a preference over the quarters system. He generally feels stressful turning in assignments on time. Jacob finds frequently overseeing comments and applying them into the next term an effective approach to improve his learning. 

Diana Oh’ 24, another sophomore, agreed with Jacob, “The quarters offer a closer level of my learning progress. As opposed to a half year at the end, I like the conciseness of quarters. For me, trimesters are too long.” On the whole, Diana deemed that people tend to become demotivated from longer periods. Recurring motivations are important. 

Is St. Mark’s Reentering In-Person Learning Too Quickly?

By Ingrid Yeung ‘23

Into the third year of combating COVID-19, wearing a mask and discussing new cases have become the norm of our normal social life. This school year, before winter break, St. Mark’s has effectively contained the virus within the school. Even with the introduction of the intimidating Delta variant, the school, strictly following the health and safety protocol, managed to keep St. Markers safe and suppressed cases from growing. Just as things were going positively, a more transmissive variant Omicron emerged and quickly spread throughout the world in a few weeks. The United States even reported 1.35 million cases per day during the supposedly relaxing holiday season, possibly due to increased traveling and transmission. With Omicron storming the country, several St. Mark’s community members tested positive during the break. However, after serious consideration, the school still decided to maintain the regular return time for students and set a series of protocols and procedures to reenter the fully in-person learning. Then a question arose: Are we coming back too quickly? 

As students returned from winter break, St. Mark’s required all incoming boarding students to take PCR tests and immediately start quarantine within the dormitory before the testing result came out to return to the regular school schedule. During this time, all meals were taken out, students were not allowed to access other parts of campus, and all classes happened online. When PCR test results were released after two days, there were 17 positive cases made up of 11 boarding students, two day students, and four adults. Such results were much higher than we had obtained prior to winter break and concerned many students and parents, even though it only constituted 3.5% of our school’s population. After consultation with EH&E, the school still resumed in-person classes and activities to many’s surprise. 

Several other cases have been detected since the school resumed in person last Saturday, including students who have recently gotten their booster and are fully vaccinated. This pattern clearly shows Omicron’s highly transmissive nature and its ability to multiply within a close community like St. Mark’s. Many students have been stressed about the COVID cases and being close contacts here at school. Parents are even more concerned about their children’s well-being. Looking at the still increasing number of cases, did the school make the correct decision to bring us all back together? Students have started an online petition to call for Hybrid learning for students’ well-being, but such voices do not seem to be heard by the school. The stress level only increases for the students and community members seeing their friends testing positive and becoming close contacts. The Omicron is less severe than other variants, but that is only to say that most people have milder symptoms, and the relative percentage hospitalized is less. However, the total number hospitalized still surpassed last January, creating another record.  

The students and the parents have valid reasons to be concerned about the school’s decision and reports on COVID-19 cases. The school reported seven boarding students and two adults have tested positive in the most recent PCR test. However, according to student sources and our knowledge, there are far more than 7 cases of COVID-19 in our boarding population. Understandably, the school does not provide a complete list of people who contracted COVID, but news of positive cases spread fast among students themselves as a tight-knit community. Whether such information is exaggerated, it already creates enough tension around the school to reconsider in-person learning.  This is not to entirely discredit the validity of the school’s report, but just once more casting doubt on whether we went back to in-person learning too soon and whether or not the school is operating with extra caution right now. School life with constant discussion of contact tracing and positive cases can be very stressful. Potentially contracting COVID-19 and evacuating to quarantine can sound even rougher. After hearing friends test positive, a friendly hug in the morning could become worries at night. Those thoughts and common emotions can influence students’ life and academic participation even more negatively than remote learning. So again, did St. Mark’s resume in-person teaching too quickly? 

Fellow students, there is not much we can do at this challenging time but follow the health and safety protocol. Wearing surgical masks properly and covering your nose can significantly reduce the risk of contracting COVID- 19. When you notice symptoms similar to COVID-19, report to health services for a rapid test as soon as possible. And lastly, wear your mask properly, avoid crowded areas, and stay safe! 

