Remember your very first day at highschool? Was there someone there to welcome you to the most intimidating years of your life? Ashland High begins to welcome incoming freshmen with a summer program called Fresh Start, but theres much more to switching schools than summer introductions. A new school surrounded by kids who already understand the environment and red/white day schedules can be frightening to anyone. Every class tends to hang out with people their age and grade, and everyone seems to avoid the unfamiliar freshman faces. A good, warm welcome can make all the difference to someone so out of their element. Some incoming freshmen receive welcomes from friends or older siblings, but most high-schoolers only speak to freshmen when necessary. Instead, many of them receive an unintentional cold shoulder from the current school population. This cold shoulder only helps to alienate freshmen more than before.

The friendliness of surrounding students can make or break a freshman’s first experience in high school. Fresh Start should not be the only positive feelings someone gets while entering a new and scary place. So get out and welcome the new guys with a smile. Make some new friends or find some new lunch buddies. Make sure the freshmen can settle in comfortably for their next four years of school.