Written by: Alessi
Edited by: Grace, Audrey, & Sofia
Visual by: Sofia
The freshmen canceled their much-anticipated movie night, and the decision sparked considerable controversy. Was it a lack of passion for service? A case of “freshmenitis” setting in after the initial excitement of the school year? Or perhaps a deeper fatigue with bonding events that end up reinforcing existing social circles rather than building new ones?
Saturday Service is a long-standing tradition at ISM. Each grade’s class council is tasked with organizing events outside of school to raise funds for their batch’s chosen service partner. Often, these events serve a dual purpose: fundraising and batch bonding. But this raises an important question: if the goal is to bond, why are events structured in ways that limit interaction, such as a movie night?
Alice (9) put it bluntly: “I don’t know why it’s a movie night because you can’t even talk during a movie. Plus, I feel like people just sit next to the same people as they do in school, so I don’t even know how we are expected to bond.” Her comments reflect a broader sentiment among the freshmen: while Saturday Service is promoted as an opportunity for both fundraising and bonding, the reality is that only the former is consistently achieved.
The freshman council, however, had practical reasoning behind the choice. The council explained, “We thought about that, but we still think a movie night would be the best idea since it’s usually low-cost and high output. Also, it can be done in someone’s house, so it doesn’t need security.” Events directly associated with ISM require official security, adding logistical burdens. By hosting the movie night independently, the council avoided those complications entirely.
Still, aside from logistics, many freshmen admitted that their decision not to attend came down to one simple reason: their friends were not going. “My friends couldn’t go, so I just ended up not going either since I’m not close with anyone else who signed up,” shared Daniel (9). His reasoning captures a common pattern in the grade: participation is less about the activity itself and more about the presence of a familiar social circle. Without that comfort, attending can feel daunting or unnecessary.
The irony is that this is the same batch that displayed remarkable unity earlier in the year. During the Battle of the Bearcats (BOB), freshmen were outstandingly cohesive. They cheered next to people they had never spoken to, filled assemblies with energy, and put on a show many teachers called “the best freshmen batch in a long time.” Yet, as the months passed, that cohesion seemed to fade. One ninth grader commented, “It’s almost like we peaked too early. But I can see that the council is trying their best to make the grade hype again, but overall, I feel like our grade has become quieter, especially in grade-level assemblies.” The only question now is whether the freshmen can find a way to recapture that energy before the year ends.
Yet one thing remains clear: while the cancellation of the Grade 9 movie night may have been disappointing, it does not mark the end of the freshmen’s efforts to build community. Instead, it serves as a reminder that finding the right format for batch unity takes experimentation and adjustment. The freshman council is already working to explore new ideas that balance fundraising, connection, and fun. While the projector may have stayed off this time, the freshmen are still in the process of discovering what truly works for them, and that journey toward unity may prove to work in their favor more than they picture.