Is Your Body Too Disturbing for the Community? Thoughts on the SM Dress Code

Suha Choi ’22, Yuslis Ramirez ’24, Victoria (Tori) Merlo ’24, Netty Andrews ’25, Julie He ’23

No spaghetti straps— but really, no showing shoulders. No leggings— but really, no showing tight legs. No blue jeans— but really, no representation of the working class. As St. Markers, we are accustomed to following many rules— all so neatly listed out in the SM handbook, the “SM communist manifesto” as some call it— in order to ensure our community values and RUSH. But that doesn’t mean we need to blindly abide by rules and traditions without ever questioning why they are written the way they are. In particular, the school’s dress code has had questions and a recently increased dissatisfaction in the way they are created. In the recent poll that the St. Marker staff sent out to all-school, 166 out of 205 students (81%) expressed that they would like the dress code to become more flexible and comprehensive. This overwhelming student consensus goes far beyond the mere teenager complaint about wanting to wear their hoodies all day long. The current dress code reflects upon what our community values and simultaneously, what issues we are neglecting— to name a few, sexual objectification of women, socioeconomic diversity, and the priority of making students feel “comfortable” and “at-home” in this community.

St. Mark’s has long emphasized their beloved words: “business casual.” Although many incoming students every year and even upperclassmen who have been at school for some time continue to be uncertain about what that term is supposed to mean anyways, they gradually adopt what other people wear: khaki pants, the Nike Airforce 1s, the list goes on. But let’s face it. As one student reflected on their poll responses, khakis and collared shirts are simply expensive: “To expect a student to be able to wear them five days a week is to demand a certain level of economic availability, which is something SM should strive to stay away from.” This is not to take away the atmosphere of a formal, college preparatory institution (again, whatever this is supposed to mean). From the discomforts that so many students expressed, a compromise between these two conflicting ideas would be most beneficial. Or as another student puts it, “Yes, it’s important to look professional and respectable however not everyone in our St. Mark’s student body is able to buy clothes that are up to ‘standard.’” After all, what is so wrong about seeing Nike shorts around the school day? Shorts that allow students to wear after school for sports without having to ask their parents for an extra set of “formal” clothes. Will Nike shorts be a threat to the school’s prestige and supposedly traumatize the prospective students and parents visiting for tour? These questions are not discussed enough in our community, and the consequence to silence is far-reaching. 

The dress code and the new dress code violation cards that were announced during school meeting, promotes a shame culture inside the SM community, whether we all know it or not. This shame culture is especially true for female students. The opinions that female students at St. Mark’s shared were incredibly overwhelming and disturbing. Here are some representations of the responses we gathered:

“The 4-inch requirement for skirts is really hard to meet, because it's hard to find them in any stores. I asked at least 8 of my friends and they all agree with this. Also, over the summer a friend and I found 10+ boarding schools that don't have this requirement.”

“What’s up with spaghetti straps and leggings and short skirts? Is it inappropriate and “not professional enough” if our legs and shoulders start showing? Are our bodies disturbing and against the “academic environment”? Why do they go against the “professional” and “respectable” environment? This is an implicit sexualization.”

So… Why do we have only a few faculty members decide the dress code without student discussion, when it is building rage and confusion among nearly half of our community members? Indeed, it’s not just girls. When the discussion starts flowing, you realize it is boys, too:

“I feel as though the dress code isn’t fair for the male side of St.Marks. Why can’t the male dress code be more relaxed? I find myself picking out the same type of pants and the same shirt every morning before school.” - anonymous male St. Marker

“I don’t understand why I am only allowed to wear a St. Mark’s sweatshirt to school. How about all my other hoodies that don’t even have anything offensive on them?” - anonymous male St. Marker

Living in a culture that already encourages a very limited form of masculinity, male students at St. Mark’s are taken away to express creativity and their identity, subconsciously pushing them to conform and dress up like every other male. Clearly, the dress code doesn’t take into account that everyone is shaped differently. In the words of an anonymous St. Mark’s student, “dress doesn't really impact learning (unless taken to an extreme). Professional clothing can be hard to access for some people. Professionalism is a social construct. What looks professional in one culture is different from another culture and another community. The dress code impacts girls/women disproportionately (skirt length among other things).” As a community, what do we want to value more, “formality” or the communal sense of being comfortable around one another? And of course, as many students brought up, compromises are always possible: perhaps, it is possible to capture both the school’s formality and the comforts of our students, but only once the school starts incorporating student opinions. 

