By Wright Montague and Freddie Reed

Students in E period physics. Photo credit: Freddie Reed.

When we walked into Upper School science teacher Justin Little’s classroom on a recent Wednesday morning, we couldn’t help but recognize the curiosity on the students’ faces as Little explained the upcoming lab. This is Little’s first year at Collegiate. When we asked him about what impression he wanted to make on the Collegiate community, he furrowed his brow but then responded with his classic statement, “Physics is fun!” When we asked him another variation of our question, about what impression he wants his classes to have on the Collegiate community and the science curriculum, he reiterated, “Physics is fun!”

Many students agreed that Little’s sense of humor makes the class enjoyable. While shadowing the E period physics class, we heard Zach Jarvis (’26) remark that “his jokes bring refreshment to our classroom.” Little has many phrases and jokes that help ease the tension in a room full of students studying the science of physics. 

Other students enjoy the location of Little’s classroom. Andrew Everett (‘27), known to friends and family as “Gurt,” enjoys the convenience of the water fountains and bathrooms located right outside the door. Located on the first floor of the North Science building, the classroom’s windows showcase the beautiful spring foliage. Everett especially loves the fact that “the convenience of the water fountain allows me to be dialed in all class, just knowing that I can be hydrated.” 

The topic of discussion for that day’s class was a rigorous lab. In this lab, students pushed frictionless carts against each other in elastic, inelastic, and explosion collisions. They then recorded the velocity and mass, eventually calculating the momentum and kinetic energy. When asked about labs in the classroom, Emery Williamson (’27) said that “labs help you build better communication skills, while also putting what we learned in our lectures to the test in the physical world.” Everett also remarked that “labs are enjoyable because you get to collaborate with classmates on tasks.” 

Little’s class is a remarkable experience, and the smiles of many students were gleaming while undergoing the process of understanding physics, bringing to life the adage “Physics is fun!”

Featured image credit: Freddie Reed.