Dear Freshmen

The Journal staff offers advice to the Class of 2027

Catherine Hayes, Aubrie Kendall, Emma Casto, Liliana Parsons, Brooklyn Miller, and Elijah Wiant

September 27, 2023

Dear Freshmen,

High school is a big step from the small middle schools you’ve come from. It’s full of people from very different backgrounds, people who don’t look anything alike, a new level of education, and new social dynamics to figure out. It can be a confusing, scary experience to enter this new world, but it’s a change that you’ll get used to quicker than you think. It’s important to take care of yourself in high school, to know who you want to be and how you want your time here to be spent.

Your path is your decision, but there is still advice that can be given and taken into consideration. The advice from anyone will vary. Some value certain things more than others, and very little of the possible advice is going to be objectively bad, most of it will be helpful. For me, what’s most important going into high school is working hard, participating in extracurriculars, and choosing a good friend group to surround yourself with. Hard work pays off. It will help you to be successful and let you lead life in a way that will let you know that you’ve done the best you can and allow you to feel satisfied with yourself. Participation in extracurriculars will not only bring you a friend group of people with common interests, it will also allow you to gain more achievements and feel more fulfilled and successful through your time in high school. A good friend group is also very important because friends are people with a strong influence on your life. The best types of friends can bring you joy and laughter, comfort in sadness, and they can hold you up when you need support.

I wish you all the best of luck through high school and I know that you have it in you to make your time here the best it can be.

-Catherine Hayes, junior

Try your best not to stress out. Stressing about everything will make your freshman year a lot harder than what it needs to be. No one cares how you look or what you’re doing because they are too consumed with themselves and worrying about how they look. Turn in your assignments on time! Don’t put them off and say that you’ll do it later because you won’t. You will get distracted and then before you know it you have 20 overdue assignments in your inbox. Get a planner to stay organized. If you’re not able to get a planner, use your calendar app on your phone to keep track of when assignments need to be turned in and to keep yourself in order. Get involved, join as many clubs as you can or try out for a sport. It will help you make friends and you will get more comfortable with the school. Don’t be afraid to ask questions in class. Someone is probably just as confused as you are. One last big thing is to surround yourself with kind people. Don’t hang out with the people who are constantly involved with drama, you will just end up going down with them.

-Aubrie Kendall, sophomore

Coming to a new school can be scary. All the teachers are new, there are lots of new students, and you’re just a freshman so everyone else is older than you. But even though it all seems so scary it really isn’t. As long as you don’t misbehave and you get all your work done the teachers will like you. If you just pay attention and ask for help when you need it, your classes will be easy too. Even though there are lots of new students that you don’t know, once you find a club or sport you will begin to meet new people and realize it isn’t so bad when you are surrounded by friends.

Most importantly you must be confident. You can do new things and meet new people and then you will forget all about being scared. You can learn about all the exciting and beneficial opportunities you have. But most importantly you can have fun and be yourself.

-Emma Casto, sophomore

High school can go one of three ways. You can have an amazing time and claim that these years are the best years of your entire life. It’s most likely that you will have an alright few years and walk out content with what went on. Or, high school will make you miserable. The best way to avoid having an awful time is very simple. It might sound cheesy, but it is true. Stay true to yourself. Don’t let others make you feel like an outcast or “cringe.” You will be exhausted every day if you change the way you act or dress to fit in. Stick with people who accept you for who you are. It is better to be considered “weird” and be happy than to be a carbon copy of everyone else and be sad. Also, learn how to be content with yourself. Work on being okay if you aren’t welcomed by everyone and how to embrace your true personality. If you find yourself upset that you aren’t “normal,” ask yourself, “are the ‘normal’ people truly happy?”

-Liliana Parsons, sophomore

This year will be full of things you love and things you may hate. Don’t take any of it for granted. Go to every football game, sing along to every song, dress up on spirit days and be yourself. There is so much advice to give so here are the biggest tips:

Try new things and get involved
Walk on the right side of the hallway
Don’t stop in the middle of the hallway or on the stairs
If you plan on going to a lot of home games buy an all-sports pass
Be respectful
Be kind
Don’t hang out in the bathroom, it’s gross
Do your work
Don’t be scared to ask questions
Be friends with people who do good

Overall, enjoy every moment. You have four years at this school so don’t waste them.