Op-Ed: The Right to Bare Legs

By Julie He ‘23

As a small independent private school, St. Marks allows for freedom in many choices from religion to athletics. However, it seems the line is drawn when it concerns clothing. With the (arguably) strict dress code, St. Mark’s imposes a string of rules, including a ban on blue jeans, leggings, sweatpants, and more. Because of these regulations, SM students are often left with few choices. During the day, especially when considering weather, skirts are a popular choice. As an easy and fashionable article of clothing, skirts offer comfort and style to everyone. Because St Mark’s dress code requires the skirt length to be “4 inches past one’s fingertips”, this rule makes it hard for students to dress freely because of the length. The dress skirt length is too harsh and could use adjustments.

As times shift, so do fashion trends. Since the founding of St. Mark's, styles have developed, and shorter skirts have become the fashion norm. Furthermore, pictures of Southborough School (Girls School before it merged with SM) found in the school show girls wearing skirts, not of dress code length. If 1978 St. Mark’s are allowed such attire privilege, why can’t we?

One reason for the skirt length rule is to promote equality using the same length of bottoms for both boys and girls. However, while the intention is admirable, stores and malls do not support this notion. In stores, Bermuda-length shorts for boys are effortless to find. This cannot be said the same for girls. It is near impossible to find skirts the length of more than 4 inches below the fingertips, with most dresses found in stores today fingertip length or shorter. The length for boy’s pants is, in general, longer than for girls of the same size. The equality then turns to inequality when stores do not offer said equality.

At SM, athletic uniforms (Squash, Tennis, etc.) also force girls to wear skirts that are actually not of dress code length. What is the difference between the academic day and sports day? If modesty is the issue, shouldn’t sport skirts be longer since their physical movement should be more revealing than walking and sitting. Spandex shorts can also be worn underneath skirts should that be a big issue. 

While I understand St. Mark’s wishes for equality and protection, the rules could be tweaked to allow more freedom in dress choice. Our clothes have a significant effect on us whether in terms of confidence or comfort. For example, by changing the length to just the fingertips, we can ensure safety and a chance to wear skirts. This length is also imposed at many other private schools with no problems arising from it. Implementing this rule would provide more equality to students and allow them to express their individuality through clothing. Currently, I see no drawbacks of laxing the dress code to allow more skirts in the school. By loosening the restrictions, St. Markers will be able to dress more easily, express themselves, and stay fashionable.

What Is The Purpose Of Safe Zones?

Netty Andrews ‘25

Many St. Mark’s students have heard about the safe zones on campus. When I was first hearing about it my first thought was, why? Why would we need safe Zones if the whole campus is supposed to feel safe for students and faculty? First, let me provide some background.

Safe zones were established here at St. Mark’s a long time ago. They were made because some faculty wanted to provide students who didn’t feel comfortable sharing aspects of their identity out loud and in public, a place for them to do just that. These safe zones were open for all students, but I’m assuming they mainly focused on LGBTQ peoples, POC, and more people, since back then they were less welcomed in a private school setting and in society in general. 

*I would like to give a very big thank you to Mr. Vachris, who made time for me to ask these questions while he was preparing for a meeting.*

Mr. Vachris, Dean of Students, said that these safe spaces were a good start for promoting more acceptance for these groups of people at St. mark’s, and as the school evolved as a community it also indulged in more conversations about how to create more acceptance forming the space(s) we have today.

