On August 28, Townsend Harris High School hosted its annual freshman orientation, officially welcoming in the Class of 2029 to the THHS community. The event was designed to give incoming students an introduction not only to the school’s academics, but also to its extracurriculars and community spirit.
Student volunteers from the Student Union worked together to plan parts of the orientation, aiming to highlight different aspects of the school community along with other student volunteers.
Student Union President Jenna Abdelhamid said orientation is “a special tradition to help students feel welcomed” and stressed that it is about showing freshmen that they are joining “a community that includes not just staff, but peers who have been through the same experiences.”
Sophomore and SU Executive-at-Large Tajrian Noor, who helped coordinate the athletics tables, said the energy of the day “was amazing” and that seeing freshmen excited to get involved “made the whole experience feel meaningful.”
In addition to meeting faculty and mentors, freshmen were also introduced to the wide variety of sports available at THHS. Student volunteers showcased different sports teams, encouraging new students to get involved.
Junior and THHS Athletic Association co-president Jordan Tsao said the orientation was “a big success,” estimating that the Athletic Association distributed more than 150 parent consent and medical forms required for participation. “That showed how many freshmen were eager to join a sport,” she said.
Although sports teams were able to attend, clubs were not able to send representatives to the orientation due to “previously unforeseen space constraints,” according to a post in the Club Presidents Google Classroom by SU Club Liaison Aki Benjamin
The Classic also asked freshmen to share their experience attending freshman orientation.
Freshman Dylan Ng said exploring the sports teams “really did spark [his] interest. I am looking forward to trying out for many teams here at the school.” Dylan later said the event helped him quickly learn to navigate the building and feel ready for the first day.
Freshman Charmaine Mei said, “During the orientation I learned about track and a couple of clubs that caught my interest. A really nice junior helped guide me into learning about the various clubs and teachers, which really helped me feel assured.”
Freshman Elvia Chi said she appreciated the chance to learn about the various sport teams that THHS offers. “The upperclassmen also mentioned activities such as hallway decorating, and clubs like S!NG and FON, which I am definitely interested in. I’m looking forward to experiences that will provide the opportunity to bond with the people I will be spending the next four years with,” she said.
When asked what piece of advice you would give to the class of 2029, Freshman-Sophomore Class Co-president Siddhini Singh said, “The biggest advice I constantly repeated was to try everything. Never hold yourself back and if you ever are slightly interested in something, just do it.”