For whom bell tolls, it tolls for freshmen
SAMOHI — Typically, incoming freshmen serve as the weakest prey in the social food chain that is modern-day high school, and are often treated accordingly, but freshmen and their families were honored like royalty here on Saturday as senior staff and upper-classmen pulled out all the stops to make the new batch of Vikings feel right at home.
Roughly 900 freshmen will flood the halls of Samohi this fall, and while some are familiar with the campus and it’s 33-acres, 120 clubs and sports teams, others like Delia Rodriguez and her 14-year-old daughter, Angela, are just discovering all the options the school has to offer.
Delia and Angela were but two of the hundreds of parents and children who participated in Samohi’s annual freshman orientation. Families of incoming freshmen are treated to doses of school spirit along with a tour of the campus and a light breakfast, followed by a heavy question-and-answer period in which parents and their children are encouraged to ask both the routine questions — “What electives are offered?” or “When’s lunch?” — and also address some pressing concerns, including safety and racial tensions on campus.
“I’m a bit scared for my daughter because I didn’t go to school here and we really are unfamiliar with the campus and what goes on here,” Rodriguez admitted. “We came here hoping to see what is offered here and to just take a walk around and get her (Angela) familiar with things.”
The day began with a pep rally, held inside Barnum Hall, the school’s auditorium. The capacity crowd was treated to performances from the cheerleading squad, school choir, hip-hop dance team and the school mascots, giving kids a taste of the many programs Samohi offers.
“There is so much more to be involved in than in middle school,” Samohi principal/CEO Ilene Straus said. “This is an opportunity for you to really explore what you’re interested in … We have over 50 sports, 120 clubs. All that we ask is that you become involved in something. That is our call to all ninth graders — find something to be involved in.
“If we don’t have it, then create it.” Some of the more interesting and fun clubs have been created by Samohi students, Straus said, including the Bread Making club, Animal Lovers and Samohi Solar Alliance. There are also traditional associations such as the Black Student Union or Political Science Club.
Following the pep rally, the crowd was separated into classrooms where they spoke informally with teachers and students. Many seemed concerned about the usual, such as where to drop off kids in the morning before school or how do students choose which “house,” or small learning community, they will be in when they start this fall.
Then there were those who wanted to know about security on campus, in light of recent reports of racism and violence. The campus has been rocked this year by the death of a popular student, Eduardo “Eddie” Lopez, 15, who was shot and killed by a suspected gang member while walking with friends less than two miles from school.
Straus said parents and prospective students have a right to be concerned, as she is about conditions on campus, but she wanted to emphasize that the good far outweighs the bad.
“We have our issues just like any other school, but there are a lot of great things going on here that are important to highlight,” Straus said. “We are a big campus and people can become overwhelmed, but the point here is to make people feel comfortable and feel that this is their home, because it is.”
Cindy Barlese and her son, Daniel Redick, feel as if they are visiting a relative when on campus. That’s because Barlese has watched two of her other children graduate from Samohi.
“Even though we’ve done this before, we were still excited to come out today because it’s great just to see everyone here and to get a little taste of school spirit,” Barlese said, as a group of cheerleaders strolled in uniform down a hallway in the History Department. “There is some anxiety, but this really helps to eliminate it.”
Redick said he was “excited” about starting school in the fall once he leaves John Adams Middle School. He already has his sights set on baseball or soccer.
“It was fun,” Redick said of the pep rally. “It kind of gets you looking forward to going to school, maybe makes it so you don’t worry as much about the first day, finding your classes and stuff.”
Lynn Leavitt, whose son Miles will attend Samohi and most likely play in the school band, said the orientation is not only beneficial for her son, but for parents as well.
“It’s nice to check out all the classes, learn the layout and everything so that when you have that end-of-the-day discussion, you’ll have a better idea of what your kids are talking about.
“It’s nice to see them in their own element.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on April 3, 2006. Read the original PDF.