Get Together: Why IV Formers Need More Unity

The vast majority of the V Form lives to the west of Pop and Memorial Halls, separated from the rest of campus. However, the Circle and the Crescent are the most architecturally and culturally prominent sections of the School—two Lawrenceville highlights treasured by the admissions office and alumni alike. II Form students are often eager to move into the House system, which dictates most aspects of residential and social life for III and IV Formers. Up to two lunches per week are taken up by House meetings and advisory meetings. Occasionally, House activities take up your prized Saturday night or Sunday morning. Therefore, much of a Lawrentian’s identity and daily lived experience revolves around the Houses to which they belong during their III and IV Form years.

However, this pillar of each Lawrentian’s experience recedes as soon as they step foot into V Form housing and the School shifts its House-community building focus to grade-wide unity. During House Olympics, one of our biggest annual events, V Formers who aren’t prefects have no official way to join the festivities, while even II Formers have the newly-minted Bowl Cup to compete for. As the only students without a current House to support, V Formers living in senior housing are isolated from the rest of the school in a noticeable way. 

On the other hand, a student’s last year at Lawrenceville brings about new opportunities to bond with their form. V Formers eat together in the Abbott Dining Hall, most boys live in Upper, and most girls live in Reynolds or McPherson (with fob access across both girls’ houses). In addition, the Form has a Level Director who addresses them regularly during advisory lunches and other events. Social gatherings are organized for just the V Formers, such as bingo night or the upcoming Friday night bonfire. Possibly as a result of these cultivated aspects of V Form life, many students claim that their peers are friendlier during their final year of high school and that groups are less “cliquey.” Seeing these positives, it’s natural to ask why Lawrenceville doesn’t just enact similar policies before V Form year.  Why not do it sooner? 

The School chooses to have a Circle Director and a Crescent Director, dividing III and IV Formers by gender instead of their grade. This deepens gender divides among these students, as well as providing the same programming to III and IV Formers despite their differing experiences and needs. Should the school instead appoint a III Form Director and IV Form Director and hold more Form-wide meetings, the Administration could address the needs of Lawrentians who are in two quite different stages of their high school careers. 

The jump from II Form to III Form is already large, from granting visitation privileges to extending check-in and lights-out times. Similarly, V Formers lose “lights out” and study hall restriction, as well as gaining later  check in times. However, there are no changes in privileges when transitioning from the III Form to the IV Form, but many would argue that IV Formers have much greater responsibilities than III Formers. IV Formers further customize their schedules with greater access to 500 level science and history classes, as well as other electives if possible. Juniors are assigned a college counselor in January and begin the taxing college research process during the spring term. Many also have higher leadership positions in clubs, councils, and organizations around campus, such as a position on The Lawrence’s 144th Board, which was composed of almost entirely IV Formers this spring. 

If the School is going to put more pressure on these students and assign them more responsibilities, in turn, they should also be granted more privileges. For instance, in the Crescent and Circle, IV Formers could have the ability to keep their phones at night while continuing to have study hall, or turn in their phones during study hall, but be able to keep their doors closed. Some houses already grant IV Formers more device privileges, so it is important to permit those advantages ubiquitously. Naturally, III Formers and IV Formers do not exhibit the same level of maturity, and therefore should have different privileges.

The administration’s system of separating the Form by both gender and House divides the grade and makes the adjustment to the V Form difficult. Much crucial time is wasted when the IV Form’s social responsibilities contrast their restricted social spheres. While the House system is an integral part of Lawrenceville’s culture, grade unity should be emphasized earlier in a Lawrentian’s career.