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Exeter High School Student-Run Newspaper!
15 Ways to Facilitate Human Connection at EHS
Ms. Christians' Honors Sophomores are reading The Catcher in The Rye, and much of their discussions about Holden have centered around Holden's lack of human connection. These discussions got them thinking about human connections in their own lives. After watching a TED Talk by Ivan Cash, a man who designed his own projects to bring strangers together, they were inspired to facilitate human connection within the walls of EHS. Read on to find out more about their efforts!
The Round Table Project by Mia Albertelli
Opportunities for human connection are all around us. Acting upon these opportunities is very important, especially at places like school and work, where the majority of people spend most of their time. After going through ten years of school, I have seen a variety of classroom setups and environments. Each classroom has a different function, but one constant always made for a great learning experience: round setups.
All students have those certain classes they love, and some they don’t. It might be because they have friends in that class, they like the teacher, or like the work. But, unconsciously, the way in which a classroom is setup has a big impact on our feelings towards that class. For example, in my science class, we sit at desks of two, all facing the front of the room. Recently, we did a project out in the hall with the entire class and I was shocked to see the people that have been in my class all year long and whom I hadn’t even noticed. Whereas, in classes with a circular setup, such as English or Study Hall, I feel more connected to the class as a whole. This sparked my idea of implementing this strategy into more classrooms.
A setup in which the desks/tables are in a “horseshoe”, circle, or semi-circle shape, can be beneficial for both the students and the teacher. This strategy allows students to be more observant of others around them, which can spark discussion and develop good communication skills. It can make classroom discussion flow easier, and the teacher can keep an eye on students at all times. This setup also allows for students to feel connected with one another, as everyone is a part of the circle and is not limited to or does not have to deal with the fear of being left out at tables or “desk clutters.”
In an article by The Professional Learning Board, it states that, “Studies have reported that seating arrangements impact the learning process.” It continues to talk about specifically circular arrangements: “Students have a clear view of the person expressing their opinions; educators using a circle seating arrangement find it easy to control the discussion and can motivate passive students to pitch in...This circular arrangement can help foster group dynamics.” It also talks about in what specific ways teachers can arrange the students around the circle, with teachers being encouraged to seat the more active members near them or their desks, and the more passive students opposite to them. “This can enable the teacher to signal to more active participants while providing opportunities to the others, and permits establishment of eye contact with students who may need encouragement to participate.”
Many teachers are aware of this strategy; however, as a student, I do not feel it is implemented as much as it should be. This type of setup is not functional for all classrooms, but many teachers who are able to arrange their classrooms like this, don’t. Some only use it when having a classroom discussion. This further proves that circular environments spark connection and supports the idea that it needs to be used for more than just discussions. When implementing this idea by asking several students their opinion, 80% said they prefer a circular arrangement because it makes them feel “more on task but still able to connect with peers.”
2. Connection Through Music by Sadie Currier, Allison Varney, Maggie Paquette & Allana Schaecher
Our group used music as a way of connecting people through common interests. We were inspired by videos of people going to college campuses and asked students what they were listening to. We did this through a Google Form that automatically put the results into a Google Sheet to clearly display the answers. We learned about new genres of music so the options on the form would accommodate all music tastes. We learned that although our school is quite sheltered, there was a vast variety of music preferences. We discovered fans of everything from experimental electronic and folk to pop and country. Music can be an incredible way to connect people.
3. Classroom Spaces by Shayla Gerkin & Grace Hwang
The overflow of the library and the stressful amount of work throughout the day leads to less space for students to use and less social interactions. What if I were to tell you there is an empty classroom in the upstairs G-wing not being used? This space can lead to a monumental change for students in need. This classroom can become a place for eating, study halls, clubs, meetings, and more.
We interviewed 8 different students about their opinion on creating this empty classroom into something better. All participants responded that they would use the room during lunch and would use it for educational purposes, like studying and homework. Some students would want to use this empty classroom for a place to eat because the cafeteria can be overwhelming and loud. (Currently, the library has a rule that only seniors can use it during lunch to reduce crowding.) More people said they would use this space educationally to meet with teachers and catch up on work. This space can also be used for materials that may be needed for projects such as posters and different colored papers and other craft materials.
