From finding your classes and meeting new people, to fitting in and getting used to more homework, the transition from middle school to high school is a big change.

This year, student council worked to make that transition a little easier for incoming freshmen by hosting the first Viking Fish Camp.

Student body president Natalie Hughes was one of the driving forces behind starting Fish Camp.

“We went to the Student Council State Convention last spring and that was when we first saw the idea,” Hughes said. “It was presented as a project there and I really wanted to bring that back to Bryan High.”

Student council sponsor Cyndi Owens thought Fish Camp would be a great way to help the incoming freshmen experience a smoother start on the first day of school.

“Our sophomores in student council were talking about how they wished they knew more about Bryan High School when they first started here,” Owens said. “That kind of drove us to think about starting Fish Camp so that students could become familiar with the building, be interested in some of the activities here, and have a little bit more confidence on the first day of school. It gives us a chance to become more unified, to make them feel more like Vikings.”

Owens said she saw the difference Fish Camp made in the incoming freshmen at the first pep rally.

“Freshmen actually had the most spirit that they’ve ever had before so I think [Fish Camp] really gets them used to the idea of being in high school,” Owens said

Freshmen Sara Merka attended Fish Camp this year and believes it was beneficial to freshmen.

“It was fun seeing all my friends and being able to find all my classes and get shown around the school,” Merka said.

Principal Diana Werner noticed a difference in how the freshmen were prepared on the first day of school.

“The [students] that came to Fish Camp were more comfortable,” Werner said. “They knew where their classes were, they made some friends through fish camp, and they understood the traditions going on here. I thought it helped them come in feeling more comfortable with their role as a freshman.”

One goal of Fish Camp is to show freshmen that someone cares about them and they can get help if they need it.

“It provides a sort of support to the freshmen,” said Hughes. “We’re giving them an incentive to stay in school and not drop out.”

Werner said she would like to see a growth in fish camp next year.

“We might do a better job of advertising it and really have [more of] our freshmen come,” Werner said. “We can start advertising it in the spring when we have parent orientation for our students.”