As the year comes to a close, this year’s freshman class looks back on their first year of high school. Coming from an easygoing environment at Baird, students are forced into a big adjustment when they enter LHS.

Rules are much more strict at LHS regarding dress code and the use of earbuds. In addition to this, students need to focus all of their attention in class, or else their grades will suffer. At Baird, teachers gave students more down time to begin homework or receive extra help. The high school learning pace is hard to adjust to.

“It’s a whole new experience than middle school, but High School is not nearly as scary as people make it out to be,” says freshman Sidney Kornacki. She appreciated how helpful the upperclassmen were during her first few weeks at her new school.

Over the summer, Kornacki played volleyball with several sophomore girls who gave her advice about succeeding in high school. These girls provided details of how things work at LHS, including rules and academics. This way, Kornaci had an idea of what to expect.

Some students thoroughly enjoy life at LHS from the start and involve themselves is as many school activities as possible. Kornacki was impressed with the winter pep rally. She had never been to a school that takes time away from academics to create unifying activities for their students. She likes how much effort students around school put into the spirit week festivities.

Kornacki especially enjoyed the sports. She was a part of the freshman volleyball team, and during other seasons she supported other LHS sports teams by attending games.

Freshman Fiona Campbel also became a big athlete by participating in three different sports: volleyball, basketball, and track. By doing so, she met many new friends, many of whom were upperclassmen.

“I made a lot of friends who helped me survive high school,”Cambel says. She claims that many of the friends she made were unexpected, but have stood by her all year.  

Despite the fun that LHS sports and clubs bring, students all around school share a dislike for the workload. Kornacki says homework is her least favorite part of high school because “it’s not fun going to school from six hours and then having hours more of homework on top of it.”

Other students, such as Freshman Michael Riley, struggled with the fear of not knowing what to expect in LHS. Riley came from St. John the Baptist School, where he attended elementary school and middle school. “Ludlow High School is a lot bigger with many more people. There is also a lot more drama at this school than I’m used to,” Riley admits.

This year was an interesting year to begin high school, given all of the drama that occurred when students in the school were accused of acts that made the local headlines. “It made me feel a little more weary of the people are me and it was more difficult for me to trust new people,” says Campbel. Kornacki had a different view on the drama, claiming that things blow over quickly, seeming as though they never happened.
Hopefully, next year will go smoother for these students who will progress into their Sophomore year. Riley feels as though he is more comfortable with the school, so he expects to enjoy himself next year.