On August 21, 2023, Fenwick students, Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors alike, prepared for the annual first-day-of-school Mass. They (hopefully!) brought their suit coats, put on their IDs, and tucked in their shirts just like every other year. However, there was one major difference (no, it is not the projector!): assigned Mass seating.

For those unaware, before this school year students were essentially allowed to sit anywhere they wanted during Mass as long as they sat in their designated graduation year sections. Freshmen in the balcony, sophomores on the left side of the stage, juniors on the right side, and seniors (and seniors alone!) in the coveted middle section. This year, seating is determined by whichever second period class a student has, which limits the people students can sit with to whoever is in that class. It is a possibility for underclassmen to be in a section with seniors, which explains their presence in the coveted middle section. However, as a result of this section being designated by students as seniors only, the fact that there are underclassmen sitting there has created some confusion. Kristen Ruiz, a senior at Fenwick, shared her opinion on assigned Mass seating: “I don’t like it.” She dislikes assigned Mass seating for the same reasons many don’t and explains why, “underclassmen in the senior section” and “misses [her] friends.” Although Fenwick students may be upset by the institution of assigned Mass seating, could there be some solid rationale behind it?

Mr. Barabasz, the assistant principal of activities and logistics at Fenwick explained the reasoning as “the safety of the students.” Mr. Barabasz explained that, in the case of an emergency during Mass or any other assembly in the auditorium, it would be hard to take account of the students if they were scattered amongst the auditorium. Assigned Mass seating allows for an easier organization of students and the ability to know where they are located in the auditorium to ensure the safety of the students in case of an emergency that would require an evacuation. When creating the seating assignments, Mr. Barabasz said, “I understood the possibility of students being upset about being separated from their friends,” as well as addressed the possibility of seniors being confused about underclassmen in their designated section. For the most part, Mr. Barabasz wanted to keep the “tradition alive,” and did his best to put majority-underclassmen, and majority-upperclassmen groups in their designated sections. Overall, the creation of assigned Mass seating was made with the intention of what is best for the students: their safety.

Though Fenwick students may miss their friends during Mass, and have to make some exceptions for the underclassmen in the middle section, it must be acknowledged that assigned Mass seating was made in the best interest of the students. With all else aside, assigned Mass seating can be a great opportunity to make new friends!