You do not know our names. Sure, there is evidence of our existence as you walk down the halls of Baskerville. There may be stories of our deeds, both good and bad. You may see posters of clubs we’ve hosted or photos from our participation on sports teams, and you may even find us peeking into your classes to visit our favorite teachers. But you do not get to know us like your upperclassmen do.
Who are we, specifically? We, the class of 2025, are made up of a wide variety of people, from your typical math, science, and engineering majors to more artsy and creative types. We’ve created our own clubs, earned medals or trophies for our teams, and done internships. Some of us were even here for The Echo’s founding. And now it’s time we, The Echo’s Class of 2025, pass on the knowledge we’ve learned to the people who will follow in our footsteps.
Astrid Clayton, Managing Editor: “My biggest piece of advice for incoming freshmen is not to pretend to be someone you’re not. If you’re looking to make friends and find your people, it might seem scary to be yourself. But in the long run, that’s the only way you’re gonna make supportive and accepting friends. Start early and find people who like you for who you are as a person. Just be yourself.”
Arianna Bassini, Head of Elective: “This is more specific [to our school], but don’t sleep on the humanities department, because we have some of the best English classes. Also, [you] might feel pressured [academically] at first, but find a group of people that calm you down just by hanging out with them. Most importantly, have fun.”
Phoebe Fried, Head Designer: “Homework is the path to enlightenment. Follow your homework and it will lead you to your destiny. (It’s not that hard to do well in school, just do your homework.)”
Jayden Cedano, Webmaster: “Being organized is one of the most important things you can do, but it can be really hard. I think everyone should have some physical or digital method of organization—Google Calendar or a planner. Even if you don’t use it all the time, it’s vital to actually being able to better manage your time. It’s great to structure yourself and make sure you know what you’re doing [in order] to handle it effectively.”
Eli Gologanova, Copy Chief: “Find the line between people who deserve your kindness and expel [those] who don’t.”
Ella-Devi Weerackody, Arts and Culture Editor: “Stack up extracurricular activities while you can.”
Emily Dow, Art Director: “I would probably advise doing a bunch of clubs. Even if you don’t think you’re interested in something, but you have a friend going to a club or activity and they say, ‘you can come along too,’ you should go with them. Try new things, explore your options. Also, turn in your assignments. I know it’s freshman year and not too much in the grand scheme of things, but you should totally get in the habit of doing so.”
Kevin Sim, Staff Writer: “Be careful of who you trust. Find your own happiness and be in charge of it yourself. Don’t surround yourself with those who won’t support you and give you negative thoughts. If any of your friendships start going down that path, trust yourself and know when it’s time to pull away.”
Addison Saji, Staff Writer: “When I first came to HSMSE, I thought my life was over, because I thought I would have to pursue STEM, and I was crashing out about it. But then I found the newspaper and Dr. Dragon, and realized I could pursue interests other than STEM. Now, I’m going to college and becoming an English major, so it all works out in the end.”
Julian Nguyen, Staff Writer: “I feel like [many] people do a lot of what they do not because they want to do it themselves, but because it’s what they think their parents or college expect them to do. I, myself made this mistake my freshman year, [and] I joined an extracurricular that I didn’t really want to join [because] my parents pressured me into doing so. Even though I didn’t particularly like it, I continued, since I felt like I had to see it through for the rest of the year. Even now, I regret not taking the time to actually do things I wanted to do instead of doing what my parents wanted me to do, and that’s something that incoming freshmen should know. You should only do things because you want to do them, not because your parents told you to.”
Before we go, I would just like to thank the class of 2025 for their advice and for everything they’ve contributed to The Echo. I would also like to thank the rest of HSMSE for enjoying the articles and stories we’ve brought to you throughout the years. We wish you good luck on your all ventures ahead.