Kirsten Kyburz walked into JC feeling petrified. It was the first time that she realized she would be entering into the new world of high school and didn’t know the expectations or rules that were ahead for her. Luckily for her, Freshmen Orientation came at just the right moment.

Admissions Director Kim Brueggemann, who planned the event, said, “It’s the night we tell freshmen and their families a curriculum overview, what they will take as freshmen, health forms they have to fill out. They have the chance to talk to department chairs, and the uniform company is here. Then, after all that, we have an Ice Cream Social.”

Principal Paul Barker, President Richard O’Hara, and Vice Principal of Academics Gary Scholl spoke at the event.

Barker informed the students in his speech that “five percent of students have one parent that went to John Carroll, seven percent have two parents that went to John Carroll, so if you [incoming freshmen] follow your parents then you have a one in eleven chance that your future spouse is in this room.”

O’Hara commented on how his former students now all friend him on Facebook. “It’s our commitment to their excellence that really matters,” said O’Hara during his speech.

Scholl spoke to the eighth-graders about the academic part of high school, including the courses they will take. Scholl said their courses  will be challenging and stimulating, but that they would grow as a result.

Responding to Scholl’s comments, incoming freshman Sarah Ford said, “I’m not worried at all about academics here. I’ve always done well in school and expect to do so here.”

Greg Russell, Director of Technology informed the new students that JC is keeping up the tradition with their Tablet PCs but they are still “trying out next year’s models because we want the latest and greatest for our students,”  Russell said.

The idea of laptops has some incoming freshmen, including Joe Otenasek, excited. “I liked the technology talk by Mr. Russell. Using computers for note taking sounds awesome,” Otenasek said.

Kyburz called orientation a success. “It was great. Before the orientation I was a little nervous about coming here because it is high school, but now all my worries are reassured,” Kyburz said.

“Orientation went really well. The kids were delighted to be here and they seemed to have all of their questions answered by the meeting,” Admissions Assistant Dee Mountain said. “No one called to ask a question so we must have covered all the bases,” Mountain said.

The Class of 2014 will again visit the campus for a cookout on Tuesday, May 11.

Gabby Joseph can be reached for comment at [email protected].

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