On Tuesday, January 8, sixth formers were nowhere to be found around campus. They were gathered down at the Paul Mellon Arts Center for a discussion on technology, managing your online profile, and how to avoid conflicts with your online presence, led by Ms. Sarah Gordon, Assistant Director of Communications for Web and Social Media.
Ms. Gordon talked in the assembly about online responsibility, cyberbullying or online cruelty, and sexting. She emphasized being true to oneself online as one would in the real world. Quico Vargas ’19 said, “Don’t make [online] decisions that you wouldn’t make in real life, like how you talk face-to-face shouldn’t be different from the way you talk in real life… if someone sends you revealing pictures, first of all, they shouldn’t, and second of all, respect their privacy.” Wrongful behavior online can lead to real world consequences, as stated in the talk. Ms. Gordon also went on to point out that one’s online footprint has an effect on hiring and college acceptance. She explained how companies and institutions may look into your social media and online profile as an indication of your character. This message was particularly relevant for the sixth formers, as they will have to be aware that they might experience these problems in college and later on in life if they aren’t conscious of their actions online.
The Choate wellness program has continuously evolved. Last year, much of the wellness learning was placed into a two-term sophomore class called Sophomore Seminar. Wellness Coordinator Dr. Holly Hinderlie, Ms. Gordon, and many other Choate faculty members created a new four-year long program. The third and fourth form students have wellness seminars about once every month in small groups of around ten students. Fifth and sixth form students now have a 90-minute conference once every term like the one that happened last Tuesday. Max Patel ’19, a four-year senior, discussed the importance of ongoing wellness education: “What you get out in your freshman year compared to what you get out of your senior year will definitely change. In freshman year, you don’t know much about the world and you go through history classes and math. It’s a place to grow and if you are healthy in your time, you will resound a positive impact afterward. I think it’s a good thing that we have it.”
In the past, there wasn’t a structural plan of what the teachers are supposed to teach for wellness. For instance, one teacher might focus more on teaching about sex-ed while another teacher might emphasize how the brain works. Vargas was not a fan of the loosely structured Sophomore Seminar, stating, “The amount of conversation we have about certain things especially when we, prefects, were trained many times and had very long conversations with teachers — I don’t think it was worth my time.” The four-year course, which is now in place, is hopefully a solution to these concerns. Choate’s new wellness program is much more systematic, and the faculty makes sure the students learn about all the aspects of wellness. This program looks to create a safe, healthy environment in the student body for the entirety of their time at the School.
