First-Year Students' Welcoming Party

Friday 7th September

The every-year tradition of FES is to welcome the new first-year students to the school. This new semesters' students were welcomed on Friday 7th of September. Normally the welcoming party is orchestrated by the second year students and basicly their aim is to make the new students (more commonly known as "the Skins" on that day) embarrass themselves by doing weird stuff during the schoolday and by showing proper respect towards the second-year students.

 

                                                                          Class 1B

 The first-year students also had to wear costumes that were decided by the second-year students and this year's "theme" was Disney's "The Hunchback of Notre Dame". What this meant was that the boys were dressed up like Esmeraldas and the girls were dressed up like Quasimodos, and personally I have to admit that everyone was dressed up well in my opinion. Of course you didn't have to participate in the event if you didn't want to, but a good thing is that usually nearly everyone participates.

 

 The first-year students' day started with practising the dance that they were supposed to perform to the second-year students later that day. There were also designated areas for the first-year students where they could not tread. Also, always when a first-year student encountered a second-year student on a hallway they had to bow deeply and say the following mantra: "Oh you great second-year student, you are like a royalty and I am not your equal". Since every first-year student was wearing a large paper nameplate over their chests, the second year students were able to draw smiley-face symbols or minus symbols on it according to how well the first-year student performed the mantra.


                                                               Practising the dance.
 

 

 In addition to dancing, the first students also had to sing a song to praise the second year students.
                              

                                               The special areas reserved for the new comers.
 

 Overall, the event was great fun and I'm sure that everyone who participated in it had fun. At some times, though, it seemed that the second-year students had a little bit too much fun during the schoolday. 

                                                                                        The royal ones.

                                              The second year students also served a drink to the first year ones.

  After the healthy drink, the new comers had to complete an agility track.  To make it a bit  more complicated, the participants were tied together.

                                                                              The winners of the day.

Written by

Ismo Vulli, 1B