After a summer spent lounging under the sun and shrieking on Ventura County fair rides, Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) dragons brushed their scales off for the first day of the new school year on Aug. 24, 2022. 

On Foothill Tech’s sunlit campus, returning students wandered through the hallways and quad for the first time since the spring, while newcomers bumbled around, socializing with their fellow classmates. 

The air was filled with eagerness, amplified by the nervous students on campus who, while missing the ease of summer, remained excited for a new year.

Faculty walked around dressed as pilots, advertising the school’s new theme of the year, ‘Around the World’, which was chosen by the Associated Student Body (ASB). They welcomed pupils onto the journey of the 2022-2023 school year and made all feel welcome.

This year, due to a new state law delaying start times to 8:30 a.m., high school students receive an additional thirty minutes before school starts. This news excited many students due to the fact they would receive a bit more sleep. “I like it a lot better because I hate waking up early,” says Siena Meter ‘26 as she expressed her appreciation for the delayed start time. 

Also new on campus was the updated waste bins system. Along with the usual trash cans were recycling and compost bins, helping students be environmentally friendly and keep the campus clean.

As students made their way into their classrooms, they were welcomed by their enthusiastic teachers. 

New student Mia Bacigalupi ‘26 expressed her nerves about honors courses, saying “I’m happy I’m going into honors so I can get smarter, but I’m kind of nervous,” showing the different feelings students are having this school year. 

Feeling similarly, Audrey Yoong ‘26 laughingly voiced her fear of the “scary” speeches teachers give on the first day. “I was just sitting there thinking, ‘I’m gonna be fine, I’m gonna be fine,'” she joked.

Upperclassman Lynna Nguyen ‘24 offered advice for freshmen: “Don’t make procrastination a habit. It really snowballs and makes everything so much more difficult.”

When lunch rolled around, students crammed into the quad while inviting music permeated through the air. More benches had been assembled for the school year, offering new places to sit, eat and catch up with friends. 

New food items were added to Foothill Tech’s vending machine and snack bar, giving hungry teenagers access to more options for the school year. 

The lunch menu also changed, as students are encouraged to eat a balanced diet with reformed requirements, and are now required to grab fruit or vegetable items on their way out of the cafeteria. 

The atmosphere calmed as the students settled and finished the day with their final classes, leaving students more prepared (and more tired) than they had been at the start of the day.

Dragons walked out of school, making their way home and on their way to a wonderful educational odyssey. Students have now hit cruising altitude on their way to a fantastic school year.