Along with the new school year comes brand new faces. For many students, this is their first year at Junction City High School. Whether they moved across state lines or simply just high schools, they are now a part of the Blue Jay Nation. Being a new student in a foreign environment can be challenging so we decided to see how the new students have been adjusting to JCHS.

August 1st, 2019, Samantha Barrett moved to Junction City, becoming a completely new student to USD 475. She previously went to school at Job Corp, where she experienced an environment that was a mixture of college and high school expectations. Since moving to Junction City High School, Barrett has been adjusting to the school well. When asked what she likes and dislikes about the school, she stated, “I like it because I have more options for classes; something I don’t like is how it kind of gets confusing in the hallways.” Barrett is looking forward to the experiences that JCHS can offer, such as her first pep rally, and attending the football games.

Asher Salzman is one of the many freshmen that now attend school at the main campus. In the past, the freshmen could be found at the Freshman Success Academy but now they have joined their fellow Blue Jays. The transition from Junction City Middle School to JCHS is not an easy one. When asked whether she’s more anxious or excited to be at JCHS, Salzman replied, “Anxious, because I’m surrounded by a lot of upperclassmen.”

This is the first time that the freshmen have been at the main campus since 2010. The majority of people believe that the move has been more beneficial to the students. There are opportunities to be mentored by upperclassmen as well as with getting used to the main campus.