We also interviewed students about how to make this room most functional. They mentioned using tables instead of separate desks to allow bigger spaces to work on projects and collaborations. We asked the 8 students if reserving the room is better than a first-come, first-serve option. One student said, “Yes, first come first serve can be a little competitive.” Everyone should have a chance to use the room under the right circumstances.
87.5% of people surveyed responded that they would use this space. Would you use this empty classroom?
4. World Cup Wishes by Rhys Paton, Tavian Renzi & Jacob Cain
We decided to gain data about the World Cup, specifically which team people wanted to win the World Cup. To research this we went around the school to gather the data that we needed to gain more of an idea of people's stances. This data included which countries people wanted to win the World Cup, not who they thought would win. We went around and asked people out of the 8 remaining countries, who they wanted to win. We then had them write their first and last name and then which team they wanted to win. Our data included opinions from 37 different people. Out of the 37, three people chose the Netherlands (8.1%), eleven chose Argentina (29.7%), two chose Croatia (5.4%), elevent chose Brazil (29.7%), one chose England (2.7%), five chose France (13.5%), three chose Morocco (8.1%), and one chose Portugal (2.7%). This shows the trend that most people were rooting for Brazil and Argentina, a decent amount were rooting for France, and not many were rooting for the 5 other countries. Only 27.1 percent of the total people rooted for the 5 other nations (Netherlands, Croatia, England, Morocco, and Portugal), while 72.9% rooted for the top 3 choices (Argentina, Brazil, and France). Almost ¾ of the people we interviewed rooted for these top 3 chosen teams.
We chose to conduct this survey to help start conversations with new people about a universal sport. By asking about other countries and a sport that is seldom talked about in America, we bonded new people together over a new experience. Soccer was chosen as a sport because soccer has been shown to bring people together in the past. For example, Medium.com recalls such moments in an article titled “More Than Just a Game, Football Brings People Together.” The article recalls the 1998 World Cup, when the United States and Iran had to play each other. At the time, there was a lot of political tension between the countries. But, the soccer game went smoothly, Iran winning 2-1. This is partially because of the events that kicked the game off. At the start, the Iran players actually bonded with the U.S. players by giving them a bouquet of white flowers. Then, the players posed for a picture where they were arm and arm with each other. This was a rare occurrence and really proved to the world that everyone can bond over soccer.
We also experienced significant bonding while conducting this survey, as many people started connecting over soccer no matter what they were currently doing. For example, one person completely stopped the work she was doing to move to a different table in the library to talk about soccer. In this case, soccer took a person out of their own bubble and inspired them to strengthen their connections with different people. This was just one of many instances that showed us that soccer can bond people together and can expose people to different points of views outside their personal bubble. This is crucial to know when everyone today can be stuck inside their own minds, and human interaction is not seen as much.
Due to the immense simplicity and relatability of sports, they remain an extremely important component of modern society throughout the world, bringing millions of people together in collective events that instill both rivalries and friendships. Sports allow strangers to possess a powerful connection with one another, kindling relationships in an environment built upon competition and entertainment. Discussing sports, particularly an event as widespread as the FIFA World Cup further enables these connections, amongst classmates, peers and strangers alike.
5. The Connection Composition by Poppy Schaffer, Lila Ritchotte, Sophie Young & Julia Verani
In a world full of expectations and limitations, it is difficult to portray your true self to others. The Connection Composition is a notebook we designed to be a safe space to write entries, emotions, doodles, or anything your heart desires without the pressure of being judged.
Our notebook was put in place to bring people together and add a sense of community within Ms. Christians’ English classes. Blank pages offer thousands of possibilities where students can express themselves in a series of ways, and it starts by being creative. Looking back into the pages of our Connection Composition project, we saw a number of different creative things coming to life after just a week. From drawings or doodles, to short stories, to journal entries and writing prompts, there are a variety of different
interactions filling up the pages.