As we can see there was a huge purpose for safe zones when they were first created, but now we have to question if that purpose still exists anymore? And if it does, what hasn’t St. Mark’s done to make people feel comfortable? As said before, St. Mark’s has grown into a place where all types of people are welcomed, so it’s very hard to feel like one aspect of your identity is not shared with another person. This is also another reason we have Pathways and clubs, to find people that share our identity or interest and bond over it. 

I believe that here at St. Mark’s, students should not have to feel like they can not open up about themselves. Everyone should be able to express themselves at any place on this campus, but at the same time, there might be a story that I haven’t heard yet. A story where a student here does not feel safe, and they use a safe zone to talk about it. I can not guarantee that everyone feels safe on this campus through my words alone but through all of our actions as a community we can. Everyone has had moments in their life where they have felt unsafe or uncomfortable, long or short. Thinking back on that feeling, would you want anyone on this campus to feel the same way you did? 

COVID Safety Procedures at SM: Can They Get Better?

Sunny Li ‘22

Getting tested every Monday or Tuesday has become a weekly routine we live by. In a time when we have to endure the difficulties of COVID as we connect with others in a close-knit community, we dismiss weekly testing and required indoor mask-wearing as just another price we have to pay. As much as St. Mark’s is currently doing a great job of keeping everyone in check, especially as more and more school members have become fully vaccinated, certain precautionary methods at the beginning of the school year could have been carried out more effectively.

Speaking from my personal experience, I would not say living in quarantine for seven days was a fun way to start the school year. While I was only a few hundred yards away from my friends, it felt just like being back in Zoom school. This problem I dealt with in my first week of school was partly due to my prior difficulties of getting vaccinated as an international student back in China, but I would go so far as to say that it reflected on the safety procedures that St.m Mark’s could have been more effective about. Before school started, all returning students came back on campus on Friday, September 10, and received their PCR testing on that same day. Just a day after the arrival of returning students, the convocation took place in the Class of ‘45 Hall. At that time, when all school members gathered at the convocation, the results of the PCR test had not come out yet. Although all school events like that do require mask-wearing from all students—whether they are fully vaccinated or not—convening the entire school in-door without first receiving the results of PCR testing risks endangering the unfully vaccinated school members. Fortunately, in the case of the convocation, no other students have contracted COVID, but some did endure the seven-day quarantine as a result. The school could have waited for the PCR testing results and quarantined those who had COVID instead of risking exposing all school members, including those not fully vaccinated, to the disease. 

Another question to consider is how effective the mask guidelines are, given that students can take off their makes in houses and outside buildings. We saw a wide spread of cold going around just in the past few weeks— at one point, half of the school was coughing and talking with evidently sore throats. If the cold is able to spread this easily, how would things look like if we had a student with a COVID case instead of the cold? These are questions to consider as we move into the school year with numerous updates from the safety protocol and state that we will be adjusting our procedures to. 

Certainly, we should be appreciative of the efforts of our health services facilities and all the safety protocols that St. Mark’s has been created. At the same time, since we all know how tough it is for everyone to keep up with these protocols, could we have been more effective and saved several students of their fun at the beginning of the year, of facilities members that had to help out in the Annex for days? Certainly yes, had we requested for PCR testing results in advance of time, just as many other boarding schools around us, such as Fay school, did.

NA or YA: Graduation Requirements

Yuslis Ramirez Roche ‘24

When a student says “I am taking this class because it is a requirement,” the tone and message sounds more of a student ‘needing’ to take that class rather than a student ‘wanting’ to take it which, I don't know about you but to me, it sounds forceful and distressful. While reading this article, keep in mind these questions: should some requirements be re-evaluated? What are the pros and cons of requirements? Do you lean closer to the approval of the current requirements or disapproval of the current requirements?

