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The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

The Catalyst
The Student News Site of Millard West High School

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Unleashing opportunities

Millard West hosts annual activity fair for new Wildcats
Peyten Pruitt, Photo Editor
February 20, 2025
Lance Smith
At the activity fair, a presentation is given by activities director Lance Smith. He talks to the incoming freshmen about the possibilities that await them in high school. “We have one in August before school starts, and then we have one now,” Smith said. “So we can catch as many people as possible. And of course, those numbers aren’t as certain in January but it gives us a good estimate.”

The activity fair is just one way to showcase all of the programs and sports to the incoming freshmen. This year’s fair was held on Thursday, Jan. 16. Students from all the feeder middle schools got to see the programs and talk to current club members.

Before the activity fair, there was a meeting for AP classes along with the principals introducing themselves. The eighth graders and their families could walk around the gym to see all the clubs and sports there were to offer. Every booth had a signup sheet and people talking about what the students could look forward to if they joined.

“In the auditorium, we shared a little bit about our philosophy on getting kids involved and how our goal is to connect every kid to some sort of a group,”  activities director Lance Smith said. “That way they’re a little more encouraged to go around to the tables and make connections.”

With this event being for the incoming freshman, each both wanted to make sure they made the students feel welcome and encouraged to join something. Of course, this isn’t the case for everyone, with everything going on it can be a lot for most.

“The fair honestly made me more nervous,” incoming freshman Brooklynn Johnson said. “But I like that Millard West offers a lot of clubs and sports to people so everyone can be included.”

The middle schools’ staff relayed information to the students about the fair and what it would be like. Along with faculty sending telling them in the announcements, middle school staff was also sent multiple emails as a reminder to keep these students informed.

“Russell told us that we would have the opportunity to sign up for activities and see if there was anything we wanted to try out or anything that looked fun,” incoming freshman Kylie McCubbins said. “While there, I signed up for show choir and am still considering Drama club.”

The freshmen who committed to going got to see firsthand all of the clubs coming together and get knowledge ahead of time. In just a short year, these same students could be helping the younger classes with their club selection in years to come.

“I helped with our theater departments’ booth,” sophomore NatalieRyen Rockwell said. “So it was mainly just promoting all of our shows that are coming up, and then we told all of the incoming freshmen about all of the theater classes that they’re able to take and all the upcoming things that they’ll be able to do when they start their freshman year.”

A great deal of time and work was put into preparing for the fair. While for some this was their first time helping, others have done this for years before. Especially for the seniors who have been a part of these clubs for all four years.

“I helped out at a couple of booths but mainly pickleball,” senior Carson Hutteger said. “Since I started that club I want to make sure to keep that rolling after I’m gone, and we had a lot of people sign up. It was fun to see everyone excited about all the new students and trying to get everyone interested in our clubs.”

The activity fair serves as a crucial bridge between middle school and high school, offering incoming freshmen a glimpse into the vibrant world of opportunities that await them. This annual event showcases the school’s diverse range of clubs, sports, and academic programs and embodies its commitment to student engagement and personal growth.

 

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About the Contributor
Peyten Pruitt
Peyten Pruitt, Staff Reporter
Peyten is a sophomore here at Millard West and this is her first year on staff. Peyten is a photographer and is involved in Debate and refereeing sports like soccer and basketball. She is excited to be able to grow in her writing ability during this time on staff.