On August 25, Saint Ignatius faculty and Arrupe Mentors hosted a mixer for the Class of 2027 to help them meet their new classmates. The event included balloons, pizza, spikeball, poster-making, and a DJ.

During the week leading up to the mixer, which would be held in Tully Hall, seniors made many efforts in their homerooms to promote it. Additionally, Ms. Hipple, the Director of Student Activities, used the daily announcements to get the word out. Ella Abraham ‘27 was satisfied with the level of encouragement the school community gave the freshman class to attend. “It was really good. Our Arrupes were saying [that we should go] a lot. It was just announced a whole bunch, what with our teachers, Arrupe Mentors, and over the loudspeaker.”

Despite this, turnout was limited. Some Arrupe Mentors, such as Meley Berhane ‘24, believe that freshman excitement for the mixer — even from those in attendance — was not where it should have been. “I didn’t see the emotion in the freshmen. I feel like that was displayed throughout the entire time. The poor DJ was standing there with nobody [listening to] his music. I thought it was really underwhelming,” she said. Abraham held a similar sentiment regarding the dance floor, saying, “At some point it did feel like it was mostly seniors dancing.”

Berhane attributed part of the apparent issue with the mixer’s attendance to the way that the freshmen may perceive it from a social standpoint. When asked what could be done to improve it in the future, she said, “I just think the freshman mixer needs a better reputation. I feel like if all freshmen attended the mixer, it would get a way better rep. I hate to say this, but I think the ‘popular freshmen’ need to start going to it.”

Abraham viewed the situation differently. “There were a good amount of people there,” she said. She also noted that while she stayed outside most of the time she was there, “a lot of people looked like they were having fun” inside.

So did the freshman mixer miss the mark? And if it did, where did the problem lie — in the attendance or in the energy (or lack thereof) from the freshmen who decided to go? That remains to be seen, but there is a clear disconnect between the opinions of freshmen on the matter and those of seniors.