With homecoming a week away, freshmen cope with first year construction frustration. The young class also finds difficulty due to the lack of participation for the Cops-themed float.

?Nobody volunteered to be in charge of the freshman float,? Ashlyn White said. ?I just decided to do it. It?s difficult to get people to come to construction days and pay attention. Already, when we decided on our theme, Cops, some people immediately wanted to change it. It was also hard to get a trailer.?

Few seem to show enthusiasm, like Kory Thompson, junior varsity cheerleader.

?I got involved because I wanted to be a part of the winning float,? Thompson said, ?I think the judges will like our float because it?s very creative.?

Tim DeGroot attends the meetings because of the sense of camaraderie.

?I like participating because I feel like I?m actually contributing to my class when most other students don?t,? DeGroot said. ?When we work on it, I feel a sense of companionship with my classmates because we?re all working together on one project.?

Caroline Stevenson volunteered to hold the construction meetings at her house.

?I like participating in the float because you get to work with people you don?t normally spend time with and get to show your creativity,? Stevenson said. ?Everyone should come to the meetings because the student body becomes closer, we get the float done faster and there?s more support for our float.?

Some students believe their time can be better spent doing something else.

?I didn?t want to get involved in the float because it?s boring,? Stowe Empereur, a junior varsity baseball player, said. ?The people are ?control freaks? and I don?t get any satisfaction out of it.?

Josh Smith, a member of a local law enforcement program, decided to help construct and design the float, but had schedule conflicts.

?I wanted to get involved because I have some experience with the law,? Smith said. ?I know a lot about law enforcement and could help with the theme of Cops. After going to the meetings once now, I?ve decided I don?t like them because the people in charge try to do everything themselves and don?t use the people who took their time to come.?

Sophomore Jackie Cowin was a leader during the float construction for the freshmen class last year and remembers some of the difficulties.

?It was very challenging,? Cowin said, ?because we had no idea what we were doing. Also, it was difficult to get everything done in time because we had a late start. However, class participation was great so we were able to band together and pull through in the end.?

Cowin also shares advice for the current freshmen class and its leaders.

?Try to get as many students to participate in the float as possible,? Cowin said. ?The float is a presentation of the class that gives the student body a chance to make their mark on the school. Also, don?t try to limit people who are really creative. It turns out better when you let them show their creativity and help make the float.?

?We finally completed our float after about 30-40 hours spent working hard over the course of four to five weeks,? Cowin said. ?In the end, I was really proud of how my class did and came together to construct a representation of our student body.?

White awaits Homecoming night to relieve stress.

?When we finish our float it will feel like a big burden has been lifted off my shoulders,? White said, ?but I anticipate it being difficult to have everyone there and ready with the props.?

For more information about the other classes’ floats, visit Brittany Shaffer’s Oct. 16, article, Juniors recreate That 70s Show, Alyssa Quenzer’s Oct. 16, article, Sophomores survive deadline and Jennifer Sherfield’s Oct. 17, article, Seniors seek second consecutive win.