10 things every Falcon should do before graduating

A universe of adventures and experiences awaits you at Peddie. This is tour guide Connor’s top 10 (which he couldn’t trim to under 11).

A staple for anyone who enjoys a good run at Peddie is the Peddie Loop. This loop encloses the main property of The Peddie School and is roughly 1.9 miles long. It’s a great warm-up for the cross country team, a fun challenge for any student trying to get into running or a great 30 minute walk with a friend. I have both run and walked the Peddie Loop and each time I have come back with a profound appreciation for the land that Peddie sits on and the beautiful sights that surround it.

Just before Winter break, students and their families are all invited to attend Vespers. Within the Chapel, our community gathers to celebrate the holiday season through the lens of many faiths as we listen to beautiful music from the orchestra and choir. Every year I attend, I find an even deeper appreciation for the diverse faiths that are present in our community.

In preparation for the most important day of any Peddie year, each day of the week leading up to Peddie-Blair Day has a specific theme of dress. Whether it’s Pajama Day, Halloween costumes, or decades assigned by grade, I always find myself uniting with my classmates as anticipation for Saturday soars. Every year, gather with friends, plan ahead, and go all out each day.

This one is going to be the most difficult for a lot of people, but I promise it is worth it. Twice a week, the Peddie community gathers in Chapel to hear from a speaker and often the most powerful, moving talks come straight from the student body. Even if it is far out of your comfort zone, I’d urge any student to spend time reflecting, writing and finding the courage for a chapel talk and I promise you will be met with a round of applause, appreciation, and more confidence throughout your Peddie career.

Every week, Director of Community and Service Jim Truslow sends out opportunities to do service in and around our community. These opportunities vary from helping out with landscaping projects at Meadow Lakes, a local assisted living facility, to volunteering at the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen. Every time I participate, I find myself overwhelmed by how fun and rewarding it is to “lift as we climb”, as Mr. Truslow likes to say.

Each trimester at Peddie, students are given the opportunity to sign up to attend a trip to a Broadway show. Obviously, it is amazing to attend a Broadway show without paying for the ticket and many students say that these days are some of the most memorable in all of their time at Peddie.

Every year at Peddie there are two carnivals to attend. The first takes place on the first Saturday of classes and the second takes place after Baccalaureate, the night before graduation. There is nothing more rewarding than being able to attend each of these events at the start and end of the journey of each year. Also, the second carnival serves as the last time to laugh with many senior friends who will soon be tossing their caps in the air. Ultimately, it always surprises me how quickly the year fades but the carnivals serve as reflecting bookends full of humorous and sometimes tearful memories.

There’s a lot of memories to be made in the Spring at Peddie. However, I know that if I walk onto the volleyball court after dinner any day, that will become a night I’ll never forget. I have spent hours going back and forth between the volleyball court and the spikeball nets on Center Campus that remain there every evening for student use. As the temperature begins to rise again in March, I know that means that fierce competition on campus is coming soon and I am more than ready to accept it.

If you find yourself lucky enough to have an off-block at Peddie, I highly recommend swinging by one of your favorite teachers’ classrooms and picking their brain. Ask them about their life, career, or their journey to Peddie. If you ask most faculty at Peddie, they’d likely tell you they’ve wasted numerous blocks talking to me about random stuff. However, I feel that when I have those conversations, I’m more connected to Peddie and more productive than if I was anywhere else.

Make your way to the athletic center as much as you and your friends can to support your peers. There are very few things as therapeutic as rooting for your friends as they play the sport that they love and watching them succeed. There are dozens of teams at Peddie to become a dedicated fan of and I’d recommend showing up for them. They’ll show up for you too. Go to the games, cheer your heart out, watch us win and I promise you will never regret it.

This is the most important one and the easiest. Find some aspect of Peddie that speaks to you in ways that nothing else has and lean into that thing. I went through multiple drafts of this list, each consisting of events, people, or aspects of Peddie that have helped me fall in love with Peddie. It’s rare that you can find any place on the planet that gives you ten things that have really changed you. I am so grateful that I have found a place that gives me ten things each and every day.