Throughout this project, we are able to reflect on the ways that human connection was enhanced by a simple school notebook. Since the journal is anonymous, people were able to connect with peers that they wouldn't usually interact with. Despite high school’s harsh expectations and cliques, students were able to use the notebook to come together because the aspect of being judged was non-existent.
6. Would You Rather...? by Amelia Buckley
It’s 2023. There are so many ways for people to interact with each other, whether that is while working on a project in class, passing people in the hall, using social media, hanging out with friends, or even playing a game. This can be a modern game or a classic, like “Would You Rather?” which first surfaced in the 1960s. “Would You Rather?” is a great icebreaker game, and even a wonderful way to just get to know your friends better.
I was inspired by Ivan Cash’s Passenger Project, where he had different people on a plane fill out a questionnaire, which had them all answering the same questions. The responses varied, but they were all by people who were together at the same time in the same place. This united the people on the flight because although they were all strangers to one another, they had a shared experience unique to them.
To implement this idea in a way that would bring about human connection, I created a form titled “Would You Rather?” and included directions. Each form has a “Would You Rather?” question repeated 5 or 6 times, each followed by some lines where the person who answered could say why they chose the option they did. Then I passed around one of the printed forms and asked people to fill it out.
In advisory, I passed around a questionnaire that said “Would you rather... be in a zombie apocalypse or a robot apocalypse?” For this I got mixed answers and reasons, with the answers evenly split between the two options. The answers were both logical, and opinionated with people’s personal views. A few said that certain options would be easier to survive for reasons such as being able to run away to an island because robots can’t swim. Others simply said that zombies would be cuter than robots, which I think was a fun and unique way to think about it. The “why” really gave people the chance to connect. They were able to agree or refute other answers, and truly express their opinions. Not only did people answer on the paper, but it started a verbal conversation in the room, too. People got to bounce ideas off each other, and some opinions even caused some laughter for their individual brilliance.
As high school students who all have advisory every week, we can all relate to it sometimes being an awkward half hour where you and your peers sit quietly in a room. A simple game like this, though, can start a conversation and liven up the room, and even help you to get to know your classmates better.
Personally, I found that having a group of people all answering a “Would You Rather?” question together really helped to make stronger connections between each other. So I’m saying to you now, try it out. Find a question (doesn’t even have to be “Would You Rather?”) and ask it to a group of people. The answers will get a conversation going, and who knows? Maybe you’ll make another group of friends that you never knew you wanted.
7. Happy Notes by Collin Steckler, Sam Dulac, Ryan Marr & Andrew Carbonneau
For our project, we created a board of sticky notes with positive messages to hand out to others. Each note has a unique message sending positivity. The inspiration for this was the lack of positivity throughout the school. With our notes, we want to spread positivity through EHS. With our smiley-faced design, we wanted to bring people in to look at our project and popularize it. If giving a positive message in note form is another way for us to connect with the community, then we are all for it.
The inspiration for our board was a past project that also included sticky notes, except poems were written on them. Due to the success of that project, we decided to come at this project with a similar approach, but instead of poems, positive messages. In all of our notes, we included a positive message with the hope that someone would pick it up and give it to another to help EHS become a more positive community. We and many of our peers shared with us their thoughts about the lack of positivity in EHS.
After three days, over half of the notes were taken. Therefore, we believe the project was generally successful, and we agree that our project helped to spread at least some positivity.
8. Stitching a Story Together by Connor Jaworski, Brody McRae & Quinn Dugas
When we were given the assignment to try and make something that ties people together, we thought of storytelling; but we were a little bit stumped at first. How can we get a large number of people to all contribute to one story and actually have the story make sense? We decided we were going to have a lot of people contribute by writing one sentence that would be stitched together into one cohesive piece. We decided that the best way to make the story make sense would be to give the writer three things: the original story prompt, the names of the characters so far, and the one sentence that came before theirs. Using these guidelines these people were able to create this story:
“My name is James and I still remember the first day that I was born. It was dark and then suddenly bright. I was blinded not just momentarily, but for life. Shortly after this I realized I was blind. I was not sure what to do, or how this happened. All I remember is seeing a white light and vision of Jayson Tatum. Ben Thomas loves Becket ́s dog like Lebron James loves the Cleveland Cavaliers. That day, waking up and seeing him on the court shooting threes, was the most inspiring thing I've ever seen. When I saw him is when it all changed, the lights went out and it got cold.
