Advisory online game competitions renew social connections

The COVID-19 pandemic has made it increasingly difficult for students of different advisories to interact with each other. Realizing this problem, Sixth Former Matthew Wang thinks hosting different advisory games will bolster spirits and regain the sense of community that the school values so deeply. 

     Skribbl.io is a game in which players take turns drawing and guessing the word being drawn. It can get highly competitive.

     “I thought we could do more to get advisories together than just the Wednesday surveys,” Wang said. “My advisory had already been playing Skribbl.io, and I thought that it would be fun if it was a school-wide thing.”

“Especially for freshmen, this is a good reminder that Haverford is not just an isolated space where students can only talk with their advisories.”

Matthew Wang ’21

     In past years, advisories would compete with different activities in Centennial Hall assemblies, but the protocols put in place to keep students safe from the COVID-19 pandemic have stopped the upper school from gathering in one place.

     “It is exciting to do something school-wide again,” Wang said. “The past three years I have been here, the upper school has done these school-wide activities. Especially for freshmen, this is a good reminder that Haverford is not just an isolated space where students can only talk with their advisories.”

     Even though these competitions are online, Wang hopes that they will open up different avenues for students to interact with each other. 

     Additionally, Wang hopes that the advisory competitions will open the school up socially.

     “We were able to get the website unblocked and then Mr. Kolade sent out the invitation to any advisory that wanted to play,” Wang said. “The fact that we are able [socially] open up the school again is great.”

     Additionally, Wang expects these advisory competitions to include more than just online games in the future.

     “The ping pong tables were a great way for students to meet and talk with each other,” Wang said, “but now they are just sitting in the school. I think that we will be able to get tables out for some play in the amphitheater when the weather gets nicer.”