Like many other schools, before graduating everyone must complete the requirements their school obligates students to do. St. Mark’s requirements involve sports (all four years), academic classes (three years of math, two science labs, and US history), language classes (three years of one language), art courses (at least two semesters), and religion courses (two semesters). The reasoning behind requirements is for students to be exposed to trying new things and expanding their knowledge. No contradiction on the reason for requirements, however, I believe some requirements should be given as a student’s optional such as religion and art courses. As it may be assumed, requirements have its negative and positive aspects, let’s go over them and then by the end, you may or may not come to a conclusion of whether requirements should be re-adjusted or left as it is now.    

Starting with the unfavorable side of requirements, based on responses from some St. Marks students, the average rate of how beneficial requirements are is 7.1 out of 10 which is fairly nice. However, as some of the responses stated, requirements for many students is still a dreadful and unpleasant experience. When students take a required class and do not find it pleasing or amusing, then it takes away the fun out of their learning, and limits a student's independence of learning what they are interested in learning. Take for example a current St. Mark fourth former who made an excellent point of  making requirements “more customizable” like having students take “4 electives of [their] choice” and/or doing an “independent study of [their] choice” for your junior or senior year (anonymous fourth former). Some students already have an interest in certain areas, while others do not. However, those who have an interest should be given the opportunity to go after their interest and invest their time and energy on learning and growing on it. Having students do requirements they do not wish or find meaning in learning about, only restricts them from finding their inspiration and learning opportunities. 

In addition to limiting a student’s learning experience, I believe that requirements also push students to want to only “pass” and not necessarily want to “learn” from the requirement course. According to another current St. Mark fourth former, some requirements such as religion are courses that she is indifferent and apathetic about, and even though it brings lots of advantages, it is a course she is not particularly interested in. Sometimes, students do not find a requirement enjoyable, so they lose interest and they are left with the feeling of only finishing the requirement and getting over with it rather than being fully devoted to learning. 

The fourth former continued and suggested that some requirements such as religion and art should be a pass or fail class. To many, this plan for some requirements may be an option to encourage students to ‘want’ to learn. In general, I also believe that some requirements should be optional or a ‘pass or fail’ class considering some students find requirements pococurante.

On the other hand, requirements also have its conveniences as well. As mentioned before, the purpose of requirements is to encourage students to try and learn new things. Most of the students interviewed agreed that requirements have taught them personal and educational things. For instance, a fourth former who is taking World History and JCI (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) learned that religion and history has similarity in stories and dates, and she has made many connections between both which helped her a lot with understanding World History. 

Furthermore, I think that requirements introduce students to courses and activities that may inspire them to continue to pursue and benefit those who have a desire to continue studying it. For instance, a third former, who is taking geometry has aspired to work in the STEM field, if the three years of math were not a requirement and she were not required to Geometry, then would she ever have the aspiration of being an engineer or exposed to Geometry? Truthfully, I may never know, but what I do know is that it proves that requirements can have a positive impact on students.  

Nonetheless, requirements are a student’s obligation that students must do, but what are your thoughts on requirements? Do you believe that requirements should be re-evaluated? Should some requirements be optional or an option student-based? Are you na or ya for requirements?  

Attending to Our Mental Health Needs This Summer

BY MADISON HOANG ‘23

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, concerns about mental health and well-being have skyrocketed, as individuals find themselves struggling to cope with the challenges of social distancing, or are anxious for the course of the pandemic itself. Paradoxically, the alarming need to protect our physical health has inadvertently placed our mental health at an even greater risk. For the St. Mark's community, the unexpected shifts between remote and hybrid learning have certainly imposed a heavy burden upon the internal workings of many students. Since spring of 2020, we have been compelled to forfeit various aspects of our pre-pandemic lives which were once deemed as ‘normal,’ and replaced them with the ‘new normal’ of the pandemic: working from home, attending classes at midnight, living in a single dorm, wearing masks 24/7, severing face-to-face interactions with our peers, etc. Frankly, these were sacrifices that many of us were not ready to make, or did not expect to be relinquished for as long as they have. As a result of these pandemic losses, the overall mental well-being of learners across the nation has taken a considerable plunge ever since, as demonstrated in a fall 2020 survey conducted by the Active Minds organization: nearly 75% of college students report that their mental health has worsened over the course of the pandemic, with 89% experiencing stress or anxiety, 78.06% experiencing sadness or disappointment, and 77.47% experiencing loneliness or isolation. This almost-ubiquitous pattern of negative thoughts and feelings associated with pandemic-learning simply begs the question: How can students at St. Mark's, who also find themselves in a state of mental distress, address their internal needs during this post-pandemic world? With summer break coming just around the corner, it seems more important - than ever before - that students utilize this time to mentally recover from the  past year, and eventually, prepare themselves for the coming future.

