August
April Yan
Senior Class President
01 September 2022
Position Assessment: Over the summer, the Senior class officers met at my house to finalize our shirt, crewneck, and hoodie designs prior to Core Camp. We also got support from the other seniors in Leadership on the designs, and advice on how to better them. During Core Camp, there was a moment during the Homecoming discussion where I was too lenient with my class, and this enabled them to talk over each other, and walk all over me and my position. Because of this, I’m trying to be extra careful about how I interact with my class during discussions, so that we can respect each other and be as efficient as possible. The officers and I also visited Morty over the summer to situate the gift from last year’s senior class, and have begun our search for containers to hold the signs in. While we’ve come up empty handed from the search, we’re still looking, and will probably expand our search to in-person trips instead of just online. The money set aside from last year’s class has already been approved for transfer into our class account, so hopefully it’ll be enough funds.
Registration was next on the list, and all four officers worked the duration, leaving periodically to go get our schedules and books. Leading up to it, I made sure that Emily got our cash box request in, and that our paperwork was started. We had a lot of presales that day, as well as people buying last minute shirts for Senior Sunrise. These sales, when coupled with the ones from the end of last year, helped us get rid of so many old shirts; we only have about a dozen smalls left. Thankfully, I had Gracie, Spencer, and Claire to help me tie dye the large amount of shirts before the event. Senior Sunrise itself was a success, and I’m grateful I had my officers every step of the way. I called Ripon PD about two weeks ahead to let them know about the event we were planning, and there were no issues on that front. Us officers also planned to have a sleepover the night before, so we could all be together the next morning, but unfortunately Brianna couldn’t make it. However, she was on top of her responsibilities leading up to the event, getting every social media post I asked of her complete. I did have to pay out of pocket for the donuts and orange juice, since it’s not an “actual” event, but I’m just glad it went well. There were people there before us officers, and we even showed up early!
We had a meeting with Morty prior to Club Rush to prepare for all things pre-Homecoming, including Club Rush itself, and ordering spirit items for our class. For the rally at the beginning of Club Rush, I had to find people to be in our fashion show, and get our song choices approved by Spencer and Gideon. As an officer team, we decided to have people volunteer rather than go out and ask them, and Bri making a post on our class account helped us get those four. I made sure to email them as a reminder, and give them my number if they had any questions, but I think it went really well! Our songs were chosen by the officers, after a long talk of figuring out what was and wasn’t appropriate. The morning of the rally, I was running around the school during my opt-out, passing out the tape to all the teachers for the fourth period classes. Most of them knew what it was for, which was good! I also stayed to help the balloon crew during my TA, because they had a lot to do and were running out of time. During the rally itself, I was a part of the decoration committee, and was tasked with holding the doors for the Senior Stampede. We were a little late on the entrance, but everyone was excited, so I consider it a success.
With Club Rush itself and T-shirt sales, the first day was the most disorganized. I wasn’t prepared with a sign, and made it very last minute. But us officers coordinated well on who would set up and work, and I made sure my officers had excused notes every day. When it came to spirit items, Emily and I walked through the PO together and turned it in after a small officer discussion on what to order. She also prepared our three POs for ordering merch. We all counted the numbers together, multiple times, to make sure the count was as accurate as possible, and we did end up being off by a small amount ($30), which might be attributed to Senior Sunrise shirts being sold in the mix as well. Our next move will be ordering said items, but an issue we’re facing is that our hoodie design has disappeared. This happened during Core Camp too, but it’s worse that it happened now, because we need to get the hoodies ordered to have them in time for Homecoming. I already emailed Morty’s contact asking about getting the design back, but have yet to hear from him. With that on the backburner, we’re gearing up for Homecoming. I’ve already talked to Gabby about using her neighbor’s contact for our float, and it’s a matter of technicalities and paperwork now. Us officers have already discussed ideas for the float and dress up days, and we’re going to talk about it further with our fellow seniors in Leadership.
Standing Committee: I’m not sure if it qualifies as a standing committee, but the senior officers are in charge of the event signs for the year. So far, we’ve put them up for the first day of school and Club Rush. One day, we forgot to take them down, but we’re not going to let it happen again! Our next week of putting signs up is going to be Homecoming.
