During the college frenzy of autumn, it was easy for Seniors to overlook the many new additions to Millennium Brooklyn High School. The class of 2018, while seemingly short, innocent, and quiet, have a lot to say about the school, upperclassmen, and the struggles of high school.

One of the biggest adjustments these 14 year-olds have to make is the high anxiety of doing well in classes and on standardized tests. Freshman Jan Johnson said, “I’m scared of not passing regents, going to summer school, and ending up at McDonald’s.”

They are fully aware that how they do in their freshman year can drastically affect their grade point averages and potential college options, especially the need to start building extracurriculars to seem well rounded for colleges.

Beginning high school also seems to have brought the reality of upcoming independence, and Katie Epstein of 9-4 exclaimed, “I’m scared that I’m not going to live up to my expectations.”

The transition into the second semester may be one of the causes of this grade stress, says Johnson. “The content difficulty is the same, but in humanities and research we have gotten more projects [this semester].

No matter how they feel about classes, these freshmen are definitely smart. Getting into Millennium was no easy feat. Johnson reflected on the admissions process, and spoke about the essay she wrote about what she could add to MBHS, the essay from school she sent in, and the interview she went on. All these hurdles to jump through may be the reason she finds that Geometry, an advanced class for a freshman, is easy for her and her classmates.

Emily Maretsky, the Geometry teacher, had glowing remarks about her freshman classes. “Across the board, my 9th grade math students this year are extremely bright and extremely enthusiastic about learning math. There are more students than ever taking Geometry in the 9th grade. Last year there were only two classes taking Geometry, while there are three this year, and there are approximately the same number of students in the 9th and 10th grades this year.”

Maretsky, who has taught all grades, said that “they appreciate my bad math jokes more than the upperclassmen,” and that “the 9th graders tell me that they enjoy Delta Math. I’ve had students ask me to assign more Delta Math.”

Josh Vales, the freshman class president, is proud of the caliber of the freshman class. He states that “What defines us as a group of students is that we all wanted the superior education you would find at something like a specialized school, but the close family environment you would find at a small school.”

In addition to coursework, socializing is an important part of high school. “The fire at Frost Valley was really fun, we were with new friends and there were free s’mores. It was very intimate” Epstein said.

Nadira Moore from 9-1 told me “I’m chillin, everybody likes me. The teachers are funny. Mr. Post is a comedian.” Mr. Post affectionately laughed at this comment, and a strong bond with teachers is an important part of feeling comfortable and safe at school. While pleasant with each other, there is a lack of communication between the upper and lower houses.

Brittney Manscoon of 9-5 said “I’m scared of the hallway giants. One of them the other day, he pushed me into the wall.” While she did not specify who the hallway giants were, their is no doubt that the freshman feel isolated from the seniors especially. Jan Johnson said, “the upperclassmen are not very friendly, and kind of mean. They give us weird looks [in the halls].”

To be a freshman again… Although anxiety ridden and still adjusting to a new environment, the class of 2018 is finding their groove here in the John Jay Campus. Regents are quickly coming, and then, sophomore year. Next year, the senior class president Jacalyn Goldzweig Panitz says, “Millennium is going to try to create some mixers between the new freshman class and the then juniors or seniors, to create interclass bonds, and a more comfortable environment.”