Dyads make time for upper and underclassmen to ask questions, share ideas

JUNIOR SAMANTHA BLUHM AND FRESHMAN LUCIE HOESCHEN laugh with each other during a dyad. This was the first of two scheduled times for dyads, the other for sophomores and seniors.  “I really enjoyed the dyads and I carry the advice that the juniors gave me on Mix It Up Day,” Hoeschen said.

Photo Credit: Stephanie Li

JUNIOR SAMANTHA BLUHM AND FRESHMAN LUCIE HOESCHEN laugh with each other during a dyad. This was the first of two scheduled times for dyads, the other for sophomores and seniors. “I really enjoyed the dyads and I carry the advice that the juniors gave me on Mix It Up Day,” Hoeschen said.

A dyad is something that consists of two elements or parts. Students at St. Paul Academy and Summit School have often been paired up with other students to talk about anything of their choice.

On Nov. 9, sophomores were paired up with seniors to share advice for their past and future selves and what plans they had for the future. But, some students felt it wasn’t effective because for the most part they never kept in touch afterwards.

“[Dyads] were okay. It was nice to meet people in other grades but [it wasn’t a long-term thing],” sophomore Riley Will said.

The objective of dyads is clear: to get students to talk with people they don’t normally interact with. But, some students feel that socializing in this way becomes redundant and pointless after a while.

“I sometimes don’t see the purpose of them because they would be the same questions over and over… I think you could just accomplish the same things through other things that wouldn’t take up as much time,” Will said.

Some of the questions asked during the paired advisory activity for seniors and sophomores surrounded the college search and tips for surviving high school. Seniors shared their volunteering experiences and how they balance their social life with academic life while sophomores explained what the most challenging part of sophomore year was and what they hope to be involved in at school.

I find dyads to be as useful or as effective as the students involved make them

— senior Peter Baker

Senior Peter Baker was paired with Will and thought that dyads are an important component that helps students socialize with people they don’t normally spend time with by sparking insightful conversations and sharing experiences.

“I think dyads do a lot of good… I find dyads to be as useful or as effective as the students involved make them,” Baker said.

Although not his favorite activity, Baker feels that dyads provide opportunities for important discussions and students get to learn about the other’s interests and more personal experiences.

On Mix It Up Day, seniors were paired with sophomores and juniors were paired with freshmen. Everyone got to know each other better through games and activities such as get-to-know-you bingo.

Junior Samantha Bluhm’s advisory met with sophomores during X-Period. “[Paired advisories weren’t] great because the freshmen were really scared of us and didn’t want to talk. Dyads are more forced and if you don’t force something like that, then it’ll go easier and they’d be less scared if they didn’t have to do it,” Bluhm said.

Bluhm says she loves socializing and enjoys dyads but wishes it wasn’t so planned and forced.

Student feedback seems to show a trend toward valuing conversation that comes naturally, as it seems to provide a more comfortable space to talk, whereas something that’s planned and viewed as mandatory may not be as appealing.

While some students don’t prefer dyads because of their repetitiveness and their mandatory nature, others feel that having the opportunity to get to know someone better is unique for each person and so it’s not as redundant.

Freshman Lucie Hoeschen is a member of Peer Helpers and helped organize dyads on Mix It Up Day.

“It was really good to experience [meeting] new people and see a whole other side to the SPA community than just the side that I’ve been exposed to,” Hoeschen said.

As a freshman, Hoeschen felt that dyads were really helpful for her because juniors gave her advice on how to deal with stress and exams. But, she also got to know students from her grade that she didn’t know before and it was enjoyable to learn about their stories.

“I learned some new cool things about my peers that I didn’t know. And being new at the school was helpful because I met kids in my grade that I hadn’t met before and it was timed pretty well too,” Hoeschen said.

Planning dyads at the beginning of the year is especially helpful that can be used to students’ advantages because upperclassmen can give advice to underclassmen.

“I really enjoyed the dyads and I carry the advice that the juniors gave me on Mix It Up Day … I personally really enjoy them because I like to meet new people. I like to experience new things,” Hoeschen said.

Originally published in print on Nov. 24.