Special Committee: I was part of the decoration committee for the Black Light Rally, and all that basically encompassed was setting up the lights and putting black paper on the windows looking into the foyer. It was a struggle because we didn’t have enough extension cords to let the lights reach further out, but I think we definitely made do.
Mentorship Evaluation: Claire and I get along so well, and it makes me super excited for the year to come. I already know farewells are going to be hard, but I’m trying my best to make the most of time before then. She and I have already talked about how we balance our presidency with other aspects of our life, and how we go about establishing that role. Technically, we’re both new to the position, so we’re also learning from each other as we go. We’ve shared advice on our mutual struggle to find the best way to resolve conflict and voice our concerns, especially because it’s a hard talk to have with people you consider friends.
Concerns: I’m concerned that there’s already cliques forming in the classroom, and that’s not to say I’m innocent of it either. While I do my best to be welcoming to everyone, I’ve heard that people do perceive some of my actions as cliquey, and I’m concerned about that prevalence in our class as a whole. I’m going to be more mindful of my own choices, like where I sit and who I talk to, because I don’t want to start the year on bad footing.
Positive Comment: I want to recognize Brianna for not only being a positive soul to be around, but also being on top of all the social media posts I ask of her. At the end of last year, we had a quick talk about expectations for this year, and I think it set us up for success. As soon as I even mention an upcoming event, we talk about the social media we want for it, and she gets it to me as soon as it’s done. We’ve already begun to organize what social media we think we’ll need for Homecoming too, and I appreciate how well she’s doing her job.
Change: I’m not sure if it would be overstepping boundaries, but I think it might be helpful to have a standing committee to help the Historians take pictures of events. This would just be people that they can fall back onto every few weeks, to get a variety of pictures into the scrapbook. It would also be helpful if neither of the Historians could make it to an event, because there will be someone they can trust to get the pictures for them.
My Impact: I don’t recall being able to help any freshmen on the first day of school, but since then, I have seen some people from my orientation group. I think I made a good impression on them, because they’ve said hello and have been pretty forthcoming when I asked how they’ve liked high school so far. Other freshmen that I’ve known through other things, like mutual friends or elementary school, have done the same too, so I hope I can continue to have a welcoming, or at least comforting demeanor.
Senior Class President
01 September 2022
Position Assessment: Over the summer, the Senior class officers met at my house to finalize our shirt, crewneck, and hoodie designs prior to Core Camp. We also got support from the other seniors in Leadership on the designs, and advice on how to better them. During Core Camp, there was a moment during the Homecoming discussion where I was too lenient with my class, and this enabled them to talk over each other, and walk all over me and my position. Because of this, I’m trying to be extra careful about how I interact with my class during discussions, so that we can respect each other and be as efficient as possible. The officers and I also visited Morty over the summer to situate the gift from last year’s senior class, and have begun our search for containers to hold the signs in. While we’ve come up empty handed from the search, we’re still looking, and will probably expand our search to in-person trips instead of just online. The money set aside from last year’s class has already been approved for transfer into our class account, so hopefully it’ll be enough funds.
Registration was next on the list, and all four officers worked the duration, leaving periodically to go get our schedules and books. Leading up to it, I made sure that Emily got our cash box request in, and that our paperwork was started. We had a lot of presales that day, as well as people buying last minute shirts for Senior Sunrise. These sales, when coupled with the ones from the end of last year, helped us get rid of so many old shirts; we only have about a dozen smalls left. Thankfully, I had Gracie, Spencer, and Claire to help me tie dye the large amount of shirts before the event. Senior Sunrise itself was a success, and I’m grateful I had my officers every step of the way. I called Ripon PD about two weeks ahead to let them know about the event we were planning, and there were no issues on that front. Us officers also planned to have a sleepover the night before, so we could all be together the next morning, but unfortunately Brianna couldn’t make it. However, she was on top of her responsibilities leading up to the event, getting every social media post I asked of her complete. I did have to pay out of pocket for the donuts and orange juice, since it’s not an “actual” event, but I’m just glad it went well. There were people there before us officers, and we even showed up early!
