Through my years being a part of the wondrous community that is Winchester Thurston, by walking along the butter-colored walls, I have gathered several bits and chunks of information on the group that (in layman’s terms) we know to be the Freshman.  A collective group of naive fourteen and fifteen year olds, navigating their first year of high school, they often are regarded as another species with a frontal lobe incomparable to that of an average upperclassman’s. Teachers know them well, aware of their study habits, and trying desperately to change them. It is a new group of Freshman that enter the school each year, and thus a new social grouping to study. In terms of conclusive data, my findings from the past three years are as follows:

Firstly, they tend to stick together. Seemingly, they find comfort in groups and elect alphas, allowing for pack dynamics. It is not uncommon to see an alpha resign each year, or be beaten out by another who seems to have themselves in even more pieces. It is often those who possess a dramatic voice and air that lead the groups, though the subtle energy of the most put together member can be intimidating to the alpha. It is also common to see the alpha leave the group entirely, seeking reassurance for their problems from other people where their past group had begun to see through them.

Often seen in the library, their groups are virtually impenetrable, as they sit in rows and all together, practically lying on top of each other. I can say nothing against this though, as they seem to also experience comfort from peer contact, much like other humans. The formation they create as they sit though, is a fascinating shape, and I would recommend its study to the most distinguished of mathematicians.

Secondly, they are absolutely everywhere. An interesting increase in population has occurred in the past few years, and has been reflected as such. My observations were made with ease as a simple walk down the hallway presents me with at least six subjects, brushing past me an occasion walking right into me. I was worried, originally, about being seen and ruining their natural atmosphere, but as I have been bumped into and repeatedly forced to sneak past them in their packs, I do not think I proved to be a complication.

Each senior class has donated study space, but each year we are not able to relish in the space as suddenly an entire corner of the school is overthrown with a large group of Freshman, their ability to repel upperclassmen unmatched. After interviewing both the upperclassmen and faculty, the entire school has also reached the conclusion that they “will likely take over”, and “seem to be multiplying.”

Thirdly, it is within these spaces that they occupy that they make messes like no others. I’ve noticed food scraps, bottles, milk containers, plastic wrap, ceramic dishes, meat, cheese, cookies, silverware, and even articles of clothing. This suggests to me that they could have more connections to primal beings than otherwise considered, but as I have mentioned earlier, the underdevelopment of their frontal lobe could be a contributing factor.

When faculty and staff see the messes, their faces turn shades I haven’t previously observed in humans, and their tolerance slowly depletes. The same goes for upperclassmen (who also have this issue on occasion), though with less authority they simply turn to making jokes with the faculty about the matter. One of the most interesting things I have seen come of this is the dynamic between teachers and students turning from that of a somewhat professional difference, into equal beings with a shared distaste for Freshman.

Finally, using measurements by eye and tape, I have been able to conclude that due to confounding factors, America’s population is getting smaller. This is incredibly interesting as each Freshman class seems small, yes, but myself and my peers have remained the same general height within our years, and all of us above theirs. The year after us was only slightly shorter, but this year, the class of 2022, are all roughly 5’5”.

All of these taken into consideration, only a bit is known about this group. Purely using observation, we can determine things such as dynamics and habits, but different studies would have to be done to conclude more about the groups. I am fortunate to have a sibling that falls within this group, for closer observation; but he, like me, is weird and only became friends with kids two years older than himself. I must recommend more in-depth studies to be done, in order to fully conclude their behavioral patterns and perhaps brain scans to contribute to our knowledge of their general cognitive skills, which are both beyond my abilities (and my patience).