Is ONE Masterman Working?

One Masterman is a program that began this year, with the goal of connecting students from different grades. These students are put into groups and are made to compete in games against each other, not necessarily for a prize, but for socialization. One Masterman takes place every two weeks on Tuesday during extended advisory, from 8:30 to 9:04. Despite the intentions of One Masterman, the students participating have plenty to say. A survey went out, collecting feedback about the new program with varying results.  A sophomore, who chose to stay anonymous, stated, “The purpose of One Masterman is to connect middle schoolers and high schoolers, which I think they did a good job on. I love how there are different kinds of activities for all of the grades to enjoy and collaborate on. The activities varies [sic] from silly to educational, which is an awesome way to start off a Tuesday!” and gave One Masterman a 9/10 approval rating. Other students provided contrasting opinions, such as Landon Martinez (‘28), expressing, “I overall dislike One Masterman. It’s a good idea in theory, but in practice, it forces students into awkward conversation [sic] with students much younger or older than them. While I do appreciate exposure to new groups of people, I don’t think that these will turn into long-term friendships. Many of the groups formed by One Masterman are made up of people who often do not mesh and share differing opinions and hobbies. Friendship is not something that can be forced, and the more they try to force us to be friends, the less likely it is to happen.” Landon gave one masterman a 4/10 approval rating. One Masterman has, unfortunately, not been well received by students, with an average rating of 4.46/10. Participants have cited several reasons for their low ratings, such as:

1. “...It feels more awkward than anything, and I really do not feel connected to these people.” - Lawrence Gerber (‘28) 2/10

2. “...its overall goal of community-based activities and recognizing achievements has not been effectively achieved.” - Kyle Luong (‘28) 4/10

3. “One Masterman is like taking people who get along, and separating them so they can be with people they don’t know” - Alec Santoro (‘28) 3/10

Despite the ratings, students actually have a lot of hope for one masterman, with Lawrence Gerber (‘28), who was particularly critical, saying “I hope it gets better but I haven’t seen it so far.”, and a sophomore who chose to stay anonymous saying “...I think it’s a good way to integrate the different grades, especially as middle school and high school are often very separate.” Regardless of One Masterman’s flaws, there is a silver lining to the activities, as many of the people surveyed said that they recognize the attempt it makes at bridging the gap between middle school and high school students, but claim that the ways One Masterman tries to do so could use some improvement. One masterman may not be perfect now, but with the right adjustments, the student body feels it could become something engaging and enjoyable.