By Hung Tran ’20 Features Editor
One tradition that remains intact at Mercersburg is required, semi-formal, Monday night dinner. As of the start of winter term this academic year it is the only dinner in the week that is required and family style. On top of that, it is the only time in a regular week when students must shower and change quickly after PGAs. Consequently, many students do not arrive on time.
Despite the generally better quality food served, it is still pretty common for students to be late for the 6:30 p.m. bell. If food is not an incentive to come on time, then what are the difficulties that are holding students back?
“PGAs (Performance Group Activities) are time consuming,” says Ian Cruikshank ’21. This seems to be the main reason for tardiness of students. Basketball players, swimmers, dancers, wrestlers all seem to fall victim to their commitment, practicing late beyond the designated finish time. Jack Yeager ’20 says, “PGA leaders don’t allow us enough time between our activity and Monday night dinner.”
Megan List ’20 explains, “Specifically for sports, it’s difficult to make Monday night dinner on time if a PGA leader doesn’t let the group out until 6 p.m., and then athletes have to change or visit the trainer before showering and getting ready.” Fully invested athletes feel the time constraint when having to tend to their bodies’ needs after practice as well as receive instructions from a trainer.
“I’m always late to dinner because I don’t have enough time to shower and get ready. Us wrestlers have to shower in the gym, and the showers are always crowded,” comments Khoa Nguyen ’22.
With semi-formal attire, it often takes more time to clean up and get dressed. Guys often throw on the first items they see that could potentially pass muster for a suit which takes more time than many might imagine while trying to look put together and nice. Girls like to pick out a dressy outfit, put on make-up, and wait for all of their friends. Elsa Yelk ’21 laughs, “Girls tend to be fashionably late because it takes time to get ready.”
The fact that the dinner is required is not appealing to some students. “Most people don’t really want to go at all so it’s not a priority to be on time,” says Catherine Orders ’23. Dinner time is the time of day when everyone is tired from their afternoon activities so the idea of having to shower, put on a suit or a dress, shave, do your hair and clean up is an ordeal when students have homework and projects to complete, people to see, chores to do.
Students have asked for just a little more time between their PGAs and dinner. List adds, “I feel like a half an hour it is very rushed and adding an extra ten minutes before dinner could be beneficial to help the stress of the evening.”