The Tightrope of First Term Now Has Some Slack

19 February 2022Lucca P, Whittall ‘22

The fall term was a time when seniors were working hard every day to complete university applications, and to stay on top of the high expectations of Grade 12 courses.
I am confident that I can speak for my classmates when I say that I am relieved to be finished with writing essays and being interviewed for universities & colleges. Although the crux of the year is now behind us, many assignments and tests will still be coming our way, which is exactly why prep is so important.

Speaking of prep, have you heard of Senior Prep?

Along with key house and school roles that seniors take on comes trust from our houseparents – that we have built since the beginning of the year. During one of our first meetings with our advisor and houseparent, Mr Gage, we Whittall boys were asked to send him our goals for our final year of high school, with a specific area we’d like to perform at in our academics, arts and athletics. We got to work, and were certainly kept busy for the next few months. The year swiftly came to a close, and upon returning from January break, it was crunch time – also the Year of the Tiger. During those following few weeks, clicking “Submit” and “Upload” for the final times was a gratifying moment for seniors and our incredible university counselors.

Around the same time, seniors were rewarded with some extra weekly downtime: during the first hour of prep on Fridays, seniors are off the hook. This time can be spent relaxing, gaming, socializing, going to get a bite to eat up town, playing spike ball, going for a workout … a cherished opportunity to enjoy some quiet time in a boarding house of 50, this hour has quickly proven to be a favorite. Max S, Rogers ‘22 appreciates Senior Prep: “Friday feels like a real Friday when I get some time to relax and do the things I like doing.” Mr Gage jokes that the one good thing of senior prep is that “It gets the Grade 12s out of my hair” and although the “Grade 12s would rather be sitting doing homework and setting a good example for the younger brothers of the house” it is important to remember that “Senior prep is a privilege.”

Spring Break is only a few weeks away, which leads me to believe that a light course load will not be with me during these next few weeks. For me, and many others, knowing that an hour of senior prep awaits us at the end of the week is comforting. It’s still a little cold out, but Nick C, Ellis ‘22 says he can’t “wait to be able to play spikeball on the field.”

Lucca P, Whittall ‘22

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