We had a meeting with Morty prior to Club Rush to prepare for all things pre-Homecoming, including Club Rush itself, and ordering spirit items for our class. For the rally at the beginning of Club Rush, I had to find people to be in our fashion show, and get our song choices approved by Spencer and Gideon. As an officer team, we decided to have people volunteer rather than go out and ask them, and Bri making a post on our class account helped us get those four. I made sure to email them as a reminder, and give them my number if they had any questions, but I think it went really well! Our songs were chosen by the officers, after a long talk of figuring out what was and wasn’t appropriate. The morning of the rally, I was running around the school during my opt-out, passing out the tape to all the teachers for the fourth period classes. Most of them knew what it was for, which was good! I also stayed to help the balloon crew during my TA, because they had a lot to do and were running out of time. During the rally itself, I was a part of the decoration committee, and was tasked with holding the doors for the Senior Stampede. We were a little late on the entrance, but everyone was excited, so I consider it a success.
With Club Rush itself and T-shirt sales, the first day was the most disorganized. I wasn’t prepared with a sign, and made it very last minute. But us officers coordinated well on who would set up and work, and I made sure my officers had excused notes every day. When it came to spirit items, Emily and I walked through the PO together and turned it in after a small officer discussion on what to order. She also prepared our three POs for ordering merch. We all counted the numbers together, multiple times, to make sure the count was as accurate as possible, and we did end up being off by a small amount ($30), which might be attributed to Senior Sunrise shirts being sold in the mix as well. Our next move will be ordering said items, but an issue we’re facing is that our hoodie design has disappeared. This happened during Core Camp too, but it’s worse that it happened now, because we need to get the hoodies ordered to have them in time for Homecoming. I already emailed Morty’s contact asking about getting the design back, but have yet to hear from him. With that on the backburner, we’re gearing up for Homecoming. I’ve already talked to Gabby about using her neighbor’s contact for our float, and it’s a matter of technicalities and paperwork now. Us officers have already discussed ideas for the float and dress up days, and we’re going to talk about it further with our fellow seniors in Leadership.
Standing Committee: I’m not sure if it qualifies as a standing committee, but the senior officers are in charge of the event signs for the year. So far, we’ve put them up for the first day of school and Club Rush. One day, we forgot to take them down, but we’re not going to let it happen again! Our next week of putting signs up is going to be Homecoming.
Special Committee: I was part of the decoration committee for the Black Light Rally, and all that basically encompassed was setting up the lights and putting black paper on the windows looking into the foyer. It was a struggle because we didn’t have enough extension cords to let the lights reach further out, but I think we definitely made do.
Mentorship Evaluation: Claire and I get along so well, and it makes me super excited for the year to come. I already know farewells are going to be hard, but I’m trying my best to make the most of time before then. She and I have already talked about how we balance our presidency with other aspects of our life, and how we go about establishing that role. Technically, we’re both new to the position, so we’re also learning from each other as we go. We’ve shared advice on our mutual struggle to find the best way to resolve conflict and voice our concerns, especially because it’s a hard talk to have with people you consider friends.
Concerns: I’m concerned that there’s already cliques forming in the classroom, and that’s not to say I’m innocent of it either. While I do my best to be welcoming to everyone, I’ve heard that people do perceive some of my actions as cliquey, and I’m concerned about that prevalence in our class as a whole. I’m going to be more mindful of my own choices, like where I sit and who I talk to, because I don’t want to start the year on bad footing.
Positive Comment: I want to recognize Brianna for not only being a positive soul to be around, but also being on top of all the social media posts I ask of her. At the end of last year, we had a quick talk about expectations for this year, and I think it set us up for success. As soon as I even mention an upcoming event, we talk about the social media we want for it, and she gets it to me as soon as it’s done. We’ve already begun to organize what social media we think we’ll need for Homecoming too, and I appreciate how well she’s doing her job.
