The Names Program, a long-standing tradition at New Trier, took place at the Northfield campus on December third and fourth.

This was the 12th year for Names, which was introduced by late Principal Janet Borja. The program comes from the Anti-Defamation League, and is implemented in many high schools in the area, including Evanston, Niles North, Niles West, and Vernon Hills

Borja worked as the Freshman Advisor chair and later served as the Northfield Campus Principal before her retirement.

Borja’s efforts are part of the reason why the Names Program has such an amazing history, said Senior Adviser Chair Cindee Scott, “The school feels that [Names] is very important, and now it’s 12 years and running.”

The program was originally a risk for Borja, but it yielded positive results, and it has continued on since then. Scott says that the continuation is a tribute to Borja.

The purpose of the Names Program is to stop – or at least hinder – the occurrence of bullying at New Trier. “We know that there are different forms of bullying out there. We want to acknowledge what has gone and what will go on,” Freshman Adviser Chair Gail Gamrath said.

While the main focus of Names is bullying, the program also has a way of getting things out in the open and pushing students to understand how their words affect other students. “I do hope people take away how truly hurtful bullying is,” Scott says.

Names is also an effort to strengthen the sense of community at New Trier, Gamrath said. The program brings students together in a serious environment. Once the community gets together and discusses bullying in this way, they can work towards preventing it in the future.

Nonetheless, there is always criticism of the Names program. Many students say that the effects wear off after a week or so, or that it might create a false sense of security for students who are willing to open up. Gamrath and Scott, who now work together to run the program, say that Names does achieve its goals, “It doesn’t wear off over time,” said Gamrath, who also explained that people always remember this program. “It stays somewhere in their mind.”

Both said that if the program can stop just one instance of bullying, then it’s a great accomplishment.

Perhaps the biggest motivator in the decision to run the program is to preserve the safety of the students. Administrators and school leaders hope that students can take away knowledge that will change how they think about their social interactions. There is evidence that the program is in fact carried with students. “When I talk to Seniors, they frequently remember the power of the Names program,” said Scott.

The New Trier administration feels that it’s an important program, and that it does in fact aid students in preventing bullying, even if the results aren’t exactly monumentally visible to all.

This year’s freshmen have just completed the Names program this past week. With it fresh in their minds, Scott repeats one of the main reasons for its existence: “Every student has a right to feel safe.”