‘WHATCHU DOIN’ HERE!?’ I yell in horror.
‘I’m here to revisit my previous life experiences, to plan to get revenge on Jason Tatum.’
‘I need to hunt him down for stealing my dog.’
I am going to teach Jayson Tatum a lesson with kindness. I went online and bought Celtics tickets hoping to encounter Jason Tatum. I gave him a warm hug and all was well. I’d say it was a pretty eventful day, and that's the story of my first day on earth.”
Contributors-
Will Hartford, Ms.Christians, Deb Barry, Cohl Capparelli, Ben Thomas, Ethan Marsh, Quinn Dugas, Connor Jaworski, Brody McRae, Aidan Kenison, Steven Hills, Katie Jack.
9. Post Your Pics by Anna Lieberman, Jaclyn Khoury & Sydney Sullivan
With the rise of social media, pictures now are more meaningful than ever. Pictures hold memory and can bring anyone together in connection. Therefore, the action we chose to facilitate connection within our fellow classmates and students in Ms. Christians’ English class is through photos. We put out a polaroid camera in this classroom for all classes in this room to take photos with friends and peers and make connections with each other by being able to see fun photos of each other. This connection can not only be sparked by seeing your friends in other periods but also being able to spark something in common with people in different periods that you didn’t know had this class.
When we started to think about this project, we very quickly had the idea to put photographs of many different people all in one place. The idea was semi-inspired by both the Passenger Project from Ivan Cash’s Ted Talk and the videos that came out during the pandemic of people in different places putting together a singular video. The idea of many different people in one place is something that truly brings connection to the people in the pictures and the people looking at the pictures.
Photography is like visual communication. It provides a shared experience, and can communicate emotion. According to an article titled “The Happiness Project,” a large percent of the human brain dedicates itself to visual processing. Our love of images lies with our cognition and ability to pay attention. Images are able to grab our attention easily, and we are immediately drawn to them. Research shows that the human brain is able to recognise a familiar object within 100 milliseconds and people tend to recognise familiar faces within 380 milliseconds. Furthermore, looking at pictures helps everyone to appreciate their lives because photos are often taken at good times, and are helpful to look at when sad or in a bad mood to remind yourself of the good times. Therefore, this project helps with attention while improving the moods of many individuals looking and participating in the photos.
This project was very successful, even more so than we originally thought. Our intention was to leave the polaroid camera in the classroom and let people take pictures throughout the day, but we got requests to bring it out of the classroom so more people could be featured. Therefore, it was successful in more than one environment, with many different people. For example, in our class, there was a period where most of the students were over by the wall, either taking pictures or looking at the ones that were already taken. Most high school students stick to their groups and do not interact with people outside of those, but in those 10 minutes people were talking to many more people than they normally would. Secondly, when the polaroid was brought to the lunch room, even more people were getting involved, taking and posing for pictures and laughing and smiling at them when they were developed. Even though it was a one day project, the effects of community building were large, and something as simple as taking pictures makes a huge difference in the way that we connect. Projects like this one truly do bring people together.
10. Music Connects by Will McIlroy, Finn Topitzer & Blake Pizon
Our project consisted of a field study to help spark conversations, and break the stigma behind talking to people who are not in your circle. High schoolers tend to stick to certain “friend groups” and are not as apt to network with others. We wanted to see if we could mitigate this with music. Music is arguably one of the most important parts of a teenagers life. It creates culture, and an escape from their everyday life. So the experiment involved us (Will, Blake, and Finn) roaming the halls during the second period on Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, trying to seek out students in the hallway listening to music. Our adventures took us all the way down to the athletic wing, with many stops along the way including the boys bathroom, the cafe, the library, and across the way in F238. We would call out to peers, and start our conversation by asking “What song are you listening to?” and “Who is your favorite artist of all time/right now?” This was our way of connecting with strangers, and friends alike. The responses varied.
