Do Milton students consider athletic ability when making friends? After The Measure asked this question to 59 Upper School students, 53.4% of respondents answered that they feel a divide between athletes and non-athletes, revealing that a significant amount of the student body believes that it is a decisive factor.
For those who believe this divide exists, the most likely and widely supported “why” is that athletes simply spend more time together. Lily Hayashi ‘29 noted that sports teams had practices, games, and team bonding, causing the creation of “tight communities” that were prevalent from “the first two months of school.” Ellie O’Connor ‘29 also mentioned how sports built “strong communities” due to “shared experiences” that could be hard to recreate outside of sport.
Considering many students find that there is a divide between athletes and non-athletes, respondents believe there are many potential pathways to bridging this division. The most repeated solutions given were athletes and non-athletes’ attending each others’ games and shows, and simply having an open mind when connecting with others. By doing this, different student groups will build support systems among one another. Additionally, if more students become open to having interactions outside of their comfortable groups, they can begin to grow more connections, all while debunking these everyday stereotypes.
Not all respondents to the poll believed that the biggest divide at Milton involved athletics. One respondent wrote about the many diverse social groups that emerged due to the sheer number of activities students are able to participate in. Most students are part of multiple clubs, allowing them to interact and form connections with people from all over, potentially bridging any divide sports teams might bring. They also pointed out that the ‘well-roundedness’ of a person, or how many different commitments they had, and therefore the amount of people they were exposed to, often depended on personal scheduling. Other respondents felt that the major divide was more between boarder and day students, rather than based on activities.