Fresh Faces

By Camden Leary

The dreaded jump from middle school to high school. Something America’s “tweens” see in their nightmares as their preteen clock strikes its final hour. Now those nightmares have become a reality and those perky eighth graders are now the scared freshman rushing down the hallway trying to make it to class on time. Believe it or not, this was every sophomore, junior and senior their freshman year. So, the EHS Student Council saw the need to help the clueless kids. Thus began the third year of Eudora’s Back to School Bash.

 “The Back to School Bash is an annual event that StuCo puts on to welcome and celebrate incoming freshmen and transfer/foreign exchange students as EHS Cardinals. Without the returning sophomores, juniors, and seniors in attendance, the new Cards have an opportunity to become acclimated to our school to help ease the first day jitters,” Melanie McQueen, one of the two Student Council representatives, told us.

In the event’s third year of running, the school added one hundred and twenty four freshman and twenty four new students to the Cardinal family. The students spent the day participating in a number of activities including a scavenger hunt and special activities with the Herff Jones representatives. Through the Herff Jones program the new students got the opportunity to write a letter to their future senior selfs. The students then attended their high school classes for a short time so they could find all of the classrooms and get used to the busy schedule of a high schooler.

“It was very interesting because in Germany school is a lot different. This school is much nicer and more clean. And it was very cool to be able to see how a typical day goes before everyone else got here,” said Janek Margardt.

Although Margardt is not a freshman this year, he came all the way from Germany to attend Eudora High School. This is another objective of the Back to School Bash; new foreign exchange students get the chance to meet new people and get their bearings before being thrown full force into the new school year.

“I feel that the Back to School bash was pretty successful this year. We had more time than needed, which was nice. In past years, things have been more tight-scheduled, which I think tends to stress students out. I feel like most of the students felt a little more at ease once they left the building that day,” Mindy McClaskey, EHS Student Body Secretary, informed us.

Student Council plans on continuing this event for future freshman and incoming new students as a friendly way to welcome everyone to the Cardinal family.