Middle and Upper Schoolers ExpressDiffering Perspectives on Athenian Life

Athenian prides itself on its diverse, interconnected community. And yet, the connections don’t always follow from one side of the school to the other. Every day, 171 middle school students go to school almost completely isolated from their upper school peers. What secrets are held on the other side of campus, where no upper schooler dares go forth? And for the middle schoolers: what mysteries and valuable guidance do the experienced elders of the upper school hold?

Eighth-grader Andy Yuan, one of the lucky few middle schoolers with experience in both middle and upper school classes, gives perspective on what’s trendy in the middle school social sphere.

“We like to joke about books, YouTube, video games,” said Andy. “My favorite video games are Counter-Strike and Rainbow Six Siege.”

Eighth-grader Siri Kelshikar, another middle schooler with experience in the upper school, shed light on other aspects of middle school social life.

“We talk about classes, teachers, sports, and drama. We do also yap about Taylor Swift,” said Siri.

Twelfth-grader Katie Cooper, a graduate of Athenian’s middle school, discussed a few of the discrepancies between middle and upper school chatter.

Katie said, “We talk quite a bit about the gossip around here, but when you get to the late-night conversations, they’re really about people’s plans for the future.”

Andy has made friends in both the middle and upper school. Overall, he takes a neutral position between the two communities.

Andy said, “I have a good relationship with many high-schoolers. I don’t really see a difference in them, they’re just like my friends. Maybe sometimes a bit more mature.”

Tenth-grader Patrick Rafferty-Fuentes, a former Athenian Middle School attendee, gave a glimpse into the Athenian Upper School world, and how it differs from his previous middle-school experience.

“In middle school, things were usually more fun-based and for the child demographic, whereas in high school, things are harder and more centered in the real world,” said Patrick. “Things are much more serious now.”

But that doesn’t mean upper schoolers can’t have a little fun. Eleventh-grader Garrett Molitor spoke to newfound upper-school freedoms middle school students can look forward to as they get older.

“When I’m free, I love going on drives with my friends. Honestly, I enjoy just spending time with them. Getting food together is something that I love,” said Garrett.

Katie, now free from the stress of college applications, shared her experience with friends outside of school.

“Since we all learned how to drive, there’s been a lot of trips to San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Cruz. There’s also been a lot of movie nights, things like that, which are generally pretty chill. I have a tight-knit group of friends that I love hanging out with,” said Katie.

On the other hand, in their free time, middle schoolers tend to hang out closer to home.

“We might play video games together. One of my friends has a pool, and we’ll sometimes go there for fun,” said 7th-grader Peter Rafferty-Fuentes, Patrick’s brother.

“I play Fortnite and other videogames with a bunch of people, but we’ll also hang out at other people’s houses,” said Siri.

Despite the social freedoms granted to upper school students, many feel burdened by grades and the future.

“We talk about grades more, worry about them more, they mean a lot more now than they did in middle school. Everything’s a lot more serious now,” said Patrick.

“I’d say everybody cares about grades a lot here,” said Garrett. “At school, many people think that grades are everything, and to some extent, it really feels like they are.”

In contrast, at the middle school, both Peter and Siri find grades less prevalent in everyday life.

“Only when there’s a big test around are grades brought up,” said Peter. “They’re not really a big subject.”

Siri similarly thinks that grades aren’t as heavily emphasized among friends in middle school.

“Grades are more lenient in the middle school compared to the high school. I feel like people do talk about them, but it’s definitely not a major part of social life,” said Siri.

However, she does think that grades matter to some middle school students more than others, especially if they’re applying for a different high school.

Siri said, “Near the end of quarters or semesters, people tend to worry slightly more about grades. I think there is that pressure to get good grades in the middle school because of Athenian’s above-average expectations.”

However, for everyone worried about grades, Katie is here to tell the Athenian community that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“In hindsight, I think that grades are a little silly to place a bunch of value into, but when looking into the future and at high schools or colleges, it’s impossible to see that,” Katie said.

Katie also said that Athenian is about more than creating a diverse, academic community.

“We may be a tight-knit community, and while that might feel constricting at times, the upper school is really about crafting students into people,” said Katie. “The middle school is about pushing you towards the person you’ll want to see in high school.”