What's a Pythian? An Olympian? How do I live by School motto?

Through a series of Zoom sessions this summer, new students had an opportunity to learn all about the Hotchkiss community before they arrive on campus this fall.

Since the end of the School year in June, Prep Class Dean Nora Yasumura has produced 11 Zoom events, including a four-part series led by current students who stepped forward to help. 

"I have been so impressed by the number of returning students who reached out to me to volunteer their time to help welcome the new students to Hotchkiss, especially during this challenging time filled with uncertainty,” said Yasumura, who also serves as new student orientation coordinator and director of clubs and affinity groups.

The first panel session co-moderated by Yasumura and David Thompson, director of international programs, featured student leaders, including School co-presidents Cyrus Farman-Farmaian ’21 and Keren Mikanda ’21.

“As all school presidents, it is our job to represent and understand the issues that the entire student body faces,” said Farman-Farmaian. 

"One issue facing our incoming students is their limited ability to become oriented to the School in the first few weeks. Keren and I know how important that time is during a regular year and are committed to doing everything in our power to try to replicate those experiences this year," he said.

"We have been happy to work with Ms. Yasumura, who has done an incredible job organizing and facilitating multiple Zoom calls for incoming students, where we talk about different aspects of Hotchkiss. It has been a great experience to begin to meet some of the new students, as well as hopefully help them understand what Hotchkiss will be like when they arrive.” 

A proctor and a varsity soccer and rowing team member, Cyrus said he lived the School motto, “Guided by Each Other, Let Us Seek Better Paths," through the relationships he formed with his soccer teammates during his junior year.  “They became my real close friends and people I confided in on a daily basis. Sometimes, I felt I was being stretched in all different directions at all times,” he said. But his teammates were always there for him to set him on the right path.

Keren found the motto best described her involvement in student government and clubs. “In general, Hotchkiss helped me discover that I really liked leadership and helping other people and being with others, and part of that is because of the senior leaders that I have seen during my time at Hotchkiss,” she said.

A second student-led session explored school traditions that draw the community together, whether to have fun, to explore cultural observances, to give back through a number of service related activities, or to have meaningful community conversations.  

Sydney Goldstein spoke about many observances the School celebrates during the school year, including the Friday night Shabbat, when students gather in the Dining Room and share challah bread and grape juice. “It’s a nice time on Friday night to relax and talk with peers and teachers, and everyone is welcome, so there are constantly new faces there,” she said. 

Current students also touched on some of the cultural norms, including touching the nose or paw of the Bearcat statue in the MAC for good luck. 

“Seniors Lead” is a ritual that “really encapsulates what it means to be a senior at School,” said Cyrus. The phrase is announced after every All-School Meeting, when seniors lead everyone out of the auditorium. “But it’s also a reminder that seniors are there to be role models for everyone else in the school, which I think is really cool,” he said.

At the end of this session, new students were invited to join breakout rooms, where they could talk more informally with the current students and begin to meet one another and ask questions.

A third session featured grade-level gatherings, where new students will get to meet their class presidents, Class Dean, and find out what it is like to be a member of their grade. The last Zoom event will take place in August and will provide an opportunity for new students to learn about clubs as well as other details they need to know before arriving on campus.

“In addition, we are featuring a number of smaller outreach Zoom gatherings to bring together specific members of our community,” said Yasumura.