This article is inspired by Stinger alumni Jabari Howard’s 2024 column “Balancing school and social life: freshman year survival tips,” and this was previously published in our September 2025 issue.
As the ship sets sail towards the beginning of the year, freshmen must enter the dreaded maze called high school. Through every twist and turn, challenges arise, drama stirs, and the pressure intensives. However, the journey also embarks through a sea of new opportunities, the chance to join exciting clubs, a chance to find new classes, a connection with upperclassmen, and learning the ways of high school through the EHS staff.
Faculty Advice
“My advice for freshmen is to figure out where the library is, come visit, and read books …. Try joining a club that interests you and get involved, because it’s a really big school, so community is really important.” -Mrs. Molly Magro
“Challenge yourself. You’ll never know what you’re capable of unless you try. Get involved in our school, because there’s a lot of great things happening in, but also outside the classroom.”-Mrs. Beth Guarriello
Interact Club
Emmaus High School offers a large variety of clubs. One club in particular is the Interact Club, which is a volunteering club that focuses on helping with various events for the community and its members throughout the school year. Some events include the Willow Lane Elementary School’s color run, campus clean-up, Halloween bags, etc.
French Club
The French club is a space, open to all students, where individuals can go to learn about French culture through several games and activities.
“[We play] normal games, but we infuse [them] with French-related topics. [For example] we just did Would You Rather with places you’d like to visit in France, or favorite dishes or food from France.” -Senior, Adrian Contreras
Astronomy Club
One unique club at EHS is the Astronomy Club, a club geared towards students with an interest in earth science. Some activities they do are “star parties” where they meet in the observatory after sunset to take photos of planets and stars, field trips to museums in New York and Washington, D.C, and an annual camping trip to Cherry Springs State Park.
Student Advice
“Be respectful and kind to all your teachers and be patient with them. If you need anything from them, just remember they’re people too, and it might take them some time to reach out to you.” -Junior, Chris Stone
“If you’re a big procrastinator like me, don’t skip out on planners. Having a good schedule in mind will absolutely help you get work done on time and not be overwhelmed by work.” -Senior, Christoforos Kalahanis
Although Emmaus High School is a new environment for rising freshmen, EHS provides new possibilities to explore. Regardless of difficulties that freshmen may encounter, solutions can be found by communicating with peers and teachers in the building. Through the next four years at EHS, one can grow and reach their true potential.
