Today was not the average day for Foothill’s freshmen; the day was a combination of a freshmen Renaissance rally and a college and career day. Instead of their typical Monday schedule, freshmen went to their first, second, third and fourth periods where they listened to parents and alumni discuss their careers.

Associated Student Body (ASB) advisor Melanie “Captain” Lindsey set up this rally because “the freshman feel very separate.”

“They don’t get the first ren rally,” she continued. “So this way it brings them into Renaissance in a gentler, kinder way.”

After lunch, freshmen spent their fifth and sixth periods in Spirito Hall listening to Amit Dodani, the creator of My Name My Story. Dodani set out to inspire the students by telling them his story: the transformation from a child suffering from a speech impediment to a public speaker who uses his platform to empathize with and empower people.  

When Dodani had finished telling his story, ASB held two games where freshmen could participate while others cheered them on.

Jill Vallance ’20 enjoyed the games because they “really just got the students to get up and participate.”

“You see these students in class who don’t really talk much and I feel like this ren rally just kind of makes people comfortable around each other so more people get up there and have fun,” she said.

Once the games were finished, Lindsey announced awards recognizing students based on their academic progress and achievements and their character traits.

Vallance enjoyed the rally because it gave students recognition.

“I think it’s really important for students to get recognition because some people don’t even know they’re doing something right until they get that assurance,” she said.