An onslaught of freshmen and nervous parents flock to the Hagerty campus to familiarize themselves with the campus they will attend regularly for the next four years. Club leaders gather at assigned tables, and wait anxiously for students to take an interest in their trophy collection and colorful trifolds.
Typically, Freshmen Orientation and Club Crawl occur on different days preceding the school year. However, on Aug. 7, Hagerty hosted Pack Preview, an event that combined the two. Students could walk through club stations, see their class routes, and even get their school IDs for the upcoming year. Freshmen were also encouraged to attend tours and ask questions about the school, while cheerleaders and band students provided entertainment throughout the duration of the event.
“We had a bigger turnout than I thought we were going to have,” Student body vice president Alexis Hildebrandt said. “I had a really fun time putting the event together, so to see people really enjoy it was what I wanted.”
A major focus of the event was putting parents and students at ease for the upcoming school year. Leadership managed an information table to answer questions about the Hagerty schedule, policies and programs.
Official tours of the school were offered by leadership members. Underclassmen and upperclassmen alike used the opportunity to trace their route between classes, though no student was allowed to enter the school halls.
“I did tours for most of the day, and it was just nice to see, ‘Oh, these are people I’m going to be in classes with,’” junior Willow Colton said. “That’s especially important to us. They got to see and meet people who are already at Hagerty.”
Students at every stage in their high school journey were able to walk through different tables set up for clubs and sign up for anything that piqued their interest. The layout was designed so clubs with similar themes, such as those involving STEM or science, were close together. Freshmen could fill out bingo cards that encouraged them to seek out different clubs in exchange for a free cup of Kona Ice.
Traditionally, the goal of both Freshmen Orientation and Club Crawl was to get students both more comfortable on campus and more involved with the school. In combining them, Leadership hoped to ease the process and make students feel at home.
“I transferred in my freshman year, so I was really worried about making friends. Through the Leadership program and Early Childhood program, I’ve really found my group,” Hildebrandt said. “Having something like Pack Preview makes it 10 times easier to find your people and just enjoy your high school experience. I want people to love school.”
