On November 14, an overnight event was organized for Grade 11 in an attempt to bring the grade together. The event, which was called a “Lock-in,” was organized by Student Council (StuCo) representatives and Grade 11 Dean Jennifer Craig. Dodgeball, karaoke and movies were among the many activities offered at the Lock-in.

As this was the first event of its kind at ASL, Craig didn’t know what to expect. Despite her initial fears, she believes the event was a roaring success. “My expectations were fairly low. However, if I set the bar, people leapt over the bar with feet to spare,” Craig said.

Approximately 87 percent of 47 juniors surveyed enjoyed the Lock-In. Approximately 60 percent of students polled thought the event brought the grade closer together.

Craig believes that junior year is a perfect time to hold an event like this. With the impending college process and the stress that accompanies it, upperclassmen soon begin to focus on themselves and their own futures. As Craig said, “To bond together before you go through that process, is great, it will make the juniors’ whole year, and next year, much more meaningful.”

However, some students believed that there were no lasting affects of the  lock-in that they could see. “The lock-in brought the grade together momentarily, but afterwards, I didn’t see any affects,” said Mackenzie Reid (‘16). She believed the Lock-In was not as effective as it could have been because individuals tended to drift towards their regular friend groups and did not put forth effor to get to know the rest of the grade.

On the other hand, Craig saw the effect of the Lock-In immediately, with various students approaching her to tell her how they made new friends as a result of the event. Even parents of new students emailed her, telling her that their children felt closer and more integrated in the community as a result of the lock-in. Out of 47 students surveyed, almost 70 percent said they got to know at least one person that they didn’t know before the Lock-In.

Coming out of school the next morning, Juliana Smith (’16), new to ASL this year, left feeling more a part of the grade and the ASL community. The event provided the perfect opportunity to create memories with her classmates and to subsequently form bonds that she would not have made otherwise. “It made me feel a lot more a part of the grade. I had stories to talk about now with people instead of hearing about stuff that happened last year,” she said.

The Lock-In was not only beneficial for the students, Craig believed, but also for the teachers that were there. Craig chaperoned the event along with Associate Dean of Admissions Kenneth Craig, Grade 9 Dean Renée Green and Grade 10 Dean Samrong So. She said that even the chaperones had a good time, performing karaoke along with the students.

StuCo representative Jed Alberts (’16) believes that the event could even be organized for other grades besides Grade 11. “The seniors saw that the Lock-In was a lot of fun, and wanted to do the same thing. This could end up spreading to different grades,” he said.

Smith too feels that because the Lock-In went so well, that it should be organized for Grade 11 students every year. “It was definitely something that I think benefited my experience as a new kid, and I feel like for students next year who are new and coming into the 11th grade,” she said, “it can be a way to help them integrate more especially if they are having a little bit of trouble at the beginning of the year.”

Craig is already thinking about organizing the event for next year. “I’ve already talked to some of the [administration] about when we will do it next year, not if, but when,” she said.

However, some students believed that there were no lasting affects of the  lock-in that they could see. “The lock-in brought the grade together momentarily, but afterwards, I didn’t see any affects,” Mackenzie Reid (’16) said.