Despite making connections, we did face failure. There were times where we didnt think that we could keep going: students didn't have earbuds in, students and teachers were afraid to be on camera and, most notably, we experienced vicious and direct rejection, like we heard from the notorious Mr. Smith. But that's life sometimes. Sometimes you will strive at making connections, and other times you will be waved off, told to kick rocks, or drop kicked out of a classroom. No matter what, the boys from F wing moved on, working on breaking the stereotype, and making those most necessary connections. We wanted to make a connection with someone, and we also wanted to show others how to branch out, spread their wings and see what is awaiting them. Life is too short to not make lasting connections with those surrounding you.
My Movie 1.mov11. The Playlists of EHS by Alexa Schlager & Grace Brunelle
Ever since COVID-19, students have binged more music on an everyday basis. Music got people through hard times and lonely eras like quarantine. Music is a way of expressing yourself and your style, without the physical aspect. Playlists get run to the ground during school, while driving, completing homework, doing chores, and during free time. They get overplayed and boring because people don’t usually have the time or the energy to sit down and find new music. To fix this, we planned to help people expand their variety of music by introducing them to their peers’ playlists. Students can find new songs and genres by exploring other people’s lists. This can also help students understand and connect with their peers and friends on a more personal level.
A Right for Education article states, “Music creates a group identity. The scientists believe that listening to music in a group helps people to connect. This connection happens because the rhythm in the music helps people's brains to synchronize. This helps them to coordinate their body movements. As a result, music can influence how we work in a group.” This emphasizes the importance of music and suggests there’s scientific reasoning to prove it connects people. In order to connect people through music, we printed out the scannable code for EHS students’ Spotify playlists and put them up on a bulletin board. (Go find it near the windows in the Red Commons!) Any student can go up to the board and scan the lists of songs until they find new music that they like. This shows the students the different interests in people around them. It also helps them to connect with others by showing them someone’s personality through music.
12. Caught on Camera by Lila Smith, Nev Haugh & Abby Varney
Our idea for the Human Connection Project was to create a memory board utilizing the bulletin board in the Red Commons. Students of all ages throughout the school can submit printed photos into a bin that will then be sorted through and displayed. This idea came from thinking of ways students can share their time and memories with each other here at Exeter High School. We wanted to do something that everyone could see and create something everyone could be a part of. There is a board in the Red Commons where pictures will be added and where other people can submit their pictures.
Caught on Camera acts as a good welcome to the school for new students and incoming freshmen and lets others see the lasting memories people have created here at EHS. Visualizing people having fun and being happy can influence others to feel and do the same; this can improve mental health and become something more students would want to take on and or participate in. The visual display of memories can remind students that school can still be fun, and it can provide a sense of belonging in the community to see yourself represented on the wall. Instead of just the empty board with blank paper, Caught on Camera brightens the hallways and the days of students who walk by. Memories are always fun to share with others and making a collaborative memory board is a way that everyone would be able to participate. Walking past the board and reflecting on the memories associated with the pictures displayed is a bonding experience between peers. Laughing and discussing the pictures is an enjoyable experience built into the school day by simply walking through the halls. Taking the extra time to notice the pictures gives students a much-needed break throughout the school day. At the same time, we are also connecting with other students and their own experiences. The opportunity to share and relive memories make it highly worthwhile.
Joining Through Drawing by Ben Baxter, Brianna Bybee and Anna Gunn
In the days we live in now, it has become more and more difficult for people to interact socially with each other. We often have trouble creating bonds with others, partially due to the lack of commonalities. To overcome this barrier, we decided to hang a blank piece of paper on the bulletin board in our classroom which allowed other students to draw anything they wanted on it. This way, everyone could add their bit of creativity to form something we can all share. We came up with this idea from thinking about an activity many people can partake in, but together. We took inspiration from Ivan Cash’s Passenger Project that brought people together on planes.
It was interesting to see how we, as a community, came together to take something bland and make it into something beautiful. And all it took was a piece of paper. Other people can expand and continue on this idea by putting up a piece of paper to draw in their own classroom, with instructions included. This way, more people can participate in this activity and it will encourage more people to come together.
