Leaping over the Quadrangle grass, freshman Zaidan Gbadamosi made the mistake of cutting corners on his way to biology class. Unbeknownst to Gbadamosi, he would receive his fair punishment and ridicule a few hours later, at the hand of a few watchful seniors. His picture was taken, printed and plastered on the “Wall of Shame” for all to see.
The Quadrangle, better known as the Quad, is a rite of passage for students at the School. Reserved for faculty, alumni and seniors, the courtyard is only allowed to be stepped on by those who have “done their time,” according to senior Yahya Mir.
The origins of this rule date back to 1951 when seniors first held their graduation ceremony on the Quad. Eventually, it became the tradition it is today.
Each year, seniors make the most of their authority by utilizing the Quad space for Senior Tea, shortcuts to classes, avoiding crowds and studying. Yet, one of the most savored liberties of the Quad is the right to enforce punishments on trespassers.
“It’s a privilege,” Mir said. “We’ve earned the right by being at St. John’s for as long as we have.”
This year, the class of 2025 has been especially creative.
Led by Mir and Mac Riser, seniors have assembled the “Wall of Shame,” a collage of black-and-white photos outside Senior Country. Unsuspecting underclassmen, usually freshmen, pose as they are caught red-handed by seniors that have spotted them on the Quad.
Mir and Riser have had the idea of creating this wall since last summer.
“We didn’t know if we were actually going to do it until we saw some random kid on the Quad during the first week of school,” Mir said.
Others help Mir and Riser keep an eye out, too. The wall features a hotline where upper and underclassmen alike can send proof of witnessed infringements.
“The average excuse is that they were ‘pushed on,’” Mir said. “But the best excuse was that they didn’t know what the Quad was.”
Within only one month of school, the wall had amassed 32 students—a little over one trespasser per day.
The taboo nature of the Quad tempts many into testing the extent of the upperclassmen’s wrath.
“[The wall] makes the freshmen and underclassmen view [the Quad] as a treasure that is being kept away from them, and they kind of want to conquer that treasure,” freshman Quad-stepper Ben Sandberg said.
He recalls how a science experiment requiring data collection in greenspaces led to his demise. After being spotted on the Quad, Sandberg was promptly reported to and confronted by seniors who posed with him for a photo.
Luckily for some, not all trespassers are always caught. Sandberg details the story of one anonymous violator that stepped on the Quad because “he thought it would be funny.” Although many took photos of him, he was ultimately never caught or put on the wall.
Mir reports that students from all classes have pitched in to report violations.
“Everyone has either submitted photos or given us anonymous tips,” Mir said. “Not just seniors, but juniors, sophomores and freshmen as well.”
In turn, Mir believes that the wall fosters a sense of unity across different grades through something other than sports or clubs. Mir would love to see the “Wall of Shame” continued by future classes that end up inheriting the wall.
For now, Riser and Mir continue to watch for freshmen trespassers and ask readers to “stay vigilant and report any quad-steppers” to the designated phone number.
