Maze Day Initiates The Year For Students, Staffs, And Parents

Maze Day started off the school year on Aug. 5-6, introducing a good quantity of new students to the Kennedy campus and welcoming back the upperclassmen. The people who are in charge of this welcoming event were excited to see new faces and meet old ones. 

Seniors and juniors had a taste of Maze Day first, as they went on a Tuesday to get their schedules figured out, their lockers secured, and their photos taken. Photos at Maze Day are taken by Studio One, who primarily handles school pictures, senior portraits, and ID cards.  One photographer, Dino Graniello, thinks that his career is fun but can also be stressful because he would sometimes have to photograph three hundred people a day. "I enjoy meeting people, especially during senior portraits, where I can talk to them about careers and decisions,” Graniello claimed. Graniello always looks forward to taking photos for Kennedy as he is a past alumnus, and it is always exciting to see familiar things and spot new changes at the school. 

ASB President Rodrigo Guzman (12) had the chance to step up during the two-day event. His job entails giving instructions to everybody, what to do and when to do it, translating some Spanish for a family and just hovering around to make sure everyone in ASB is on task. "I have to be cautious of the image being set up today, as I am trying to set a good picture of ASB, and of the people at the school. Maze Day is the first impression so there is a little pressure there, so I try to have everybody on top of their stuff," Guzman elaborated. Guzman also had a good time seeing new people, socializing with old friends, and enjoys that the school seems active and involved with booths like Link Crew, Class of 2026's boba fundraiser, KTFG, and cheer.

Ms. Mulchahy, ASB advisor, shared, "I have to be prepared to repeat things, be kind and realize that a lot of people are new to the school, and be patient with any frustration." She commented that this year had been smooth so far, which is a good thing as last year the power went out for freshmen and they were unable to sell stuff and the fire alarm went off the year before that.

Some mishaps on Maze Day for students were getting schedules they were uncertain with, or having trouble with  their proof of residency. Ms. Bullock, the school registrar, was there to kindly help those with proof of  residency issues. The process was smooth for her, and the high school kids were patient and more mature so they were able to take care of more things by themselves, as opposed to her previous position at Walters. "These days, all they have to do is show me a picture or a screenshot of the names and address and the process is done," Ms. Bullock explained. 

Wednesday was the day reserved for sophomores and freshmen, and both staff and students tend to have a harder time on that day as they know less about how the process works. Geethika Venukonda (9) was excited to get her schedules and meet her friends, and she wanted to learn more about the soccer team. "It was smooth and nice. Some of the seniors I know gave me a tour, and told me which classes were good for them,” said Venukonda. Link Crew was able to assist freshmen with any trouble as they answered questions, let freshmen know where their classes are, and helped them with any scheduling issues. Kiana Shin (12) promoted, “Link Crew is a 10/10 experience and I would recommend it, as you get to gain leadership experience and you become braver by approaching new students."

Photo by Khanh Do | Parents and students line up to purchase Maze Day packets.