From dealing with a big campus, to seeing many new people, freshman year might be challenging for some. To help freshmen feel more comfortable and welcome at RCHS, Link Crew hosts its annual freshman tailgate before the first football game of the year to aid in easing the transition from middle school to high school.
When asked to describe the event, senior secretary Kayla Jarvis explained what occurs.
“Freshman tailgate is where we have all of the freshmen come for the very first football game,” said Jarvis. “We have games, food, and drinks for them and honestly, it’s a lot of fun. The freshmen get into the football game for free, and also they get in first which I think is really cool.”
Jarvis continued to emphasize the event’s success.
“I think it’s really successful,” said Jarvis. “I know for last year, we had a huge group of kids come, and I think it gets kids involved with school, especially, because it’s a good way to get them involved and know how the football games work, and also if they’re in the [student] section, they get to see how fun Rancho is.”
Senior vice president Myra Ahmed also describes the positive effects of freshman tailgate.
“It kind of gives them time to break the ice before the game, get hyped, and find the new people they would hang out with at the game,” said Ahmed.
Link Crew described their favorite part about being within the program.
“I love the people I’ve met, and I love the lessons it’s taught me and leadership skills that I’ve learned,” said Ahmed.
Senior treasurer Jason Portz also expressed his feelings about Link Crew.
“My favorite thing about being in Link Crew is making all of the freshmen feel really welcome, because in my freshman year, Link Crew was a giant part of how I felt welcome at Rancho,” said Portz.
While the freshman tailgate offers leadership opportunities to staff, it benefits the freshmen in more ways than one.
“I think freshman tailgate gives the freshmen an opportunity to meet each other because I know how big the campus is, and it’s huge so the freshmen don’t usually get a chance to meet everybody, and typically, I think they make a lot of good friends here,” said Jarvis. “Then, when they eventually go to the football games, they make more friends.”
The event took place at the south baseball fields and lasted from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. During this time frame, freshmen were given a variety of games to choose from, including inflatable bowling pins, cornhole, and a mega Jenga. Freshmen were presented with a purple backdrop to take pictures with, and free snacks and drinks.
Freshman Haley Hunt described what her favorite part of the event is.
“My favorite thing about freshman tailgate is the free snacks, and also being able to see a lot more freshmen than I usually do,” said Hunt.
In addition to this, Hunt also described how she feels about Rancho as a school.
“Rancho is a really good school,” said Hunt. “I really like the way they do everything and keep everything organized, especially the clubs and the sports teams.”
Freshman Cailyn Alexander also expressed her thoughts and feelings about the school.
“They’re very welcoming,” said Alexander. “I haven’t had any issues this year, so I’m really excited for the next four years.”
