For underclassmen already struggling to adapt to high school, the rhythm of choir culture can make the process even more challenging.
To help ease the transition, leadership introduced the Big Brother Big Sister program where new choir students are paired with upperclassmen to provide support.
Organized by the Choir Student Leadership Program president senior Anh Vo and vice president junior Moksha Mettu, the Big Bro Big Sis program is in its inaugural year.
The program was intended to provide a space for underclassmen to seek help and guidance from upperclassmen.
Especially for major events such as concerts and auditions, Big Bro Big Sis aims to prevent situations where freshmen don’t feel comfortable coming out of their shells.
“There’s often a divide between freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors,” Mettu said. “I definitely thought they were intimidating because it’s a culture gap. The way they act in class is so different from you. You don’t know what’s going on, so you just stick with your freshman clique, and people tend to stay with that clique as they get older. We don’t want that at all.”
Much of the program design was based on the CSLP’s experience when they were freshmen.
For example, the Bigs and Littles were matched based on interests, and English Learner students were placed with someone who was familiar with their native language.
“I can speak Chinese, so I can offer help and make connections with them,” publicist senior Renee Li said. “My first year in the US was actually my freshman year, so I was really confused.”
Matching and introductions between Bigs and Littles took place on choir’s kickoff day, where they played games, introduced the board and reviewed choir logistics.
“There’s a lot of kids from different grades,” freshman Yesha Gupa said. “They’re helpful to the freshmen who are new to the program, and they’re really nice, friendly and supportive.”
Bigs will meet with their Littles at bonding events as well in order to build connections slowly rather than forcing them.
Some of the responsibilities for the Bigs include making goodie bags for their Littles before concerts and answering questions.
The Big Bro Big Sis program, among other new initiatives this year such as an expanded student government with publicists and four recruitment officers, was spurred by choir’s low enrollment.
The graduating class of 2025 made up around 50 of the 133 students in the choir program, leaving big shoes for this year’s program to fill.
Besides helping new members feel welcome, CSLP members also wish to spotlight what makes Northwood’s choir unique, to encourage students to join.
“We want to expand our region and really show the school what it is to be a Northwood choir program, where we go on festivals, we sing at the peplos and we make excellent music,” Vo said. “We want to show people why the program is seven-time Grammy Award winning. The Big Bro Big Sis program helps to bridge those gaps and show the school what we’re all about, and internally within the choir program, it helps to uplift those who are newcomers and motivate them to strive to be the best musicians that they can be.”
