by JEANIE CHUA and RYAN ROTHMAN
With Chadwick freshmen lacking a designated area after being kicked out of various places around campus numerous times, they have finally found sanctuary … on the Senior Deck.
It is well-known that each grade occupies its own area on the Upper School campus. Seniors and juniors congregate on their respective decks, sophomores scatter on the Main Lawn, and freshmen stay near the stairs leading to Laverty.
These lines between the designated areas blur as the school year progresses. At the beginning of the year, sophomores claimed that they would continue occupying the “freshman area.” This left freshmen wallowing on the Main Lawn.
But when the Middle School lawn closed, the middle-schoolers overtook the Main Lawn for frisbee and spikeball.
Freshmen waited for the day they’d have their lawn back, but unfortunately, that day never came.
As the weather grew too cold for the tiny freshmen, they sought warmth in the Laverty lobby, library and, most often, the Roessler Rotunda. The center of the hall became home to sports equipment, trash, food and hoards of giggling freshmen.
Needless to say, their occupation was short-lived. With noise levels at an all-time high, freshmen were kicked out of the Rotunda not once, but twice.
The juniors gladly offered a bench to some sophomores on the Junior Deck, so the freshmen tried to make a similar arrangement. Although the juniors would love to have given them a spot on the deck, the freshmen were turned away due to a lack of space.
“If I had known last semester how great the freshmen were, I would have given them our tables and sat on the floor,” lamented junior Audrey Lin.
But the seniors, known for their benevolence and model behavior on campus, jumped on the opportunity to bond with the Class of 2026.
The Mainsheet’s February Centerfold, an intraclass Tinder, first connected the two grades. The most notable match: freshman Ben Wandrick and senior Selena Huang. From there, their relationship blossomed, and they’re now known as “Chadwick’s IT Couple.”
“Senior guys just don’t get me,” Huang explained.
“Am I 18? Yes. Is he 14? Yeah, you could put it that way. But he’s really mature for his age!”
During lunch, the seniors enjoy chauffeuring their younger buddies to the Peninsula Center for lunch, even offering to pay. Senior Anna Gu takes her sister, freshman Lina Gu, and Lina’s friends out for boba as often as they allow her.
“They’re so cool,” confessed Anna. “Lina’s hosting a party on Friday night. I hope she lets me come out of my room this time.”
The seniors have also appreciated advice and emotional support through the college application process. Freshmen graciously sacrificed time to edit seniors’ essays, and seniors were thrilled to share their college lists and decisions with the underclassmen.
“When I got rejected from my dream school, I immediately called my favorite freshman, Ian Malishka. I knew he’d understand what I was going through,” senior Gabe Jones said.
“Within two days, his mom was able to drive him over to comfort me. That’s a real friend.”
Traditionally at the bottom of a high school hierarchy, Chadwick freshmen have secured a spot as too cool for the Upper School. It’s been heartwarming for all to watch them impart their sage wisdom on the outgoing Class of 2023!
The Mainsheet 