Awe, Doubt, Excitement; First Week at LTHS Has It All

New clothes: $100. Calculator: $85. Textbooks: $200. First day of high school: priceless.

Walking through the doors into the sea of skinny jeans, high top sneakers, and cardigans, I found myself in awe of Lyons Township High School.  

Coming from a middle school as small as mine, only about 450 students total compared to LT's near 2,000 per campus, I felt like I had made the leap from a cozy nest into a chaotic beehive. The halls were like a river of movement from one class to the next. Smiling and seeing friends along the way was reassuring, although I felt like a fish out of water. Perhaps we all did; everyone looked as if they felt out of place, but really we were all where we're supposed to be.  

The first day, on Aug. 23, was only a half-day, but it required the energy of a full day due to the stress of finding my way around. I failed once, and barged in on the sophomore gym classes–much to my embarrassment. What a freshman.   

By Wednesday we had homework. High school was moving full force–lessons and all. That night was co-curricular night, where the whole class and their parents were required to come and listen to speakers. Many included tips on how to be successful by getting involved and being drug- and alcohol-free. Afterwards, juniors and seniors lined the halls screeching everything from "Join our club!" in some foreign language, to "Come pet the chinchilla!" I found myself excited to find a club, along with some familiarity, new friends, and maybe even an experience that would look good on a college application.

Like my dad always says, "Begin with the end in mind."

As Friday approached, I found myself becoming more and more anxious for the weekend, and some much-needed sleep. Also, my first football game as a Lion was on Friday night.

It was like a scene from Remember the Titans. The football players jogged on to the field to the hum of the marching band paired with wild cheers from the student section. Kids mingled around, scoping out classmates, and others dove into the 4,000-strong fan base in the bleachers. Winning the game was a bonus to a great night; the game seemed like the freshman class's initiation into the LT family.

I think that the Class of 2014 has been anticipating high school for a long time. We are all looking for a tangible way to say "we're growing up"; and as the next four years bring drivers licenses, exams, and the search for ourselves, we can all stay confident that this Lion's Den is the one for us.