Hi! My name is Jillian and I’m from New York City. I found out about Thacher from a program called Breakthrough that helps students in public schools learn about private high schools. I’m currently a sophomore.
What I like best about living/ studying at Thacher: Everyone is right here. Living in a dorm, there’s always someone to turn to for schoolwork or otherwise. The same goes with teachers —there are helpful people every which way! Another high point of having a diverse group of people nearby is it’s hard to be bored when there’s always a variety of different activities happening. From an all-campus scavenger hunt in the dark to a football game to a movie night, there’s always something fun going on.
My favorite class at the moment is English because we are reading a variety of short stories that are quite relatable since they revolve around teenagers growing up, though in different time periods faced with different conflicts. After reading a story, I can look forward to an in-depth class discussion on the story. I always learn something new about the story and the lessons that it presents to the reader about the world.
People at Thacher who have influenced me positively: My freshman year prefect Avery, the senior who lived in the dorm and acted as a second advisor, helped me learn the ropes of Thacher life, while keeping me energized with delicious munch-outs and snacks nearly at all times. Also, my advisor and riding instructor, Ms. Halsey, has been there for me as a person to ask questions and give answers. Both are behind me to make sure I’m doing alright.
Blog Posts by Jillian ’14:
This weekend was the annual Ojai Tennis Tournament. College teams across California play one another and Thacher sophomores “ballbirl” or help out in other ways for the tournament. Fetching balls and watching some edge-of-your-seat tennis are traditions as old as time and a rite of passage for sophomores. Other than being a longstanding ritual, it’s another opportunity for class bonding. While, we’ve had nearly two years to know one another, it’s always great when we all of us can get together for one purpose. Even for those of us who don’t know about or play tennis, which is most, we learn a bit and the larger purpose is to give back to the community and enjoy ourselves. After an hour of training, all of us had worked up to the title of ‘professional ballbirl’ earlier in the week and I was eager to see what the main event would be like. I had as much fun ballbirling as I did hanging around with the others in between matches. Quite the experience and a weekend every freshman can look forward to.
I was looking forward to cultural weekend. Cultural weekend is an annual event where teachers and a group of students go partake in some sort of cultural activity, usually off campus, be it cooking, going to a museum, etc. It’s a chance to get off campus and do something new and different. I went camping in Piedra Blanca, a gorgeous back country site. Filled with glorious, sky-reaching rock formations, the view was incredible. While discussing the Chumash Indians, to whom the site was very special, we climbed the large boulders and wandered around. With the bustle of schoolwork, camping is always a wonderful way to relax and simply enjoy the outdoors. I’m not your typical outdoor adventurer, but with a minimal amount of backpacking, a night filled with stars, and a roaring campfire, it was the perfect escape.
It has only been a few weeks back at Thacher and already we’ve had a number of wonderful speakers/ visitors. Frequently, we have speakers of numerous professions give lectures or workshops. I enjoyed learning from visiting poet, Bruce Smith, who taught English classes, recited his poems, lead discussions, held workshops, and more. Another recent was Dr. Liaquat Ahamed , 2010 Pullitzer Prize Winner in History, who gave a lecture on finance and the economy now and in history. While, everyone favors different topics, there is always tons of information learned, particularly on current events, when it is easy to become caught up in a busy schedule. I love going to a school where I meet acclaimed intellectuals I would most likely never have met. So while we focus on the upcoming test and next week’s game, we get to learn about our interests from the experts and remain aware of the world.
Today is the final day before everyone departs for winter break and Thacher is in the holiday spirit. Our dorm has already had a holiday party, hanging decorations and home-made ornaments on the tree, decorating cookies, and making paper snowflakes. Tonight is the annual tradition of the boar’s head, in which the freshmen class parade a “boar’s head” (made of veggies, not an actual dead boar), singing the traditional song before the banquet begins. While the tradition seems entirely strange to someone who has never heard of it, within the Thacher bubble, this ritual is a memory and a specific landmark as a freshman. So in the sea of gingerbread men, late-night caroling, and a boar’s head lies the spirit of the holidays in Thacher with laughter, unity, and tradition. Happy holidays!
