Members of Northside High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) talked to freshmen in January to explain what they have to offer and encourage them to join next year.

“Two things that I had learned about JROTC were that the class doesn’t automatically enroll you into any type of armed forces, and that in JROTC, you work as a team not independently,” Rosie Nguyen said.

The girls learned about military dress code.

“I learned that you can only wear simple jewelry for girls and that they have to wear their hair in a bun when in uniform,” Jovana Arajuo said.

Other than getting out of class, freshmen had their favorite parts of the presentation.

“I liked learning about the teams because it gave me a firmer grasp on what I want to be part of,” Angel Keohacksa said.

As well as the things they learned, the freshmen had different opinions of the presentation.

“I liked getting to talk to and meet other JROTC members,” Jaylin Barroso said.

Not everyone was convinced they should join in the leadership opportunity.

“I would not like to be part of JROTC because even with the great opportunities and the excitement of the program, it’s just not something I would be interested in,” Kanai Samantry said.

While some of the students may not want to be a part of the program, others are anxious to join.

“I would like to be part of JROTC because I would like to learn how to become a better leader,” Andrea Jalaliddin said.