From locker buddies to best buddies

High school friendships can develop in the most unlikely of places.

Grace Shisler, A&E Editor

The locker-a necessary storage unit, a routine stop throughout the school day, a starting place for friendship. Freshman year, students at Walsh Jesuit give their textbooks and binders a home in an isolated hallway by the Field House. While many students opt to stuff their backpacks to capacity with books in fear of not making the four minute deadline, some make the quick dash to freshman hall between classes. This is how seniors Jordan Ditommaso and Tom Dolata forged a four year strong friendship.

(Grace Shisler)
Seniors Jordan Ditommaso and Tom Dolata began their friendship as locker buddies four years ago.

While some friendships are forged through routine encounters, others happen to come out of convenience. For Tom and Jordan, their friendship blossomed from both. “We really hit it off the first day of school freshman year,” says Jordan. “Our lockers were right next to each other so sometimes I would just throw my stuff in his if my locker was locked,” said Jordan, explaining how the unlikely friendship started off. Being locker neighbors soon escalated into a strong friendship as they began hanging out in and outside of classes. When asked how they maintained their friendship, Tom smiled and said, “Jordan’s smile kept me through it. Also, I thought we were dating for a short while.”

Jordan and Tom both agree that simply making a small effort to reach out to others at school is one of the best ways to begin a friendship. “Especially as an awkward freshman, when someone reaches out to you, it sticks with you. Jordan and I have been friends for four years; all because we were locker buddies,” Tom reflects.

(Grace Shisler)
“My locker buddy has been my best friend all four years of high school–me,” jokes senior Colin Waltz. Waltz also shares that, aside from having locker buddies, high school presents a multitude of opportunities to make new friends.

Though their story is one shared by many former locker buddies, some students never share their experience. Senior Colin Waltz reflected on his four years at Walsh Jesuit and how the absence of another student in his locker affected him. “My locker buddy has been my best friend all four years of high school–me,” he jokingly reflects. Even without a locker buddy, Colin has maintained a healthy, close-knit circle of friends throughout his high school years. “I’ve always been a very unorganized person, so for the sake of any potential locker buddy, I opted to go without one,” he explains.

In high school, friendships are often forged in unlikely places. In the case of Jordan and Tom, all it took was close locker proximity to cultivate a strong friendship. For those who are neat freaks or just don’t like to share, don’t fret. Opportunities to form friendships present themselves all throughout high school.  Freshman year can be awkward and lonely, but for some all it takes is a locker buddy to solve that.