Sometimes it’s difficult to adapt to new situations. Currently, our student body is adapting to our new building and the ongoing construction. But imagine being new, not only to the building but to every face in Bloomsburg High School. Imagine having to start over with new peers and teachers, unfamiliar with the school and every confusing hallway and classroom within it. For new students, this is their reality. On their first day, they are greeted by the panther in the breezeway, given a surface pro, and sent into the abyss of new people to find their homeroom.
I moved here in 2017 as a sophomore. Looking back, I remember the frustration of entering a new environment and the fear of being introduced to such a close-knit community at Bloomsburg High School. As a new student, I struggled to find my group, my knitch in our student body. It wasn’t until that January, during play season, that I made friends and found a table in the lunchroom. In following years, I became heavily involved in our art department and around this time BHS changed from my school to my home.
Along with many changes this year, I noticed an abundance of new faces around the building. Mr. Manley confirms several “panthers-in-training” this year stating, “Especially this fall, we’ve been fortunate enough that our enrollments been going up so we’ve been having a lot of new students coming in recently.” With an influx of new students, brings the opportunity to welcome these peers and make them feel at home. Mr. Manley claims, “I think many of them (new students) acclimate relatively well. I’ve seen a lot of success stories so far as students that have joined either sports, activities, or even like band and chorus for instance. We’ve had a lot of students that joined band that have been super enthusiastic. They’ve jumped in and it’s like they’ve been here over a decade. I’ve noticed students welcome students in based on interest as well.”
BHS offers a wide range of activities, sports, student organizations, and clubs to get involved in. From our wide variety of sports throughout the year, our robotics program, drama, band, and art departments there is something for everyone to get involved in. Rebecca Seymour (senior, pictured lower right) was welcomed to BHS this past August. She said, “What I like the most is chorus and being able to be involved in as much as possible. Students in chorus are very kind, they like getting along and helping a lot. I would say, I’ve made a lot of friends there.”
Adrianna Abate(senior, pictured upper right corner) prides our welcoming student body, stating, “I think many kids go out of their way to make the students feel welcome by including them in conversations and asking about them in general. I know when I moved to this school, someone talking to me went way further than you’d think. Mr. Manley plays a key component in that too. He’s very active with students and loves to reach out and get to know them when he can.” So, though sometimes it may seem intimidating to say hello to someone new, Mr. Manly suggests, “If you see a new face don’t be afraid to introduce yourself. You don’t know if that’s going to end up being your best friend or even more down the road. So, always keep those opportunities open.”
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