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Freshman Fun Day massive success despite delay, class unites for first time

Photo | Mrs. Kathy Chott
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The freshman class spent last Wednesday at SLUH for Freshman Formation Day. An adapted version of Freshman Fun Day, this event featured prayer, outdoor activities, and a discussion on the summer book The Other Side by Juan Pablo Villalobos

While this unusual school year has presented many difficulties, one that stands out is the lack of opportunities for freshmen to mingle outside of class. Freshman Formation Day was the first time the entire freshman class was together on campus. 

“We came across a time in our schedule where it was possible to have the whole freshman class on campus safely for the whole day,” said freshman class moderator Tim Curdt. “We felt the need to make sure we could get the freshman class mixed across cohorts for the first time.” 

Freshman Fun Day in previous years was an afternoon of game playing followed by the Running of the Bills (which was cancelled this year due to coronavirus concerns). To make the most of the time with the whole class, organizers included prayer opportunities, small group discussions, and meetings with Senior Advisors. 

“There were fun elements to it, there were getting-to-know-you elements to it, there was a chance for them to have some prayer together, so altogether we painted it as Freshman Formation Day,” said Campus Minister Stephen Deves. 

The day began with freshmen meeting with their Senior Advisors, followed by a Zoom presentation with Juan Pablo Villalobos, the author of the summer reading book. The presentation was originally planned for the whole school, but the committee that chose the summer book moved the speech to be incorporated into Freshman Formation Day. 

After that, students engaged in activities such discussions, sports, pool, and trivia with their small groups. Each Senior Advisor group from the Ignatius Cohort was paired with a group from the Xavier Cohort to allow for freshmen to meet their classmates from different cohorts. The day was concluded with a prayer service. 

“It gave (the freshmen) a chance to be together, to get to know their Senior Advisors, to get to know a couple of classmates a little more closely who were in their group, to get to know people that maybe they didn’t know before the day,” Deves said. “If nothing else, that is a big win.” 

Freshman Formation Day came to life due to the generous help of faculty and seniors. Faculty volunteers included STUCO moderators Megan Menne and Bradley Mueller, English teacher David Callon, ?? Tim Moore, and, of course, Deves and Curdt. 

Some Senior Advisors were assigned groups, while others helped with setup. 

“The Senior Advisors were outstanding: both those who led groups and those who just assisted in other capacities throughout the day,” said Curdt. “I can’t say enough about how great those senior leaders were; they should be very proud of their work.” 

When it comes to the freshmen, the feeling of togetherness was mutually shared. 

“With COVID and all we haven’t even been able to meet some of the students in our grade so when they put all of us together I could really feel the brotherhood,” said freshman Colin Duffy. 

Freshmen were also glad to meet some of their classmates from the other side of the alphabet. 

“You can really notice the difference from when just half of our guys are there,” said Duffy. “The overdue meetup between the two groups is showing that when we all come back together during the end of November, it’s going to be a great experience.” 

“I thought it was an absolutely fantastic time where others and I could meet fellow freshmen in the other cohort that I could not have met yet, which was really nice to see and meet new people,” said freshman Timmy Kappel. 

Senior Advisors alike noticed brotherhood being strengthened at Freshman Formation Day. 

"Freshman Formation Day was an incredible bonding experience for everyone involved,” said senior Philip Hiblovic. “Having talked to my freshmen over the last few months, I knew they were being deprived of connections. This day brought all of them together on campus for the first time, and I could tell they were just grateful to be there.”

Overall, the event was able to bring freshmen together in a new way. Being apart has trained the freshmen to cherish the little time they get together. 

"I saw completely new friendships form in front of me instantaneously, which is not something that happened with my grade,” Hiblovic said. “This group of freshmen has been distanced for so long that when they finally came together the will to be united was a given.”

SLUH will continue to search for opportunities to bring students together in this unusual year. In addition to Freshman Formation Day, Campus Ministry’s Food-Fellowship-Formation monthly dinners are another effort to bring students together. SLUH hopes to continue to prioritize brotherhood among its students.

 

 


 

 

 

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