Eyes Open At Open House

All it takes is a tenth of a second to make a lasting impression.

Though I am a senior now, Sunday was my first year experiencing an Open House as a high schooler. Upon entering the campus this morning, I felt the eager sense of newness that resonated with the many prospective students and their parents.

So I put myself in the shoes of a curious, potential future Falcon and took in my surroundings.

This fraction of a second offered me a brief, yet accurate blip of everything Christian Brothers has to offer. It had a level of sophistication that highlighted every aspect of Christian Brothers — the arts, sport, academics, and clubs. It was loud, warming, colorful, organized, and busy.

I immediately thought of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink. According to Gladwell, we rely on snap judgements to make sense of our experiences. A second or two can tell us an awful lot when we encounter a novel situation. In short, the first impression is everything.

I remember being overwhelmed as a prospective student by the vast size of the campus, the multitude of people, and the myriad of unique things the school had to offer.

But a lot has changed in four years — that means an even larger campus, more people, and much more activities.

It’s no surprise that the most common first impressions from parents and students was that the school is “big,” “incredible,” and “impressive.” Within seconds, Falcon’s to-be are bombarded with “Christian Brothers–everywhere,” Vince Villegas (’15) says as he works the bustling prize chamber.

Christian Brothers has mastered the art of the first impression.  And It seems each year, the school becomes exponentially more impressive. Visiting 8th grader Angelina Landeros was “impressed by the new theater.”

You wouldn’t buy a car without testing it out first. Likewise, you wouldn’t want to enroll in a school without visiting it first. Open House offers an accommodating and useful channel for parents and students to learn more about their potential school, policies, and administration.

And it all starts with a tenth of a second.