Nervous. Excited. Overwhelmed. These were among the feelings that many new students this year expressed as they entered Bak for their very first day of school.

However, they were not alone. This year, a record number of new seventh and eighth grade students were brought into Bak.

This school year, there are 45 new seventh-grade students and 17 new eighth-grade students, Sally Rozanski, school principal, said.

There were many factors that contributed to these record-breaking numbers.

“The current seventh grade class who were admitted to Bak last school year, auditioned online,” Rozanski said. “Because of the unknown circumstances due to COVID-19, we did not get the usual numbers of students auditioning.”

Despite the uncertainties, some new students felt excited about their new school home.

“I love my major,” Ash Planitario, eighth grade visual major said. “I like all of the variety of things you can do.”