By Elyse Cram

Photo credit: Vlastik Svab.

Most students at Collegiate School are bound by many obligations that fill up their daily lives. For some, the pressure to take and perform well in rigorous classes, while still fulfilling the two-season sports requirement, can pose a significant challenge. Additionally, many students are involved in other extracurricular activities, such as theater, band, robotics, travel sports teams, and community service. Outside of school, some students have jobs and family commitments that take up even more time. Balancing all of these responsibilities, in addition to maintaining a social life and getting sufficient sleep, can understandably be difficult.

Collegiate has responded to this issue with Cougar Pause. Initially referred to as Family Night, Cougar Pause entails a night of no homework, no impending assessments, and no after-school activities or sports. The goal of this night is for students and teachers to be able take a break from their busy lives. In an email sent out to parents before the inaugural Family Night on January 29, 2020, Cougars were urged to “enjoy pausing on this day to spend quality time with your family.” After the 2019-2020 school year’s successful implementation of Cougar Pause, two more were scheduled for the 2020-2021 school year, on September 23 and January 27. 

Pender Bauhan (‘21) thinks that Cougar Pause is a “great idea” and claims, “Having a break from my chaotic work schedule and being able to use that time to rest really helps with my mental health. I also enjoy spending that extra time with my family. It’s nice having a sit-down dinner with them.”

From parents’ perspectives, Cougar Pause provides a night where they can dedicate time to having dinner, playing games, watching a movie, or other activities of their choice to bond with their children. After the first “Cougar Pause” last winter, Collegiate parent Sharon Handley was quoted in the Spring 2020 issue of The Spark: “I have children in the Lower, Middle AND Upper Schools, and it is hard to get all 5 of us together during the school year. We had a great night!”

Although Cougar Pause alleviates the stress of that particular night, some students have experienced additional work on the surrounding days. Marianna McComb (‘21) thinks that Cougar Pause “is a really good idea, but hard to do because sometimes it just adds more work to the days before and after.”

Bauhan acknowledged this as well and suggests a possible solution to reduce this buildup of work would be to move Cougar Pause to a Thursday night. With Cougar Pause currently on a Wednesday night, some students feel pressure to work ahead on Thursday night’s homework and studying. If Cougar Pause were to be moved to a Thursday night, students would have nothing due until the upcoming Monday. Because of this, students may feel more free to truly take a night off without worrying about what effect that would have for the next night.

Collegiate Lower School students experience an altered tradition while socially distanced and dressed up for a spirit hike. Photo courtesy of Collegiate School.

As is the case with most Collegiate traditions, COVID-19 has had an effect on Cougar Pause. In addition to no activities over Winter Break, COVID-19 cases and exposures resulted in two additional weeks of remote learning in January, causing activities to be cancelled. Because of this, an exemption was made to allow sports to continue during the night of Cougar Pause on January 27. In an email sent out to parents, this decision was explained by the administration: “We hope that the break from homework will provide for a relaxed family evening, while allowing for the continuity of activities that were greatly missed during the two weeks of campus closure.” 

This decision received mixed responses. To Bauhan, “Sports are just as stressful as homework and school,” and this took away from the purpose of a Cougar Pause.

However, Grace Cornell (‘21) “really enjoyed having sports that day” because “it was nice to be able to workout at practice with my friends knowing I didn’t have any work to do when I got home.”

In addition to the lost activities and sports practices, the pandemic has also affected what some families are comfortable doing during a Cougar Pause. While families enjoyed axe throwing, Drive Shack, and going out to eat during last year’s Cougar Pause, some families are no longer comfortable participating in these activities, given the current circumstances. Additionally, the pandemic has already provided many families with increased time together on weekends and during remote learning and working.

Although many families have spent more time together during the pandemic, Cougar Pause entails more than time with family; it provides members of the Collegiate community with valuable time to recharge. Upper School English (and Match advisor) teacher Vlastik Svab admires that Cougar Pause “gives students a chance to go home and take a mental pause on their hectic day.” Regardless of one’s schedule, a designated break, such as a Cougar Pause, always comes with its benefits.

Featured image credit: Vlastik Svab.