{"id":35118,"date":"2022-11-22T00:58:44","date_gmt":"2022-11-22T06:58:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/?p=35118"},"modified":"2022-11-22T01:01:00","modified_gmt":"2022-11-22T07:01:00","slug":"a-walk-through-imsa-the-year-imsa-came-back","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sites.imsa.edu\/acronym\/2022\/11\/22\/a-walk-through-imsa-the-year-imsa-came-back\/","title":{"rendered":"A Walk Through IMSA: The Year IMSA Came Back"},"content":{"rendered":"

A glimpse into post-COVID IMSA with the students of pre-COVID IMSA, Class of 2022<\/span><\/h2>\n

The following is an editorial from IMSA alumni. This letter has been reviewed only for clarity and the appropriateness of its language, and no edits have been made to its content, claims, or assertions. <\/em>The Acronym supports respectful discourse about the challenges facing our community and welcomes comments on this article which uphold that standard.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Submitted by: Christo Ekimov ’22 and Erin Yoo ’22<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/b><\/p>\n

Many IMSA students are attracted to the Academy for something besides academics\u2014after all, the school attracts the avidly curious and the naturally scientific more than any other comparable system. To them, this school should serve as a way to meaningfully explore shared interests and cultivate connections with like-minded students. While this is a noble cause, it is one that we feel is slowly deteriorating; we believe that IMSA is becoming a shadow of its former self.<\/span><\/p>\n

Naturally, this is quite an alarming thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

As students of the Academy, we wish nothing but the best for this institution. However, as graduating seniors, there is little that we can do in our role. Despite this, we have done our best to create a resource that may be of some use to future generations.<\/span><\/p>\n

In traditional IMSA fashion, we have resolved to do something incredibly absurd, something that will forever live in infamy, and that just might be told with stories the likes of Steve Chen\u2019s pancakes: writing a letter. The project is simple: interview members from the Class of 2022, compile their responses, and provide a brief analysis. Ideally, the insights within will provide a representation of our class\u2019 perception of IMSA and how we viewed our time at the academy.<\/span><\/p>\n

Maybe it\u2019s a farewell letter. Or, maybe, it\u2019ll be the start of something great\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n

Purpose<\/b><\/p>\n

This letter is intended to serve as a brief snapshot of the Class of 2022\u2019s experiences with IMSA. Since the culture changes frequently at the academy, our intention is to leave an electronic ‘time capsule’ which details our perception of the institution. As current seniors, we (the authors) have no time to implement the ideas discussed and hope that others may gain some use from our findings. We believe IMSA is an incredible opportunity but are concerned with its ability to survive and withstand the test of time. Ideally, this letter will inspire positive change at IMSA and remedy some ailments we believe exist.<\/span><\/p>\n

If at least one of these goals is accomplished, the total effort expanded in this letter will be well worth it.<\/span><\/p>\n

Results<\/b><\/p>\n

We interviewed 22 seniors we knew across all 7 halls and recorded their responses to the following questions. Interviewees were selected based on those we interacted with daily, their \u2018passion\u2019 towards IMSA, as well as their leadership positions (StudCo, CAB, club leaders).<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Question 1: How would you define IMSA (a school, prison, community, etc.)?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

A majority of our respondents generally defined IMSA as being a good thing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many people labeled IMSA as <\/span>a place for inquiry<\/b> and stated that it provided something that their old school could not. To them, IMSA is a place for <\/span>higher education and furthering their own academic ambition<\/span><\/i>. Others described the <\/span>\u2018IMSA bubble\u2019<\/b>: a place where the only world is IMSA\u2014<\/span>IMSA news, schoolwork, friends, etc<\/span><\/i>. Nearly all respondents mentioned the idea of <\/span>community<\/b>. They spoke about the <\/span>accelerated relationships that IMSA helps foster and the intimate bonds between people among different grades. <\/span><\/i>Lots spoke about how they <\/span>changed at IMSA<\/b>. For them, IMSA wasn\u2019t just only an academic endeavor, it was a place where they could grow personally.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, from an <\/span>outside perspective,<\/b> IMSA is a <\/span>residential school <\/span><\/i>with an i<\/em><\/span>ncredible program and talented students<\/span><\/i>. <\/span><\/p>\n

Question 2: How would you describe your ideal IMSA vs. the current IMSA?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Many voiced concerns about IMSA in its current form.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nearly all respondents pointed to the universal issue of <\/span>communication at IMSA<\/b>. Due to the Academy\u2019s small size, word travels quickly and people felt difficulty keeping secrets or their <\/span>own business private.<\/span><\/i> Students also complained about the administration\u2019s approach to <\/span>decision-making and their ability to relay information<\/span><\/i>. IMSA is inherently<\/span> top-heavy and bureaucratic,<\/span><\/i> with a multitude of administrative departments,<\/span> which makes governance and communication of any kind difficult.<\/span><\/p>\n

Many seniors spoke about <\/span>freedom at IMSA<\/b>. They felt limited by the various regulatory measures in place and the lack of otherwise common privileges. For the most part, <\/span>vehicles aren\u2019t allowed <\/span><\/i>on campus, barring some medical exemptions. Eighteen-year-olds also <\/span>can\u2019t leave campus alone and still must attend rolling check. <\/span><\/i>It is difficult to address these concerns, however, because of the various behind-the-scenes laws we as students aren\u2019t aware of.<\/span><\/p>\n

Other topics, such as <\/span>IMSA\u2019s discipline system, clubs, and curriculum <\/b>were also addressed. More details can be found in the <\/span>summary document.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Many stated that an ideal IMSA would remedy current issues and improve upon existing resources. Many people believed that IMSA\u2019s educational philosophy, being inquiry-based, was sound but just needed better implementation. Respondents agreed that current students aren\u2019t as invested in the curriculum as they should be, and an ideal student would engage in self-guided inquiry frequently. Ideally, the administration would have a better understanding of \u2018real\u2019 student affairs, and communication would be frequent and transparent. Physical buildings would be newer and better-equipped while also offering more spaces for clubs and extracurriculars.<\/span><\/p>\n

There\u2019s not much inherently wrong with \u2018theoretical\u2019 IMSA, yet in practice, the academy seems to struggle.<\/span><\/p>\n

Question 3: How much longer do you see IMSA lasting, and why?<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

After the endless Facebook posts ranting about admin, failures of the institution, and angry stakeholders (students, parents, teachers), one might think the student body is hopeless for the future of IMSA. Quite a depressing thought.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yet, <\/span>surprisingly, there were a good number of Class of ’22 students that predicted lasting longevity<\/b> for IMSA. In fact, the majority of surveyed seniors, 12 out of 18 as seen below, stated that IMSA would last at least 10 more years.<\/span><\/p>\n

However, the students who did predict a longer lifespan for IMSA (10+ years) expected the institution to change. In their view, <\/span>the IMSA name would still exist, but the original idea or brand would not<\/b>. It wouldn\u2019t be the same, \u201cmagical\u201d learning laboratory anymore. Instead, it would just be a school named IMSA.<\/span><\/p>\n

Out of 22 total Co22 respondents:<\/span><\/p>\n