Freshmen. What a topic. I’m sure all of you reading this article have some sort of opinion on this subject, good or bad, accurate or lore. All grades do have a certain stigma surrounding them, yet I feel like the freshmen do get some of the worst hate. People think that they are entitled, short humans bumbling around the high school hallways. Well, let me tell you, it’s daunting to try to go into a school with that hopefully false reputation preceding you. Some may embrace it, while others challenge it to no avail. The class of 2022…let’s see how we handled it.

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Nothing much really happened the first day of school. It was so hot we all might have wanted to die, and sure some people got a little lost, but not much else. We had already had the Freshmen Orientation with our Link Leaders which helped us familiarize ourselves with the school, and it seemed as though hesitant relaxation was in the air. Or at least, that is what was shown on the outside.

 

Personally, I felt pretty confident going into high school. My two older sisters had told me their experiences: the do’s and don’ts, where to go, what teachers to look out for, all that jazz. My only blip was getting a tad bit lost on the way to math (it’s upstairs, I did NOT know), but other than that, it was the smoothest sailing possible.

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However, as I looked around at my fellow freshmen, I had to wonder, “Is it just me?” I couldn’t read anyone as they passed by, as poker faces were in full force. So, to calm my inner curiosity, I took to the fields of the freshmen cookout, ready to bombard my peers with questions about their experiences.

 

My first few victims were rather indifferent to the switch of scenery, such as Victoria Oliveira. “It’s really the same. The only thing different is the building,” was her response to how her transition to high school was. When asked how she felt about the cookout and being welcomed, she stated, “Nice, but I want food.” Well said, Victoria, well said.

 

Others leaned towards the negative side such as Anthony Rodriguez, who said that going to the high school was “questionable” and that he felt “mostly” comfortable with the changes occuring.

Tess O’Riordan, although not feeling overwhelmed with the changes, felt that the welcome was lacking, in a way. She said, “While it’s (the Link Leader activities) welcoming, it’s not needed.”

 

All in all, the general consensus seems obsolete, and everyone appeared to have had all different experiences in regard to the start of their career at Canton High School. However, I am sure that we will all grow as people during this year, with our highs hopefully outweighing our lows.

 

Towards the end of the cookout, I discussed advice that could be given to my peers and me for the best high school experience we could get. Coach Hughes said something that I truly hope you will all take to heart: “Make as many connections as you can, as fast as you can, and keep them alive.” Have a great high school year everyone, and here’s to even better ones to come.