By: Shirley Snyder (282) and William Wroblewski (283)
Picture this: you are a student at a new school, you have no friends, you don’t know your teachers, you feel like a fish out of water, until, BOOM! Freshman and Sophomore tea! A shimmering light of opportunity; finally, you see a world of endless possibilities, as many clubs as you could possibly imagine, all there, ready for YOU to sign up! Central High School is famous for many things, such as alumni, academics, and special electives. However, one thing that Central is also famous for is its wide variety of clubs. Academics in high school are incredibly important, but so is making friends– and what’s a better way to make friends than to join one of the countless clubs? Central’s large number of clubs may feel overwhelming for underclassmen who are not quite sure what they want to do, that is why Central created Freshman and Sophomore Tea.
Freshman and Sophomore Tea are very similar events: they both have the same goal of promoting Central’s array of clubs to prospective underclassmen members. This year’s Sophomore Tea was the first time this version of the event had been held due to virtual learning last year. These events are club fairs that take place in the Wrestling Gym on the first floor. They allow students from different clubs to make posters and presentations detailing what their club does. Next to these posters there are often sign-up sheets so students who are interested can join right then and there! Some clubs bring snacks so students can snack while they walk around the gallery of information. These events are a great opportunity for students to advertise their clubs or sign up for new ones! The hour d’oeuvres of the event were served at the main entrance, consisting of some snacks, desserts (namely, Tastykakes) and some beverages.
I interviewed student Denise Sanchez (282) who was at one of the events.
Did you go to Freshman Tea or Sophomore Tea or just both?
“I went to both, though I think the second time there were more students.”
Were you representing a specific club at Sophomore Tea?
“I was! I was representing SEAS – Student Environmental Action Society”
Is there anything that stood out to you about this year’s event?
“There weren’t as many students as there were during my freshman year. But there were students nonetheless!”
What is your favorite thing about these club fairs?
“Seeing all the opportunities that you have. All the people you can meet always make club fairs exciting because you never know if you’ll find something that you’re passionate about.”
Why do you think these club fairs are important to Central?
“I remember coming into Central and not (knowing) what extracurriculars I wanted to do. When you give students the opportunity to see all these different groups of people and activities, I think it excites them. It shows new students that Central is not just a place where you have to study all the time. Central is a diverse community and these club fairs are a great opportunity to see all of this.”Freshman and Sophomore Tea shed light on Central’s diverse community. As our community creates events and clubs that unite the student body together, Freshman and Sophomore Tea facilitate and uphold the tradition of fostering a welcoming, open, and diverse community. As a new student walking into the main hallway of the school knows at first glance, it feels overwhelming and new. Freshman Tea helps that new student create new memories and friends that will stay with them throughout their entire high school experience. Sophomore Tea, on the other hand, allows second year students to join new clubs and continue their academic journey. ” With the decorative posters and phenomenal hour d’oeuvres, 2021 Freshman and Sophomore Tea were events to remember.
The Centralizer 