Words: Caroline Lawrence
The SGA General Assembly met on Friday, June 7, to discuss topics of interest for the upcoming school year. After introducing the new executive board, including secretary Julia Zhen, who led the meeting, discussion centered around homecoming, Spirit Week, pep rallies, and General Assembly meetings and positions.
The first talking point was homecoming. Zhen headed the group in a brainstorming session for possible themes for the October 12 dance. Suggestions ranged from safari to disco, night in Paris to neon. Some, inspired by the glitzy new release The Great Gatsby, pushed for a Roaring Twenties theme.
After scribbling down a list of ideas, conversation moved on to Spirit Week. This school year, students had all been able to vote for their favorite days, but freshmen and sophomores shut out some of the traditional themes favored by upperclassmen, such as Decades Day. The General Assembly debated the best system for choosing themes as it brainstormed selections. All the typical Spirit Week ideas were tossed around- Pajama Day, Multiplicity Day, Wacky-tacky Day, Superhero Day- but some exciting new ones were brought up, too. One that held everyone’s interest was Cancer Awareness Day, during which students could buy pink gear from the school to raise funds for research. This seemed particularly fitting, given that October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. People mainly talked around the ever-controversial topic of Color Day and tagging, because there was still so much to discuss and a debate on the issue would have scarfed valuable time.
Next, the General Assembly moved on to pep rallies. A crucial part of the homecoming experience, pep rallies require hours of careful planning and practice. When they are rained out, though, the SGA must move them indoors- never a popular decision. At Friday’s meeting, the possibility of scheduling rain dates instead was suggested.
Finally, the General Assembly discussed its format for next year. Unlike past years, appointed positions will now be decided at the beginning of the new year rather than the end of the old one. The application process has not changed, though; it still involves a form and an interview. Furthermore, to make sure that every group has a voice in the General Assembly, classes and clubs will be encouraged to elect representatives. Meetings will be held on a standard day and time so that teachers will not schedule anything important that conflicts with the representatives’ attendance.
