Oh, to be a freshman!! I remember 4 years ago when all we could see was cloudy plexiglass, red dots on the cafeteria benches separating us from our possible friends, and masks covering everything but litigious Raptors’ eyes. Freshman year today appears completely different as students are allowed to roam the hallways mask free, people can sit wherever with whomever they want, and the famous Raptor activities are in full swing such as the football and basketball games, pep rallies, and Powderpuff. Since the first semester is coming to a close soon, Holly and I took it upon ourselves to look around for a freshman to showcase this addition of the Talon. For this addition we chose Freshman Luke Paggi, who is here to give you his insight into his first semester and his life as an Academic Magnet Freshman.

Many students struggle as a 1st semester freshman at Magnet, but not Luke. Luke said that “1st semester went fairly well and [that] it was easier than [he] thought it would be.” Bold statement, but we’re glad school hasn’t been too hard yet. Luke also comments on how nice the teachers are, which notes the amazing staff hired here. Another aspect of Luke being able to enjoy Magnet could be his involvement in sports.

There are a variety of sports here at Magnet and Luke, or as his friends call him, “LP” or “Jerry,” hopes to play baseball in the spring. While most freshmen would not expect to make varsity their freshman year Luke is the exception. He is predicted to make the varsity baseball team, which is super exciting! Although he is not on the team yet, he can already feel the pressure of being a part of a sports team. The stress of practice and importance of not letting down his coach and teammates has already been felt by Luke. Hopefully by the time the season actually starts and he makes the team he will feel significantly less stress. Other than baseball, Luke does not play any other sports competitively. To stay in shape he works out “around 4-5 days a week and plays football with his friends.” Luke, like many students here at Magnet, has a refined taste, as his favorite foods are pasta and steak.

At Academic Magnet our school colors are black, green, and white! As a student if you like these colors dressing up for the themes are sporting events is much easier. Luke’s favorite color is green making him the perfect AMHS Raptor.

Like many of the Magnet students Luke likes a variety of classes and holds fantastic grades. English is his favorite and one of his easiest classes. Another easy class for Luke is engineering. Lukes holds 100s in both of the classes for the semester! He must be a hard worker and really prepare for the assignments given. Luke also notes that his teachers Mrs. Akery and Mr. Lovering are very nice, which could contribute to his enjoyment of the classes. Unlike English and engineering, French is his hardest class. Like many of the foreign language students, conjugations are a struggle to memorize and learn. Trust us, it gets easier as you practice more!

Many freshmen at Magnet know at least one senior that is their favorite. Luke Paggi’s favorite senior at Magnet is Connor Sawall. Luke said that Connor is very funny, and that when they drive home from baseball they are able to have a good laugh and enjoy themselves. Luke also notes that Connor will take him to Waffle House after Sunday batting cage practice! Connor Sawall (12) mentions a funny time when Luke “Jerry” Paggi and his friend DJ “Richard” Ray were with him on the way home from Waffle House when he made them freestyle rap in the back of his car.

Other than hanging out with the baseball team Luke also has a large group of friends. In his free time he likes to hang out with pretty much anyone he is around. Luke is definitely an outgoing person who could be a friendly face to many students.

Coming into Magnet as a freshman almost everyone is required to take biology. There have been tears shed over that class, but Luke holds a fond memory of his biology class. He says that so far his favorite memory at Academic Magnet is “when my friend Aaron Zhu locked himself in our biology table’s cabinet during a test.” I’m not quite sure as to how Aaron Zhu fit into a cabinet, yet alone got locked into one but it’s definitely an impressive feat.

Luke seems to be an amazing, fun person to be around with and we can’t wait to see what talent he brings to the Academic Magnet Varsity Baseball team.