The 2019-2020 school year is kicking off and there are many new faces on campus. The Class of 2025 is in the house! Think back Juniors and Seniors to how inexperienced and frankly clueless we all were when we just arrived. These incoming 7th graders have no idea how much they are going to learn and experience throughout their tenure at ERHS. Fortunately, for these rookies, the senior class has the opportunity to bestow wise knowledge and advice from their years of experience.
It is common to for 7th graders to feel intimidated by the senior class. After all, they are older and bigger than the younger ones. But just remember, we felt the same way, and yes, we were that small! Yet some seniors don't feel as old as they thought they would be when they were young incoming 7th graders, as senior Quinn Pierson puts it like this: “I thought I would feel more like a senior, but as a senior, I still feel as if I’m in 7th grade and I’m like still 12 years old”. Believe it or not, Quinn and many seniors feel this way, like they are not about to leave ERHS in several months and be an adult. That’s right, many seniors don’t feel as old or mature as they thought back in 7th grade. Something that all seniors would agree about is that their time at Eagle Rock goes by very fast which is I suppose, why they don't feel that much different as the years go on.
The senior class has had its fair share of mistakes or phases that often make them cringe whenever they think back to that awful… awful time. Many Seniors regret parading parading in their PE clothes throughout the hallways and about the campus. Others regret running to their classes as if the world was about to end if they didn't make it to class on time. Many shared similar to the experiences of Cedrik De Guzman, “I was a pretty musty kid and I looked like a musty kid”. And a few were quite specific as in the case of Chester Cahill who revealed, “I used to wear the weirdest, biggest, Hawaiian shirts”. But that is an example of how some things stay with us throughout the years. The funny thing about 7th graders is that they don’t change, no matter what year it is. They all standout because they have their jackets tied around their waists along with wearing cargo shorts, they somehow manage to be the loudest people at school despite being 4’10, and 7th graders always seem to make random, direct eye contact with seniors or other upperclassmen.
One thing is for sure: 7th graders have to get used to the transition from the elementary setting. Instead of seeing the same 32 kids everyday, 7th graders experience meeting so many new people they call their classmates. Because of that, 7th graders overcompensate in trying to be liked or make friends, and it sometimes becomes detrimental, as Ariyana Griffin sums it up perfectly, “We (along with her friends) used to be very loud… and very obnoxious."
With all this in mind, the Scream presents the respectful and well-considered advice from the Class of 2020 to the Class of 2025, in order to create a less cringey learning environment.
DON'T wear PE clothes outside of PE class. (Bring some extra clothes, like a normal person)
DON'T have a rolling backpack. (Just… no)
DON'T run to classes during passing period. (You have time; calm down)
DON'T scream in the hallways. (It's an annoyance to your peers, upperclassmen, and teachers)
DON'T stand in the middle of the hallway with your friends. (We have tables, open areas, and even teachers who open their classrooms during lunch. Don’t limit your space to the width of a hallway, or at least stick to one side)
DON'T stress so much about how others think of you. (Most of the time, people are too preoccupied to care how your hair looks)
DON'T procrastinate. (It is a bad habit to develop so early)
DON'T stress over your grades/classes in middle school. (They are important, but as long as you give the effort, everything is going to work out)
When most members of the Senior class reflects on their tenure at Eagle Rock, something they all wish they had done was to be more active in the community and culture of ERHS. Whether it be participating in PeeWee Bowl, going to more dances, and especially joining more clubs. ERHS hosts dozens of clubs that cater to a multitude of interests such as ASB, Make a Wish, and KeyClub. And a club that corresponds well with this article is Bridges, a mentorship program in which our junior and senior mentors encourage and coach our 7th and 8th graders. Meetings take place about once a month after school from 3pm to 4:15pm.
The Class of 2020 is going to finally say goodbye to Eagle Rock High School in several months and the Class of 2025 is just starting to get their feet wet. ERHS is a Las Vegas buffet that holds dozens of opportunities for students to enjoy their high school experience. But as with all maturing adolescents, there are going to be growing pains and those embarrassing moments that often keep them up at night even when their much older. However, everything that these 7th graders will go through, is not going to be anything different from what the senior class had to experience when they were all scrubs, toilet washers, freshman, etc…Everyone goes through all of the stages and phases.
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