By: Ani Janakiraman ’26
Picture this: a campus filled with energy and a crowd of prospective 8th graders exploring the heart of a school where innovation, ambition, and dedication take center stage. That was Bellarmine on October 27th: on that Sunday, Bellarmine opened its doors to many curious students and their families during the open house.
The open house is significant because, for some individuals, their Bellarmine journey starts at this very event. First impressions play a potential role in determining where one’s future choice of school is, and when one better connects with a school like Bellarmine, the transition from middle school to high school is seamless. Daniel Kahneman writes for The Decision Lab, “It takes as little as a tenth of a second or up to 30 seconds to make a first impression…Your first impression of a thing sets up your subsequent beliefs. If [something] looks inept to you, you may assume everything else they do is inept.” On the other hand, the Halo Effect is a cognitive bias wherein an “initial positive impression of a person, brand, or product unconsciously influences our perception of them as a whole.”
Knowledgeable Bellarmine faculty and students helped to host the event, which showcased national-winning extracurricular programs, competitive sports teams, unique clubs, and the beautiful campus. At Bellarmine, most people believe “there is something for everyone.” Many seniors and alumni have affirmed this idea, arguing that Bellarmine isn’t just a place to attend school—it’s a place to become the best version of yourself.
Specifically, the Bellarmine Chamber Orchestra (BCO) and the band performed their first semester repertoires during the open house. The BCO started officially around five years ago and has been improving each year.
One of BCO’s most talented musicians and San Francisco Symphony Youth Orchestra member Bryan Im ’26 explained that “the orchestra performed well, and the hard work paid off during the first performance at the open house.” Many skilled individuals in the orchestra tried new solo performances during certain pieces. Bryan continued that his favorite piece “was the Vivaldi Winter because [he] got to play a solo and [hear] his friends play their solos.” The orchestra performed classical music such as Vivaldi’s Winter, Bach’s Air On the G Suite, Bach’s “Jesu Joy of Man’s Desiring,” and modern music such as “The Entertainer” by Scott Joplin. One of Bryan’s friends that played a solo is Jeffrey Bao ‘26, who also has almost a decade’s worth of experience playing the violin. Both are key contributors to the orchestra and are usually soloists at performances. Their excellent articulation, phrasing, and intonation impressed the audience of prospective families and even current Bellarmine students during the event.
© Charleston Music Competition – Bryan’s Viola Performance of Sonata No. 2
As for the future, Bryan hopes that more 8th graders will see the orchestra’s performance as something that they want to be a part of and join. He continued: “These performances were a window into the creativity, discipline, and passion that thrive at Bellarmine.” With Bellarmine’s orchestra growing in popularity as a class, more talented musicians are bound to join in the future. Bryan came in to the orchestra as a freshman and has made many different friends like Jeffrey Bao ’26, Jonathan Ho ’25, Sean Kim ’26, Daniel Kim ’25, and Atul Garlapatti ’27. They’ve united through the power of music, and they hope that the BCO shows future students how people bond by playing with each other.
© Bellarmine College Preparatory, Instagram – Jeffrey Bao ’26 and Jonathan Ho ’25 perform during the open house in the first violin section.
Subsequently, members of BCO stayed beyond the performances to talk about the orchestra with many families at their own booth station inside the Sobrato Building. Many members of the orchestra today remember this specific moment when the class of ’22 seniors talked about BCO with them at the open house. Now, they’re paying it forward and carrying on the legacy.
Let’s hope that next year’s open house is just as successful for all of Bellarmine’s great clubs and programs!
* photos courtesy of Bellarmine Carillon Yearbook Staff, Bellarmine Instagram, and Charleston Music Competition
Ani is the Arts Editor for the Bell Online. In his free time, he enjoys playing sports with his friends. He consistently publishes articles about campus events, clubs, and a variety of topics.