Another Year, Another You: Moving Up in the World

Tian Ooi

As the bells rang once more, the school year picked up steam like a shiny new train chugging out of the station. Though many things stayed the same, most students had a deep awareness (or unawareness) of moving up to the next grade.

With last year’s graduation barely past, ex-juniors found themselves filling the void their predecessors left behind. Between front-row seats in Chapel and freedom from shifts in the Junior Class Store, twelfth graders grappled with a mini existential crisis as they ascended to the top.

Pondering deeply, Peter Kim (12) said sagely, "To be honest, I don't feel like a senior; I still think about planning for JSB. But looking at college applications takes me back to what I'm supposed to do—be a senior.”

Newly minted juniors, on the other hand, jumped straight to business. The class put in many hours managing and running their store, which proudly advertises brand new products such as funnel cakes or cookie dough balls.

Not only were juniors occupied in the store—they also sacrificed Saturday mornings to plan and prepare for the upcoming After-Sneak Dinner for the new senior class. “I can’t tell you what the theme is,” Elisabeth Kilgo (­11) said, aghast. “It’s so much better as a surprise. But,” she divulged with a smile, “I think it’s seriously pretty cool.”

Most sophomores felt a bit more ambivalent about the new year, simply glad to move a step up the high school ladder. “It’s better than last year,” Joseph Chandra (10) and Letitia Ong (10) agreed after ­­­­hesitation, promptly returning to studying for their Developmental Psychology test.

Last but not least, the freshmen experienced their first taste of high school. Affectionately referred to as “freshies” by most of the upperclassmen, many former middle schoolers felt overwhelmed by the new environment and expectations.

Others, however, enjoyed the change. “Ninth grade is a lot harder but also not as stressful, since you don’t get the pressure of being the top of the social hierarchy,” Mikaela Yeap (9) said as she walked out of her first three-minute thesis presentation.

Despite the serious atmosphere of some classes, students also remembered to enjoy being at school. Lydia Geiman (9) recalled a humorous incident from her band class, nearly incomprehensible between bursts of laughter.

The first few weeks of school were eventful in themselves. Casually momentous milestones passed students by with hardly any notice. As the year steamrolled on, covering more and more terrain, students enjoyed taking in the rolling scenery before the high school train reaches its destination.