Wilde Lake students are used to the open building, diverse classes, and constant noise, so when five students had the opportunity to attend Glenelg for the day, they noticed an enclosed building, a lack of diversity, and silent hallways.

Senior Rachel Henry presented the idea she had last year. “I always think ‘what if’ I attended a different high school, rather than Wilde Lake,” she said. “I’ve only ever been surrounded by diversity in the Wilde Lake community. I’ve researched the demographic data for other schools, specifically Glenelg where they are less diverse and more affluent.”

Sophomores William Parker, Laura McHale, Hannah Henry, junior Khiera Tuck, and senior Rachel Henry attended Glenelg on March 27. When they arrived, they were each partnered up with one of five Glenelg students participating in the program as well. First, they participated in a get-to-know you activity, and then it was time for classes.

For Henry, this was the moment she had been waiting for: She was a student at Glenelg for the day. “I walked in not knowing how the day was going to go. I’m mixed, Jewish, and I was wearing a green Wilde Lake jacket. I stuck out,” she explained. “But overall, what I really noticed was the lack of chatter. Everything just seemed a lot quieter and people kept to themselves.”

The difference of interactions stuck out to junior Kheira Tuck as well. “At Wilde Lake, we’re a family and we’ll branch out of our normal friend groups and talk to others we may not know,” she said. “At Glenelg, students seemed more reserved than the students at Wilde Lake.”

While some students found the differences between the schools, Laura McHale saw the similarities. The first class McHale went to was theatre which gave her a similar atmosphere as the one at Wilde Lake where she is involved in the theatre department. “At least in the theater department, everyone [at Glenelg] has the same relationship as here,” she said.

The experience made McHale consider the relationship between the schools. “Attending Glenelg made me realize that even though people think Wilde Lake and Glenelg are complete opposites, we actually are very similar,” she said. “The students at each school have their hobbies and interests, and they work hard in their classes.”

As for the student exchange program, Henry believes it is a way to better Howard County. “It’s a way to bring the schools together and test the perceptions that we hold of each other.”