Change: I’m not sure if it would be overstepping boundaries, but I think it might be helpful to have a standing committee to help the Historians take pictures of events. This would just be people that they can fall back onto every few weeks, to get a variety of pictures into the scrapbook. It would also be helpful if neither of the Historians could make it to an event, because there will be someone they can trust to get the pictures for them.
My Impact: I don’t recall being able to help any freshmen on the first day of school, but since then, I have seen some people from my orientation group. I think I made a good impression on them, because they’ve said hello and have been pretty forthcoming when I asked how they’ve liked high school so far. Other freshmen that I’ve known through other things, like mutual friends or elementary school, have done the same too, so I hope I can continue to have a welcoming, or at least comforting demeanor.
September & October
April Yan
Senior Class President
17 October 2022
Position Assessment: I am so glad Homecoming is over, and that it ended well. We started Homecoming as soon as Club Rush ended, starting with securing the float and establishing special committees for the seniors in Leadership. We had a lunch meeting where people signed up for the committees they wanted to help with, and then I made a spreadsheet detailing the day-to-day schedule for all things Homecoming from 9/17-10/7. Once that was shared out, any further participation by our commissioners was put on them to remember or check the spreadsheet. They didn’t really follow through on their word, save for one person at the beginning and a few at the end, but it is what it is.
We made a google form asking for HOCO participation from the seniors, and the weekend of the lemonade stand was when I finalized pairs for the dance, since I couldn’t do much else away from home. The dance was definitely our biggest priority, since it required the most communication and a lot of schedules to balance. We had about 48 people initially, which dropped to 44 in the end. We planned for 8 practices and had 7, but one of them was on the football field, which was such a good idea. We were required to have a staff member there, but it went very smoothly and I think it was exactly what we needed to win. I had my officers over one Saturday to finish editing our music and choreography, which ended up being a whole day extravaganza. We did end up getting first in the dance, so I guess the effort didn’t go to waste, but it was quite the day. When it came to gym decor, we had a few hiccups in decorating but overall it went alright. Some people definitely could’ve done a little more working instead of talking, but they did contribute in a helpful way. The next morning's competition was the window, which was our lowest priority, I’ll admit. It was something that centered more around assembly the morning of, instead of prep work. The only prep work we could do was write all those names on sheriff stars, which I think was a cute little touch, even though you could barely see it. The window was a little bit of a chaotic way to start the week, since things didn’t go as planned, but I’m just glad we got the decorations up.
The Night Rally was a little bit of a whirlwind. I ended up helping Tech in the box for the beginning of the rally, so I couldn’t sit with my class, but I think it was successful. We had a lot of spirit items for our class to use, and a clearly marked area with those large tablecloths. I do think our class was on their best behavior too, when it came to losing musical chairs and supporting other classes. Clean up was as expected, but I’m so glad we didn’t use confetti cannons. Streamer cannons are so much easier to wind up and clean. Lemonade stands were such a silly day. Setting it up was pretty painless, and the transportation was just a little worrisome. We spent multiple days painting it, because we changed our mind after the first color. It went from white to striped blue to brown, but I think it looked good in the end. Passing out items went way smoother than I thought it would, and we ran out very quickly. I think people were excited to take pictures with the stand because it was going on the class Instagram, and I love that we’re posting more people. I think it makes the page more engaging and student-centered.
The float was the second biggest worry after the dance. There was a good amount we had to wait to do, especially since some decorations were going to be pulled from other competitions earlier in the week. We finished everything the night before, and I was pretty proud. However, I was not proud of how it looked in the daylight. Blowing up balloons was the highest priority right before the parade, because all of them had basically popped overnight and during the day. It was a group effort, and I’m so thankful to everyone who helped, especially Jaydin helping while she was already in her dress. The parade went well, and I think it was a great idea to pass out the horses to get rid of them. The kids loved it, and I loved not having to worry about keeping those intact for some random future use. Overall, I really would say that Homecoming was a success. We didn’t do horribly in any competitions and we didn’t bite each others’ heads off! Our next focus before Winterfest is the boxes we need to store the yard signs. We’re taking a Home Depot trip soon to look at them in person, because our online search has turned out inconclusive.
