According to the Arrowhead Homepage, WINGS is “A general welcome to Arrowhead High school.” Almost every student at Arrowhead High School has gone through the tradition of WINGS, but how do students view WINGS? 

WINGS has changed and stayed the same over the last couple years.“I believe we have been doing WINGS for about 12 years.” Thomas Stuber said. Students have opinions on WINGS, while also taking into account how COVID-19 affected the WINGS process. 

Class of 2026 freshman Hayden Grunzel attended WINGS before the start of the present school year. 

Junior Raina Roche, who is a part of the class of 2024, and was included in the first group of students to experience WINGS post pandemic. 

The first major difference reported between the two grade levels was their selection of WINGS electives. WINGS electives are something incoming freshmen are asked to select based on interests before the start of the upcoming school year to help ensure preparation during WINGS and also as a way to branch out and meet new students as well.

Grunzel was able to select based on his interests and says he chose, “some engineering, stay active, and gallery walkaround.” 

Roche said, “I don’t remember if there were even wings courses. I’m pretty sure we were confined to one or two rooms because of COVID.”  

Grunzel says, “I did not expect much within WINGS and did not know what we would be doing.” 

Roche said, “Just what to expect at arrowhead and meet new people.” In regards to what she was expecting to learn.

Roche’s and Grunzle’s experiences differed in many ways and there was little the both could relate to in regards to the basics, and structure of their WINGS experience.

Although Grunzel and Roche have a two year gap between them, there was a relation on two aspects of WINGS.

Both Grunzel and Roche felt that WINGS had no purpose and was not worth it. 

Roche said, “I don’t think so because it really just made me not want to come to school. It was supposed to be fun but it just wasn’t with all the regulations with COVID.” 

Grunzel says, “It felt more like real school rather than what I thought.”