Starting high school is a daunting experience, having to leave behind all the fun memories and friends of middle school can be scary. But here at Academic Magnet we understand this and try to make an easy transition for the incoming freshmen. We remember when we were scared and didn’t know what to do, but we made it through and are now able to look back at our scared little selves and realize that there was nothing to worry about. Over our three years here, we have built a family with the friends that we’ve made along the way. All the experiences that Magnet offers are small ways that everybody can come together during the year. It begins with football games and leads into spirit week, where each grade tries to beat everybody else in all the contests. This creates a bond, not only within your grade but with the entire student body. Basketball games can be fun as well when we play great teams. If you’re lucky, Shane Beamer, USC football’s head coach, might be there to watch. After winter break, everybody has, for the most part, made their friend groups, but don’t stress if you’re still figuring it out! There are still many chances where everyone comes together to have fun and you can find your people. Fair warning, spring spirit week is even more intense than the fall because now everyone knows what they need to do to achieve victory. In addition to the spirit weeks, AP Picnic also offers a fun and interesting afternoon at AMHS where you can spend time with your friends. Full of good food and fun games, everybody gets a chance to relax and take a break before the horrible two weeks that are AP testing.
But these events are all very far into the year, and we wanted to get some opinions on the school right now from the perspective of the freshmen. What are their first thoughts and what are they getting up to this year? We took some time to interview some freshmen to find out what they think of Magnet.
The first freshman we interviewed was Gage Betzhold. Gage is a freshman who is currently on the Varsity Boys Volleyball team. As we were interviewing Gage, we started to learn his initial opinions on Academic Magnet. Gage seems to be unfazed by the workload and says that Geometry and AP Human Geography are very easy classes, even though they’re supposed to be his hardest. When we asked Gage what his first impression of high school was, he said, “I thought that high school was a cool place and a new start.” Gage is very enthusiastic to be at Magnet and hopes to meet new friends and make new connections. When we asked Gage what sports and clubs he planned on joining or is already on, he said, “I am thinking about joining ultimate frisbee.” Mrs. Yackey would be very happy to hear that the incoming freshmen are considering joining the team! Gage is also already making an impact on the boys’ volleyball team. He earned his first start on Wednesday, the 20th, against Socastee and Hanahan due to Riley Shelley’s unforeseen, tragic concussion. Gage was able to step up to the plate and fill the shoes of the starting senior FFwho is approximately at 6’7.
Next up is Asher Lewis. Asher is very similar to Gage. They actually happen to be best friends; in fact, they are such good friends that they matched Chubbie shirts on Tuesday. That just goes to show how much they have in common. Asher is also on the Varsity Boys Volleyball team and says that, “High school has been a great place to make new friends, and it has been a new start for me.” Asher is beyond excited to try out new clubs and teams. Asher also hopes to join the basketball team and the Ultimate Frisbee team. Asher also earned a starting position on Wednesday, the 20th, and was able to contribute a lot to the volleyball team’s tight game.
The last freshman that we interviewed was Maria Moses. We asked her all the same questions that Gage and Asher were asked; however, we noticed that she was a lot more energetic than they were. The two boys were nonchalant with their responses, but Maria was anything but. When asked what her impression of high school was, she responded by saying that it was a big change and “high school was much bigger than middle school.” Ms. Moses also acknowledged that she was thrilled to meet everyone in her grade. Maria will be trying out for lacrosse in the spring, and we hope she makes it because she will bring some energy to the team. She plans to join Key Club and get some much-needed service hours! All we can say to that is good luck with those hours. The last question that we had for her was if she thinks her grade will be a good environment, and she said, “Yes, everyone in my grade seems really excited to make friends.”
Hearing from our freshmen class reminds us of how we felt three years ago: a little scared for what comes next but excited to make new friends and memories! Hearing from different people hopefully allowed everybody to find out a little bit about the people who will one day be writing these papers. We thank Gage, Asher, and Maria for giving us their time and sharing what they think about the school that we have all grown to admire.