Standing Committee: For the past month, the only time the Senior officers had to do signs was for Homecoming, which was six days in total. We didn’t do it every day because of the Homecoming morning competitions, but ASB took over when we couldn’t put the signs up, and we put it away later during class.
Special Committee: For Homecoming, I was on the Coronation Committee, which had a few meetings in the morning and then some decoration involved. Gracie and I stayed a little late after school the night of the Powderpuff game to finish the field decorations, which was only unfortunate because no one else could stay to help. It wouldn’t have been as bad if they had done it correctly in the first place, because a lot of the time was spent fixing the streamers that had already been put up. I also got to hand the bouquet to Heaven, who won Homecoming Queen, which was so fun!
Mentorship Evaluation: It’s no secret that I adore Claire with my whole heart. We had a little Dutch or boba run I think, right at the beginning to help us get our heads on straight. While I don’t think that was the reason for her success, I’m so proud of how she held her own during Homecoming, and the effort she put in. She did better than a lot of the elders in the class, myself included. I know there were bumps in the road, as is the norm during Homecoming, but she handled everything with grace and kept her cool. Every win they had was very deserving!
Concerns: I’m concerned about the toxicity in the classroom, and that people don’t keep their word. I know that with the seniors, some people signed up to do things that they didn’t end up doing, and the offer was extended specifically because we didn’t want to hear complaints about not being included. I just wish they wouldn’t have signed up in the first place, so we didn’t expect any help from the get go. I think other classes also saw similar problems, not necessarily from a signup, but just because people don’t keep their word when they say they’ll do things. I also am more so annoyed than concerned about people messing around in class. Ultimately it’s their grades and stress for later, but it is frustrating to be working and trying to work when everyone else doesn’t find it reasonable to even just be quiet.
Positive Comment: I may be bias, but I think the Senior and Sophomore officers did amazing during Homecoming. Of course there was stress and tension, even within my own team, but I think these two groups were pretty good at keeping their cool. When it came to my officer team, I think we handled the stress pretty well and worked together against the problem, instead of against each other. I’m also so proud of the freshmen for their dance and lemonade stand, and I really think they improved on everything as the week progressed.
Change: I think we need to have greater consequences for messing around in class, because nothing is changing the behaviors in the classroom. I don’t think calling people out will resolve anything, but if something else can be done to keep people on task, that would be great. Also, I think it could be beneficial to sit with our job positions at some point, so everyone can collaborate with each other, and get advice from others doing similar jobs. All the presidents could touch base, the VPs could talk about their project, etc.
My Impact: I would say I’ve gotten better at my role in the classroom, and I think it’s had an effect on how my class as a whole sees me. I’ve always been someone they know will get the work done, but I think in the aftermath of Homecoming, they feel a little better about what my position means for them. As the weeks went on and we had to keep moving, my calmness and confidence helped me lead my class with everything, from the dance to the float. I was able to guide them better, and instill in them the same confidence I had that they would do well. I know that they were proud of the work I had put in, but I was even prouder that they pulled it off, and I think that mutual respect has helped my class remember that I’m a resource for them.
Senior Class President
17 October 2022
Position Assessment: I am so glad Homecoming is over, and that it ended well. We started Homecoming as soon as Club Rush ended, starting with securing the float and establishing special committees for the seniors in Leadership. We had a lunch meeting where people signed up for the committees they wanted to help with, and then I made a spreadsheet detailing the day-to-day schedule for all things Homecoming from 9/17-10/7. Once that was shared out, any further participation by our commissioners was put on them to remember or check the spreadsheet. They didn’t really follow through on their word, save for one person at the beginning and a few at the end, but it is what it is.