-Brooklyn Miller, sophomore

We were all anxious to come to high school. It’s normal, and a big change. You were big fish in a little pond at middle school and now you’re small fish in a huge sea. It will be okay. I have a few suggestions:

Don’t skip your classes, that’s the biggest mistake I made. Another thing, never cheat. Your teacher always finds out eventually, that includes AI chatbots (I did that.) Do not try to fight anyone, that’s the quickest way to get kicked out. You also cannot let people walk all over you, because when one person does, everyone can and they will. If I were a freshman again, I would stay organized because teachers gradually get stricter with their late work policy, so the last thing you need to do is to lose your papers and fail classes.

My final things come from the US Navy. The core values to succeed are Honor, Courage and Commitment. Honor means never lying and always doing the right thing. Courage means always standing up for others and going to teachers when someone does something wrong. Finally, commitment. You commit to turning in schoolwork and to being here on time to succeed at school and in life. Keep your head high and persevere, freshmen!

-Elijah Wiant, sophomore

Sincerely,

The Newspaper Staff

About the Contributors

Catherine Hayes, Editor

Catherine Hayes is a senior, and this is her third year writing for The Journal. She is excited to be editor-in-chief this year. Catherine is involved in a few extracurriculars at PHS and is a member of NHS, NEHS, Senior Women’s Club, the Big Red crew team and Chamber Choir. She also works in the Registrar’s Office at PHS and volunteers at an alpaca farm in her free time. She is an avid reader and writer, and enjoys singing, being outside and getting together with friends whenever she can.

Aubrie Kendall, Staff Writer

Aubrie Kendall is a junior and this is her second year as a staff member on The Journal. She is in many extracurriculars for the school such as A Cappella Choir, Junior Cabinet,Student Council, Key Club, and Diversity Student Union. She is obsessed with the movies “La La Land” and “A Walk to Remember”, depressing right? If you ever see her with her AirPods in it’s likely she’s listening to Zach Bryan. In her free time she loves to paint or make Pinterest boards. She is so excited to be back on the staff and can’t wait to make the site the best it can be.

Emma Casto, Assistant Editor

Emma Casto is a junior and the assistant editor of The Journal. She also does NHS, NEHS, and Junior Cabinet. When she is not busy she loves to spend time with her family and help do community service with 4-H. Her favorite hobbies consist of reading all of the time, listening to Taylor Swift and watching The Office and Gilmore Girls. She is very excited this year to write lots of interesting stories about students and events at PHS.

Liliana Parsons, Staff Writer

Liliana Parsons is a junior at Parkersburg High School. This is her second year on the newspaper staff. She is a ballet dancer at the Mid Ohio Valley Ballet Company. When she is not at school or dancing, she is usually sleeping. Liliana also enjoys reviewing and recommending things through writing. Liliana cares a lot about equality and LGBT representation in entertainment.

Brooklyn Miller, Staff Writer

Brooklyn Miller is a junior and a second-year member of The Journal. She is most excited to be writing feature stories and news stories once again. She is also assistant editor on the Yearbook Staff, participates in Junior Cabinet, NHS and is a Red Wing. She always has everything overly organized and if anyone needs something she probably has it. She can be found in 311C most of the morning working on stories, pictures, editing and anything else thrown her way. She has a new obsession with New York City and wants to be there as much as possible. Her favorite part of being on The Journal Staff is telling the stories of the school through the eyes of students and staff.

Elijah Wiant, Staff Writer

Elijah "Eli" Wiant, born in June 2008 in Wood County, West Virginia, is a dedicated worker who balances his time with a variety of hobbies. He enjoys playing video games, shooting air rifles, fishing, and taking scenic drives. His favorite foods are fried chicken and mac & cheese. Despite preferring hands-on activities over traditional learning, Eli has developed a wealth of practical knowledge. He cherishes his family, especially after the loss of his sister in May 2020. With four living siblings, Eli embodies resilience and a passion for life.