Focusing on Recovery

In spite of all the trials and tribulations that students have endured this past year, psychiatric studies have shown that the human resilience is much more capable of mental self-healing than we may believe. This summer, instead of immediately shifting back into rigorous academic work, take some time to answer to your internal needs, and to practice self-care. First, accept the fact that perhaps things did not go according to all the expectations you set for yourselves and your surroundings. The needs of social distancing, quarantining, and hybrid learning have certainly sold everyone short of their hopes and desires this year, and that's totally okay! By learning to accept your shortcomings, you can avoid further digging itself into a negative state of self-blame, regret, or disappointment. It allows you to move forward with an open mind, and set yourself up for future growth. Furthermore, deal with negative thoughts and emotions by practicing self-care: building habits like mindful meditation, healthy eating, regular exercise, and adequate sleep, can greatly encourage the development of positive emotions.

Equally as important in the recovery process is social inclusion, which allows you to regain a sense of social participation, and re-establish a strong support network of loved ones and peers. This summer, reach out to your family members, friends, and local community - not only to rekindle previously-severed bonds, but also, to reintroduce yourself back to the ‘outside world.’ If the self-recovery process remains difficult, then don't be afraid to seek help from your loved ones, or from medical professionals; it is just as important to realize that this battle does not have to be an entirely internal effort, but also, an external one. This will help ease the mental recovery process, as you won't feel compelled to place further pressure on yourself to yield full results.

According to the Mental Health Foundation, the principal indicators of a successful mental recovery process may include: good relationships, satisfying work, personal growth, and the right living environment. Once you rediscover this balance in your daily life, you will have essentially set yourself up for a healthier mindset as you approach the post-pandemic world.

Looking Ahead…

With plans to shift back to in-person learning for the 2021-2022 school year, students should expect to see further adjustments to their weekly schedules and lifestyle arrangements. The most drastic changes? Most boarders will be expected to live with a roommate, classes will run for nearly twice as long, there will be fewer periods of ‘free time,’ athletic practices will become more rigorous, and students will be required to attend all-school events and commitments in-person. Particularly for this year's new students and remote learners, it will certainly be a challenge to cope with the decreased flexibility of the in-person schedule - but fear not, as it is entirely possible to prepare beforehand!

Once mental recovery has proceeded, use the rest of this summer to re-adjust back to next year's schedule. If not already part of your summer routine, then practicing habits like going to bed earlier, exercising in the afternoons, working in the evenings, and skill-building for independent living, will gradually allow your body’s natural rhythms to adapt to newer changes. This way, you can avoid an abrupt and challenging shift back into St. Marks’ rigorous schedule this fall - especially after having been used to the modified schedule for so long. If possible, continue practicing self-care habits throughout this summer in order to keep your mental health at bay, and to form a positive mindset going into the next school year. 

For many students of St. Mark's, this summer unexpectedly marks a crucial period of time to focus on the necessary mental recovery and preparatory tasks left behind by the COVID-19 pandemic. Though anxieties centered around the pandemic have been well-relaxed with the rise of vaccinations in the United States, it has left behind much unspoken, yet crucial work to be dealt with. Therefore, it is incumbent upon affected students of the St. Mark's community, not only to acknowledge, but also to address these mental health needs. Use this summer to resolve the remnants of pandemic-induced stress and loneliness, and prepare for immense growth and success this following academic year, as St. Mark’s (hopefully) returns to ‘normal', in-person learning.