With the parking lot swarmed with buses and cars once again, the school bustles with the roar of thousands of voices. With the transition to high school, freshmen have questions for seniors, who are the only students to have spent a full year inside the building. 

Freshman Prisha Phutela: What advice do you have for freshmen?

Senior Ardavan Davoodi: You’re going to go through some rough times, so put in your best effort and the fruits of your labor will pay off. And no matter what, be kind to others, be kind to your teachers and be kind to yourself. Also, stay on the freshman side of the cafeteria.

Senior Noya Vattathara: It’s okay to not have friends right when you come here. A lot of people will seem like they all have friends and made groups, but friendships evolve naturally. You should just join clubs and things that you’re passionate about, talk to people in your classes and try to participate in class.

Freshman Eunice Lee: What clubs and opportunities did you enjoy most as a freshman?

Senior Sam Shekhwat: Debate and DECA are my favorite clubs. Debate is only competitive if you want it to be, and DECA has a really good social [aspect].

Senior Steven Medinets: I’m in the marching band. It is a fantastic opportunity for people to come and join a club before school starts, so you already have that friend group coming into high school. It’s all around a positive influence on the student. In between when school ends and marching band begins, you have an hour of guided homework time, and you can also ask seniors there for help.

Freshman Vy Nghiem: What has been your favorite memory so far at Chantilly?

Davoodi: Some of my best memories have been [going to] homecoming these past few years with my friends. Dressing up, looking good and having a blast was so much fun, and we just felt like we were on top of the world. 

Senior Sarah Qazi: My favorite memory here is the first football game I went to. It was just fun to see everyone participate and have so much school spirit, and to see our team. 

Freshman Anand Gandhi: Who is your favorite teacher?

Senior Nathaniel Casotti: My favorite teacher at Chantilly is my ninth-grade English teacher Ms. Abruzzo. Her teaching style was really unique, her assignments were tailored towards students’ needs and she stayed back to help us whenever we needed. She was very open, and you could talk to her about anything.

Senior Noya Vattathara: My favorite teacher has to be Mrs. Clougherty. She is the debate teacher and coach for the speech and debate club. Mrs. Clougherty has really been there from ninth grade onwards to help me grow and figure things out, especially coming from an awkward freshman, [who was] worried about how my high school experience was going to be. Mrs. Clougherty’s guidance was the one thing that really helped me be okay with myself.