Stuy SU x Big Sibs Host Big Sib/Little Sib Picnic

To end off the second week of the 2026-2027 school year, the Student Union (SU) and Big Sib Program co-hosted the annual Big Sib/Little Sib picnic at Rockefeller Park. The event included snacks, pizza, and interactive games and races to help acclimate Little Sibs to the Stuyvesant community. The picnic, a tradition for over 10 years, has become an experience that both Big Sibs and Little Sibs look forward to each year. 

Before the start of every academic year, the Big Sib Chairs spend time planning initiatives to help Little Sibs adjust to Stuyvesant’s environment. This includes events like the Big Sib/Little Sib picnic, homeroom activities, and more. “We have been planning since the start of August! SU and Big Sibs hopped on meetings to discuss the picnic date, budgeting issues, and the event overall,” senior and Big Sib Chair Hannah Kim said.

Such planning took advice, criticism, and experiences from past years into consideration to make the picnic as enjoyable as possible. This year’s picnic featured a variety of fun, interactive events: a rock, paper, scissors tournament, huge volleyball circles, frisbee games, and a three-legged race. “We’re also trying to have these group activities happening actively and passively to get people together, so even though sometimes people might just be chilling a bit, there’s always so many activities for them to try,” senior and Big Sib Chair Madeleine Villamil said. 

On the day of the picnic, the Chairs needed the Big Sibs’ help in transporting the pizza on time and as efficiently as they could, especially since the park was a bit of a long walk from the pizzeria. “[We] ordered the pizza to be done a little early, plus it’s like a 20 minute walk from the pizza place,” senior and Big Sib Chair Shane Bacchus said. “So thank you to all the Big Sibs that helped me pick up pizza… [and] went with me because it’s like 22 pies. I can’t carry all that [alone].”

The planning had proved effective, as not only did the games help Little Sibs feel at ease, but also brought joy and competitiveness. Both Big Sibs and Little Sibs participated, encouraging them to work together and strengthening their bonds. “The three-legged race definitely encourages Big Sibs to be with their Little Sibs as pairs and to have fun overall. I loved how each chair had a team and sat on pizza boxes at the end of the race!” Kim said. 

A highlight of the picnic for Little Sibs was the rock, paper, scissors tournament. The game, meant to encourage Little Sibs to meet one another, was a competitive tournament involving high stakes and negotiations. Big Sibs handed out beaded necklaces to Little Sibs, who would play rock, paper, scissors with each other. The winner would take the loser’s necklace, meaning that the more necklaces someone had, the more games they had won. Eventually, it came down to an intense final round, where the winner emerged with necklaces stacked high. “You couldn’t even see [the winner’s] neck,” junior and Big Sib Raisa Farhin said. The winner was given the opportunity to pie a Big Sib Chair with shaving cream, which made it all worthwhile. 

Overall, these multiple events successfully helped keep the picnic entertaining and allowed Big Sibs and Little Sibs to spend meaningful time together. Since they did not have as much time with each other once the school year began, many Big Sibs felt that the picnic created another opportunity for them to bond. “I think it was really cool to interact with and befriend all of the different Little Sibs, since most of the time we mostly talk to those in our homerooms,” junior and Big Sib Muya Zhou said. “Being able to interact with Little Sibs was a really nice experience!”

The freshmen also had a great time bonding with others and exploring new connections, making the experience worthwhile. “I made so many new friends and made stronger relationships with ones I already had! Everyone at the picnic was so friendly, and I’m so glad I went,” freshman Hadley Paraoan said. “It was really organized, I feel. There was an area for food, backpacks, games, and the Big Sibs had their shirts, so you knew where they were. It was like a huge hangout, and it was lots of fun.”

As the picnic came to an end, the evening air was filled with lively chatter as Little Sibs and Big Sibs began leaving. Many Little Sibs were seen leaving with other freshmen or Big Sibs, while some stayed to continue playing frisbee or volleyball together, showing how the picnic achieved its goal of encouraging community building. After all the Big Sib Chairs and SU Presidents had been pied, cleanup efforts were made to restore the park back to its original form. “[The cleanup process] didn’t take too long… it wasn’t too dirty to begin with […] we kept it tidy for the most part,” Farhin said.

Despite the many successes of the picnic, not everything went exactly as planned. One issue that came up was the logistics and timing of the food. The Chairs had ordered pizza early to make sure that there would be fewer complications. However, it ended up backfiring on them. “We didn’t want them to have [the pizza] done late, but that also kind of left it a little bit cold,” said Bacchus. “So [the walk], on top of when we started serving, it wasn’t like fresh, hot pizza.”

Another problem was the insufficient amount of food. The food and water were reserved for the Little Sibs only, so many of the Big Sibs felt tired without refreshments, particularly since it was the end of the day. “I wish they provided more water and food for both Big and Little Sibs,” Zhou said. “Especially since Big Sibs weren’t allowed to eat or drink anything, and it was a really hot day. It made it a bit hard to concentrate, but the picnic was enjoyable nevertheless!”

Additionally, the materials used during the three-legged race brought about complications. “It’s a three-legged race, so you tie your leg to your partner’s… and then we’d run,” said Bacchus. “The string, we had some issues where it was breaking because it was like a thin string.”

Some Little Sibs did not find themselves talking with other Little Sibs as much as they were with Big Sibs. “One thing I think was done really well was bringing the Little Sibs and Big Sibs together… I wish there were more opportunities for me to meet kids I don’t talk to often because I just stayed with my friends the entire time,” freshman and Little Sib Theodora Mahoney said.

Still, Little Sibs seemed to have generally enjoyed the picnic and its activities. “Just seeing the freshmen around, I know for a fact that they were having a really good time at the picnic,” Bacchus said. “Also, having some of them come up to me just in the hallways talking about it. I would say that was a sign of success!”

Looking toward the future, the Big Sib Chairs hope to create more opportunities for connection between Big Sibs and Little Sibs and for Little Sibs to be welcomed into the Stuyvesant community. The picnic has proved time and time again to be a successful initiative, as many Big Sibs and Little Sibs came out of it feeling fulfilled and closer with others. “I truly want the Big Sib/Little Sib program to have many more opportunities to bond, and hope our Big Sibs continue to enjoy welcoming freshmen and willing to possibly be their first friend at Stuyvesant,” said Kim.