Linking with Lockscreens by Amelia Engler, Hannah Roffman and Clara Buban
We are all well aware that making human connections throughout highschool is a challenging process due to the fact that highschoolers are known to stick with the same group of friends during the four years. We also realize that aside from the connections held in the friend groups, a majority of human connections occur through technology. With iPhones being such a big part of highschoolers’ daily lives, we realize that many private and important things are held in the little electronic box. With technology ruling highschoolers’ human connections, students are limited to who they can connect with and what they can connect about.
Challenges aside, we decided to use phone usage to our advantage and create a form of human connection based around it. Because of the collection of important information, texts, photos, and posts held on highschoolers’ phones we believed that by challenging students to share one of these things, a human connection could be made.
This led us to consider what aspect held on an iPhone would be the most effective subject in making a human connection. Not only did this limit us to things that have significance but we also had to respect the boundary of things being too personal for sharing. Therefore, we decided to have people show us a simple token of something personal and unique to them: their lockscreen. Many people have something important to them as their lockscreen, whether it's them with a family member, them with a friend, or something representative of what they love to do. A lockscreen is a very simple thing, but it can show a lot about someone and the things they value in life.
It has been shown through many studies and articles that by sharing something personal, a person feels more comfortable with opening up and connecting with you. By using our idea of sharing your lock screen, we were able to interview a few students and connect with them about their lockscreen and its meaning.
The Metal Middle Man by Cedric St. Armand
I came into this project with a smile painted on my face: I had an idea that I dreamed could make a significant difference. The design involved a stack of sticky notes secured to a desk with a prompt on them—maybe something like “draw where you wish you were right now”—and then the visitor to the desk for the period would leave an anonymous response for my collection process at the end of the day. Sadly, the ambitious design would never be tested, as I contracted a grave cold that developed into pneumonia and other things during the weeks when the project was active. Now, coughing alone on my couch with nothing but a water bottle, medicine, and a supercomputer more powerful than the one that sent astronauts to the moon, I developed a new idea.
The only thing you ever hear on a train ride, library, or in central park is the constant irritation of tens of people with their device volume too high, clicking messages across borders and oceans to friends and people they’ve never met. This is the moment in movies where a mysteriously wireless lightbulb blinks into appearance over the protagonist’s head: I could use the internet to stimulate connectivity!
I created a message I would send to different groups of people, asking them what was the last movie they saw, and to pass the message along in the community. I sat back and waited for the response; and got nothing. I continued to sit down coughing, except now comforted by confusion, I didn’t understand why such casual conversations that could exist in person wouldn’t also exist digitally—why the things that happen on platforms such as Snap-Chat and Instagram refused to incarnate themselves in different atmospheres. But that’s just it.
Online, when you send a text to anyone, the meaning has to be implied because the receiver can't look at your eyes or smile and say, “Oh, that’s sarcasm." It’s akin to walking around through the ethernet cables with a digital mask and sunglasses that no one can see through: it's not a real human connection, but our society has devoted its existence to this half-breed of conversation. One anonymous quote captures this idea: “[t]exting is a brilliant way to miscommunicate how you feel, and misinterpret what other people mean.”
It seemed I was doomed to fail one way or another, because even with a great mountain of 0s and 1s strung together in messages, I can never interpret the meaning—if it was a joke or the heart-felt truth—as I was not in the room.
Our entire society is constructed on connectivity through losing the emotion that's central to human life, and it seems the physical connection is fated to fall with us. Fewer and fewer times do you see the next generation drop their devices and strike up a conversation with the person next to them, just speaking the inner truth we all have to a total stranger. Until we fix the many problems of the lines weaved between us, the web will never rise again strong.
So this is my new project: drop your phones and your watches and whatever else “new stunning technology” you saw advertised on a website, and turn to your neighbor—maybe a familiar face, or maybe unknown—and let the words roll like a waterfall down the mountainside. Don’t warp the words to fit into somebody’s prison-like view of you; just let your truth dance with others in a beautiful harmony of truth—not a lie in sight. The day you do this, life will never be the same again. The day you don’t change your words in a group or perceive others through a metal screen is the day you find the perfect version of yourself.
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