After the first day of school, students begin to become accustomed to classes, lockers, schedules, rooms and everything in between, Aug. 13. Now, students have experienced their first full school day of the 2013-14 year.

Excitement was in the air as teens walked the familiar halls of FC. Hugs, handshakes, high-fives and “hello’s” filled the space in between the walls adorned with messages of “Welcome Back” and “Eagle Up!” Following the shortened schedule of the first day, students endured seven 50-minute class periods as they digested the first true taste of the year.

Although the joyful greetings were bountiful, returning students could not help but notice those no longer with us. The Class of 2013 was only to be found on college campuses, and two new teachers settled into the desks of Molly Sargent and Jennifer Oren, who accepted jobs at Kerman High and Clovis West High School, respectively.

Freshman Nevan Gonzalez feels excited for this next year. After being around high schoolers for two years, he is finally able to call himself one. The new year brings new opportunities and classes that he is already diving into.

“My favorite class is Spanish one,” Gonzalez said. “I think that people in Spanish one often struggle with the new concept of a foreign language. But because I come from a Spanish family, it might be a little bit easier.”

Gonzalez looks forward to the ability to learn new things in interesting ways. Opportunities such as these are one of the main reasons he attends FC.

“I can’t wait to learn more about Geometry, because that seems like a really fun class,” Gonzalez said. “The teachers here make it more accessible and present the material in different forms to help keep things fresh. The fun learning style is what I think gives Fresno Christian the edge over other schools.”

With returning students working hard to get their year under way, students that transferred from other schools experience a bit of a learning curve. New student Chloe Mueller, ’16, feels that the school will be a new twist after being in a charter school for the previous years of her education.

“Everybody is really nice here,” Mueller said. “At my charter school, everything was really independent, so it’s really nice to get more involved here. I’m excited to just remain a part of a high school. I’ve really enjoyed the start of the year here, and I might try to play a sport like softball or run track. It should be interesting to see how things go.”

Senior Annalise Rosik feels a sense of commitment to being a leader, as all seniors are towards younger students.

“I’m really excited about the sense of community our school shares,” Rosik said. “Not only are we connected as seniors, but the whole of Fresno Christian is a team. I definitely feel a sense of urgency as the ‘big man on campus’ to be a role model to the underclassmen.”

Rosik also looks forward to the memories and “lasts” that come with her final year of high school.

“As seniors, we have the rare ability to shape the outcome of the year and have a major impact on the school’s feel,” Rosik said. “It should really be an exciting year, and I just can’t wait for my last run at big events like NOTS {Night of the Stars}. We’ll see what this year has in store.”

This author can be reached via Twitter: @Grossman_Chris. Follow The Feather on Twitter: @thefeather.

For more features, read the Aug. 13 article, Day 1: First day brings excitement, rule changes.