This year, with hopes to incorporate more input from students, the Living with Intent Focus and Enthusiasm (L.I.F.E.) Board run by supervisor Jane Keller is recruiting new members to expand and improve its program.

“The more opinions that the board can hear, the better of an understanding they will grasp for the general opinion toward the L.I.F.E. sessions and high school,” said Claudia Tischler (10), a member of the L.I.F.E. board.

The “ideal” size of the board consists of three seniors, three juniors, two to three sophomores, and one to two freshmen.
Providing activities such as yoga sessions for juniors, Eagle Buddies program for sophomores, informative presentations for all
classes and more, the L.I.F.E. Board has impacted student lifestyle since the program’s creation.

“You understand the influence you have, and you want to make L.I.F.E. days better,” Noel Witcosky (12) said. “The point is to rejuvenate the program, and I feel you can do something good with the help of your fellow students on the committee.”

A few years ago, only freshmen were required to take Wellness classes every Tuesday and Friday for a quarter of the year.

Today, Wellness is known as L.I.F.E. and is offered to all Upper School students.

When Keller was appointed as supervisor last year, she immediately asked for a board of both students and faculty, differing from the original one-member “board.”

“I wanted to make sure that it was a community effort because I want [L.I.F.E.] to be something that we all think about as a community,” Keller said. “I had students join last year and they were great.”

Last year, the L.I.F.E. Board organized presentations on topics such as time and stress management, drug awareness, sex education, and college preparation in an effort to educate students on making conscious decisions regarding their lifestyle.

“Wellness is a way of life, wellness is a way to think, and maybe [a way] to start getting people to look at how they eat and how they sleep,” Keller said.

In addition to learning about healthy lifestyles, Sophomores and Juniors will participate in the Eagle Buddies program during some of the L.I.F.E. sessions. This year, the coordinator of the program, History teacher Carol Zink, is continuing Eagle Buddies by extending it to three years from sophomore year to senior year. Juniors will continue to meet their Eagle Buddies from last year while current sophomores will begin the program with a trip to Bucknall on October 11. By next year, every senior, junior, and sophomore will have an Eagle Buddy.

In an effort to make the assemblies more engaging to students, the board has been planning events that feature more speakers.
“I really like the principles behind [L.I.F.E.], and I’d like to see it expand and see more done,” board member Daanish Jamal (12) said. “We want our message to be heard, and we want it to be relevant.”

On October 5, freshmen had their first assembly on enjoying high school, while sophomores, juniors, and seniors attended a presentation with speaker Austin Whitney on social responsibility.

“I think the [L.I.F.E.] Board is a good idea because it could actually help students with their lives and help us balance out our schedules,” Ishanya Anthapur (9) said.

All interested students will be evaluated by Keller, the administration, and faculty. According to Keller, potential L.I.F.E. representatives should maintain a healthy lifestyle and should set the example of positive attitude and behavior. In addition, they must be able to effectively manage their schedules and be prepared for a four-year commitment on the L.I.F.E. Board.