North Salem High School rolls out the red carpet to welcome freshmen in beloved annual tradition

There was a party in front of North Salem High School Tuesday morning.

Clusters of red, black and white balloons framed the school’s entryway. A matching red carpet ran from the front door nearly all the way to 14th Street. Dozens of student-athletes, musicians and other club members lined both sides of the carpet while several staff members huddled, Vikings mascot in tow, near the school doors in anticipation.

Everyone clapped and cheered. Cheerleaders danced. The school band played. And to the delight of Christopher Walken fans everywhere, there was plenty of cowbell.

North Salem has a beloved, long-standing tradition of rolling out the full — and literal — red carpet treatment for incoming freshmen on the first day of school. Ninth graders in Salem-Keizer Public Schools get an extra day to adjust to their new setting before their older peers join on Wednesday. The same goes for sixth graders at local middle schools.

Most school districts across Oregon and Southwest Washington are starting again this week, though some began before Labor Day weekend.

North’s annual ritual has far more pomp and far more circumstance than your typical back-to-school celebration. School leaders say that’s very much on purpose.

“We want everyone to feel welcome. We want everyone to feel safe and comfortable here,” said Principal Dustin Purnell.

This is Purnell’s second year as principal, but he’s been in the area for the past decade and watched the celebration as a parent. He said the event not only shows off the students’ pride in their school, but he hopes it also encourages first-year students to get involved.

“I love this because we have so many different student groups represented, so many staff around,” he said, “and I feel like it just gives a great, great first impression for our freshmen, who are typically pretty nervous to enter high school.”

Walking the carpet itself can be intimidating. Some students soaked it in, with giant grins plastered on their faces as they made their way to the school. Others quickly caught up to other students so they didn’t have to walk it alone. Some shielded their faces with their hands; one pulled their beanie over their face, all the way to their chin, and kept walking.

Staff shouted over the noise: “Welcome to North,” and “Good morning, freshmen!”

This is business teacher Rich Peterson’s third year at North Salem High. He knows some students get a bit embarrassed walking the carpet, but he said it’s also a great way for them to feel loved, appreciated and part of the community.

“I think it’s just unique,” he said, “and I think more schools should do it.”

Students who’ve participated say it’s worth it.

“I feel like this is something that freshmen won’t forget the whole year of high school,” said sophomore Toney Toquero, who still holds the memory of walking the red carpet herself just the year before.

“Everybody was so hyped this early in the morning,” she said. “The freshmen … we were so, I don’t know how to put it, like, we were scared, [and this] helped most of us get out of our shell.

“For the first day of school, it was really cool.”