Incoming freshmen had the chance to become acquainted with Westwood during Fish Bowl on Friday, Aug, 10. The orientation included a variety of activities ranging from a club fair to a pep rally, all to celebrate the arrival of the Class of 2022.

The night started with a club fair where freshmen were able to peruse and sign up for the wide selection of clubs Westwood offers. During this time, clubs set up booths in hopes of gaining new members for the upcoming school year by reeling in the new students with food and other creative tactics.

“I enjoyed the club fair because I got to see the diversity of clubs and opportunities at Westwood,” Chelsea Zhang ‘22 said. “I liked that signing up for them was super easy, and I could find which clubs best fit my interests.”

Afterwards, students also attended a pep rally, where they watched performances by the SunDancers and cheerleaders, became familiarized with sports teams, and enjoyed a few games to entertain the audience.

“I thought it was a lot of fun to get to see all of the clubs and the pep rally, and my favorite part was the party afterwards,” Katie Hendler ‘22 said. “I think Fish Bowl was a good way to see what is going to be going on for the next four years.”

To end the night, the freshmen participated in a dance where they could meet new people, enjoy a variety of treats, and sway to the beat of lively music.

“Fish Bowl is a great way to introduce incoming freshmen to Westwood in a non-intimidating and fun way,” SunDancer Jasmine Wang ‘20 said, “which can really help to ease nerves that some people may have as they head into high school. The pep rally in particular is always super fun to be a part of because we get to show these freshmen our spirit and get hyped for the new year.”

Fish Bowl is the first impression most freshmen have of Westwood. Therefore, teachers, staff, and students all make it a priority to exemplify the culture and to help the incoming students feel more relaxed and prepared for the upcoming school year.

“I think [Fish Bowl] helped me be more prepared for the school year,” Zhang said, “because I got to meet a bunch of new people. I also liked that we could see what the school itself was like, which makes it less scary on the first day.”