At 8 a.m., the bell rings. Students, unsure of what the day will bring, fill into Cahill gym. The many student leaders greet the participants with high fives and smiles. Students find their groups and await further instruction.
“Lions are Better Together.” This is what is found on the front of the shirts that students received on the first day of school. This is the motto for Saint Viator this year. To carry on this message of togetherness, Breaking Down the Walls was chosen to come to Viator. Over the course of two days in September, students, freshman through senior, participated in group activities that allowed them to get to know each other better.
Breaking Down the Walls, created by Phil Boyte, is a program designed to give students and employees the opportunity to connect with each other and learn their stories. In the past thirty years, over one million students have been able to experience Breaking Down the Walls. The program’s ultimate goal is to create a positive work or school environment.
“After seeing it at his previous school, Brother Rob thought it would be a great way to provide a good message and let kids know that Viator is a family.” said Spanish teacher Ms. Elyse Slezak ’09. “It’s also a great way to give kids the ability to develop their social skills.”
The program helps students get to know each other through many activities and small conversations. Some of the activities included creating handshakes, partner tag, and modified speed dating. Each activity provided students with a new way to learn more about their peers.
“The goal is to know people well enough to where you can’t hate them.” said Ms. Slezak.
An important focus of the activities was communication. Students’ time was split between talking in small groups and one-on-one conversations. Some topics included family, childhood, school, hobbies, and important relationships. Knowing these things about each other opens up a better platform for understanding one another.
“My favorite activity was playing tag with my partner. It was a fun way to get to know someone new.” said senior Olivia Strozak.
A big part of the day was spent having students answer yes or no questions by stepping forward or remaining in place. Questions focused on ranging topics, which included family status, the effect of school, and mental illness. This was to show people what other people are going through and that some may be more similar to each other than they think.
“Seeing some people step forward for certain questions was really surprising to me. I never would have thought about it otherwise.” said Strozak.
At certain times throughout the day, students broke up into small groups and discussed deeper topics. Two truths and a lie was an introductory game that helped break the ice between members. It allowed people to think while still learning new information and having a good time. Team-bonding games were also a major part of the day. In one game students balanced a pen on each of their fingers while their partners did the same. The group then had to move in a circle, reverse, and turn around without dropping the pens.
“Keeping them from dropping was much more difficult than I would have expected. You had to trust that the person next to you was going to do their job. Our group was successful, though.” said senior Lucy Jochaniewicz.
The way Breaking Down the Walls is designed is to make it so everyone feels included and gets out of their comfort zone. It was not just seniors with seniors or freshmen with freshmen. Everyone worked with everyone and got to know each other. In doing this, communication between students is made less awkward, especially for the underclassmen. The friendships and connections are not meant to be a one time thing. Students can expect to keep these connections throughout their high school experience.
“There was lots of energy and people were having a good time. People were able to meet new friends and experience a new atmosphere.” said Mr. Eric Levin.
Students were able to take a break from school for a day and focus on having fun and bonding.
“Breaking Down the Walls was a great experience because it helped bring us together as a community and allowed me to meet and talk to new people.” said sophomore Kalin McCrea.
All in all, Breaking Down the Walls was an amazing experience for all its participants. It built upon this year’s Better Together Campaign and brought many different people together. Thankfully, no walls were actually broken.