CLUB HOPPING: TOUR GUIDES

Founded: 1939 (As the Open Door Committee) questions for Thalia

Purpose: Tour Guides work with the Admission office, serving as student hosts to welcome prospective community members visiting campus.

Often the first in-person interactions prospective students and their families have at Lawrenceville is with one of the School’s student Tour Guides. “And with this comes great responsibility,” says Max Blecher ’23, one of two head guides this past academic year. “I try to remind myself every time that I tour that this can be the difference between applying to Lawrenceville or not.” During the busiest times of year, Tour Guides can give three or four or even up to six tours in a week during their free periods. They want to showcase the School but also present an authentic slice of life, says Stephanie Xu ’23, Blecher’s co-head guide. “On every tour, we do our best to talk about the specific facet [of student life], club, or activity the student is interested in,” she says, “and usually, we’ll have a lot of personal background and experience in that activity. All of my tours are slightly different depending on the student and their interests."

If you could have any superpower, what would you choose?

The power to control time: Pause, play, and rewind. Great for consequence-free power naps in class.

What song can you listen to on repeat?

Depending on my mood, “Lost in Translation” by Logic or “Sea, Swallow Me” by the Cocteau Twins, with headphones on full volume.

What is your favorite time of day?

If I feel fully awake, 3-5 a.m. I love being productive when the world is asleep (especially with a good soundtrack), and then being able to appreciate some crisp early-morning air as the sun rises.

What’s one thing you’ve always wanted to try, but you’ve been too scared to do?

I really want to get into horror movies, but visual scares are way more intense than auditory/literary ones and it would definitely be outside my comfort zone.

If you had to be shipwrecked on a deserted island, but all your human needs, such as food and water, were taken care of, what two items would you want to have with you?

Can I find a big cliff face? If so, a screen projector set to play all seasons of Gilmore Girls and a lifetime supply of popcorn. I would honestly just rewatch it for the rest of my life.

“Lawrenceville should not be a means to an end, a stepping stone to a prestigious college and a successful career. Yet even then, such matriculations – the unspoken goal of many who come here –would not be affected by a class of highly specialized graduates with both clear passions in niche areas and broadly applicable skills of thoughtful contemplation and discussion. Academic pride and academic rigor are not mutually exclusive – in fact, they complement each other. Such a culture may take years to truly cultivate, and it will require students to be truthful with themselves about their own aspirations, but I hope that eventually, every new Lawrentian will learn to celebrate a love of learning from the moment they arrive.”