Con: The Upper School Should Not Institute Minimester
April 30, 2023
Minimester, a one-week experience right before Spring Break, provides an opportunity for Middle School students to explore their passions and interests. However, while Minimester is an enjoyable and insightful experience, it takes away academic time and is largely unnecessary in the Upper School.
Compared with the Middle School, the Upper School has many more clubs and organizations that allow students to pursue their interests outside the classroom. The Middle School uses Minimester primarily as an opportunity for students to partake in their interests which are otherwise unavailable to them; however, Upper School students can pursue their interests during lunch meetings or trips with any of the roughly 100 clubs. Designating a week to pursue extracurricular activities which could be done within the regular schedule or on students’ own schedule seems like a waste of valuable time.
Losing a week of class time would be detrimental to the learning process at Sidwell. The third quarter, stretching between the end of the winter exam period and Spring Break, lasts only nine weeks, making it the shortest of the year. Cutting an additional week out would interrupt the syllabus, forcing material to be rushed or withheld until after break. An additional week of academic study should not be lost for activities which can be done through extracurriculars or even during the summer.
Possible misuse of the week allotted also seems to be an issue with Upper School Minimester. Given that there would likely be some level of freedom in how students choose to spend the week, many would choose to craft their own proposals, which may not align with the goals of Minimester. Some students, in the interest of college admissions, may simply use the time to bolster their resumes rather than pursuing genuine passions or interests they might have. Others may use the week as an additional week of break and settle into relaxation. A large problem with the implementation of a Minimester in the Upper School would be properly overseeing how students use their time during the week. Even with an oversight committee for self-directed projects or experiences, it would be difficult to regulate the way students spend their weeks and ensure that the goals of the program are actualized.
The beauty of Minimester in Middle School is that it allows students to sample their interests and passions. As students grow older, they discover their passions, and, unlike Middle Schoolers, are equipped with the tools necessary to pursue them without a week being dedicated to the cause. The resources available to high school students afford them the privilege to be without Minimester, so a week of classes should not be replaced during a short but crucial quarter of the year.
