On Apr. 9th, 2025, John Champe High School hosted the Uknight and Excite event for the incoming freshman class. It is a student orientation event where middle schools from Champe feeder schools, such as Mercer Middle School, can experience life at Champe and the various extracurricular activities offered. Counselor Mr. Long runs the event, and the Champe administration uses this as an opportunity to set expectations and help rising freshmen start high school on a positive note.
Students start the visit by coming to Champe in the morning. They file into the auditorium, where student leaders hype them up by getting them to respond to Champe’s signature cheers. Chants such as “Mighty Knights, Fight Fight Fight!” and “Our Colors, Navy Silver White!” are repeated multiple times to help students experience Champe’s vibrant culture. The administrators then give students talks about life at Champe and how they can be successful during their time here.
“Nox and Max made our posters for the event, as that is what attracted students to our table,” Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) member Everett Kim said. “We had a couple of students interested when each group came around.”
After, students get a tour of the building and each hallway. A student guide shows them around the upper and lower floors of the building, explaining the classes one can find in each hallway. This helps students get acclimated to a larger building which they may not be used to. Finally, students are encouraged to sign up and look for clubs and sports in the Main and Auxiliary gyms. Students could walk around the gym and look for clubs or sports that interest them, as dozens of tables were set up for prospective club members and teammates.
