By J1 Reporter Natalie Else

The days leading up to the beloved Walk-A-Thon fundraiser are all-consumed by feelings of anxiety, competition, spirit, and sometimes, confusion. With a new school year comes new girls hopefully willing to present young, ingenious ideas to the fan-favorite traditions embedded within Marian’s walls. But, that can most definitely be a struggle. As the sophomores, juniors, and seniors secretly compile ideas, provide innovative perspectives, and discover ways to ensure their financial goals will be met, the freshmen look around, unsure of how to creatively and financially compare to their older sisters.  The freshman class moderator helps, but it is hard to start anything from scratch without peer leaders.

 Freshmen Abby Else and Leyla Zier both said that having no class officers for Walk-A-Thon was definitely a tough experience. Zier said, “If we just had CO’s, then we would have more guidance with what to bring.” With a group of girls to lead, both Else and Zier agree that there would be more structure for the bake sale, giveback nights, and ways to bring in money. There is no doubt that this young class of girls felt lost while watching the ways in which the older students of Marian approached the various aspects of Walk-A-Thon. 

Both Else and Zier had prior knowledge of Walk-A-Thon from their older sisters, but for those who did not have a clue what the letters WAT even stood for, it can assuredly be said that the fundraising and theme-making process was a challenge. Else said that “honestly, the bake sale process was confusing and stressful… arguments were happening over which theme we should have had.” The class debated between the themes of Fall-O-Ween and Disney Princess, but ultimately chose the fitting theme of Fall-O-Ween. Despite the challenge, both Else and Zier agreed that their bake sale was a hit with a total of $1,892. 

So, how did the freshmen really feel about Walk-A-Thon?  Well, although the journey was one of confusion and worry, both girls ultimately found this long-held Marian tradition to be incredibly fun as they were both colorfully stained at the end.