Annual freshman social held in SAC

Nearly 200 freshmen crammed into the SAC on Thursday afternoon from 2:10 to 4:00 p.m. for the annual freshman social, an event created to provide the opportunity for high school newcomers to adjust to their new school's atmosphere and become better acquainted with each other, according to the ninth grade assistant principal James Short.

Freshman Social

Photo: The Step Team performs at the Freshman Social in the SAC after school on Thursday.

The Step Team performs at the Freshman Social in the SAC after school on Thursday. Photo courtesy of Elena Pinsky.

Ninth grade administrators, academy team leaders and teachers organized the afternoon's activities, and the SGA financed the event, said Short. This is the second year Blair has held a social for freshmen. Last year's event was called the "08tion Celebration!"

Freshman socials are arranged to help ninth graders make a smooth transition from middle school to high school. Part of making that transition is meeting new people, which is especially hard for the 2009 and 2008 classes because of the latest academy system created for freshmen. In this program, which was implemented for the first time last year, freshmen—excluding CAP and Magnet—are divided into teams. Each team has the same teachers and similar schedules, making it difficult for freshmen to befriend anyone outside their team, according to Cindy Villavicencio, one of the ninth grade Connections teachers.

The freshman social not only gives freshmen a chance to have fun, but it also reassures concerned parents who would normally forbid their children from going out.

"Parents are skeptical to let their kids out," said Short, explaining that many parents fear their children will become involved in harmful activities in which lots of high school students choose to participate. He said that teacher-chaperoned events are popular with the parents.

Last year's freshman social offered students free food and the entertainment of a DJ and performances by Blair clubs. This year the organizers decided to diversify and increase the activities at the social. On top of the free food, performances and a DJ, entertainment stations were set up in the corners of the SAC. Video games were located in one corner where a male dominated crowd watched a few people compete in front of a large T.V. Tattooing and picture-taking stations were set up in another corner of the SAC. The last station was in the back of the SAC where a large crowd surrounded participants in the Dance Dance Revolution game.

The performances featured Blair's Diva Dancers, Middle Eastern Club, Step Team and Hispanic Club, each recruited to participate by Villavicencio. The performances were mainly there to amuse the freshmen, but they also gave some clubs who do not have opportunities to perform the chance to show off their skills and advertise their clubs.

Though many activities were planned out for the freshmen, most just came to enjoy each other's company and the free food.

"I came here for the food and also the performances," said freshman Tanya Trimmer.