Building Something Better

This is the first of what I hope will be a regular Student Council column at Newsman. My goal is to use this space to share what the Student Council is working on, ideas we are discussing, and hopefully create a better connection between Student Council and the student body.  

Ever since last week's events, I have been thinking about community, especially at Newman, and what it feels like to be connected to your peers.

People often say that Newman is a small school, and that brings a lot of positive aspects to it. Although Newman works hard to be welcoming and inclusive, there are times when being at a small school can make it feel lonely in a different way. If you have not yet found your people, it can feel like you have lost a game of musical chairs every time you enter a room. 

I would know – I went through periods like this during my earlier years at Newman. There have been stretches of time where I felt socially isolated. I remember what it felt like to walk through a building, disconnected from the people around me. Looking back, I think more people have experienced isolation than we realize, they just don’t talk about it.

One thing I have learned since my first years at Newman  is how much the right community can change your experience. Sometimes it comes from within school, and sometimes it comes from outside. Sports, jobs, volunteering, theater, faith, clubs, or any group of people that share your interests can provide the connection we all need. Boston has so many opportunities for students, and they can become support systems and real communities for us.

Although this is true, we can’t give up on our community at Newman. We need more support from the people we see every day than we realize. While school focuses on academics, it is also where we spend most of our day and most of our time interacting with others. Feeling like you belong here matters.

As the new Student Council President, these are some of the things I have been thinking about. I don’t think building a stronger community will come from a single event or assembly. It comes from a culture where people treat each other with dignity and talk to one another, especially to those that may feel invisible. 

This problem of disconnect is not unique to Newman. A lot of high school students feel loneliness at some point. Fortunately, at Newman we have the opportunity to be more intentional about the type of community we want our school to be.