We made a google form asking for HOCO participation from the seniors, and the weekend of the lemonade stand was when I finalized pairs for the dance, since I couldn’t do much else away from home. The dance was definitely our biggest priority, since it required the most communication and a lot of schedules to balance. We had about 48 people initially, which dropped to 44 in the end. We planned for 8 practices and had 7, but one of them was on the football field, which was such a good idea. We were required to have a staff member there, but it went very smoothly and I think it was exactly what we needed to win. I had my officers over one Saturday to finish editing our music and choreography, which ended up being a whole day extravaganza. We did end up getting first in the dance, so I guess the effort didn’t go to waste, but it was quite the day. When it came to gym decor, we had a few hiccups in decorating but overall it went alright. Some people definitely could’ve done a little more working instead of talking, but they did contribute in a helpful way. The next morning's competition was the window, which was our lowest priority, I’ll admit. It was something that centered more around assembly the morning of, instead of prep work. The only prep work we could do was write all those names on sheriff stars, which I think was a cute little touch, even though you could barely see it. The window was a little bit of a chaotic way to start the week, since things didn’t go as planned, but I’m just glad we got the decorations up.
The Night Rally was a little bit of a whirlwind. I ended up helping Tech in the box for the beginning of the rally, so I couldn’t sit with my class, but I think it was successful. We had a lot of spirit items for our class to use, and a clearly marked area with those large tablecloths. I do think our class was on their best behavior too, when it came to losing musical chairs and supporting other classes. Clean up was as expected, but I’m so glad we didn’t use confetti cannons. Streamer cannons are so much easier to wind up and clean. Lemonade stands were such a silly day. Setting it up was pretty painless, and the transportation was just a little worrisome. We spent multiple days painting it, because we changed our mind after the first color. It went from white to striped blue to brown, but I think it looked good in the end. Passing out items went way smoother than I thought it would, and we ran out very quickly. I think people were excited to take pictures with the stand because it was going on the class Instagram, and I love that we’re posting more people. I think it makes the page more engaging and student-centered.
The float was the second biggest worry after the dance. There was a good amount we had to wait to do, especially since some decorations were going to be pulled from other competitions earlier in the week. We finished everything the night before, and I was pretty proud. However, I was not proud of how it looked in the daylight. Blowing up balloons was the highest priority right before the parade, because all of them had basically popped overnight and during the day. It was a group effort, and I’m so thankful to everyone who helped, especially Jaydin helping while she was already in her dress. The parade went well, and I think it was a great idea to pass out the horses to get rid of them. The kids loved it, and I loved not having to worry about keeping those intact for some random future use. Overall, I really would say that Homecoming was a success. We didn’t do horribly in any competitions and we didn’t bite each others’ heads off! Our next focus before Winterfest is the boxes we need to store the yard signs. We’re taking a Home Depot trip soon to look at them in person, because our online search has turned out inconclusive.
Standing Committee: For the past month, the only time the Senior officers had to do signs was for Homecoming, which was six days in total. We didn’t do it every day because of the Homecoming morning competitions, but ASB took over when we couldn’t put the signs up, and we put it away later during class.
Special Committee: For Homecoming, I was on the Coronation Committee, which had a few meetings in the morning and then some decoration involved. Gracie and I stayed a little late after school the night of the Powderpuff game to finish the field decorations, which was only unfortunate because no one else could stay to help. It wouldn’t have been as bad if they had done it correctly in the first place, because a lot of the time was spent fixing the streamers that had already been put up. I also got to hand the bouquet to Heaven, who won Homecoming Queen, which was so fun!
Mentorship Evaluation: It’s no secret that I adore Claire with my whole heart. We had a little Dutch or boba run I think, right at the beginning to help us get our heads on straight. While I don’t think that was the reason for her success, I’m so proud of how she held her own during Homecoming, and the effort she put in. She did better than a lot of the elders in the class, myself included. I know there were bumps in the road, as is the norm during Homecoming, but she handled everything with grace and kept her cool. Every win they had was very deserving!
Concerns: I’m concerned about the toxicity in the classroom, and that people don’t keep their word. I know that with the seniors, some people signed up to do things that they didn’t end up doing, and the offer was extended specifically because we didn’t want to hear complaints about not being included. I just wish they wouldn’t have signed up in the first place, so we didn’t expect any help from the get go. I think other classes also saw similar problems, not necessarily from a signup, but just because people don’t keep their word when they say they’ll do things. I also am more so annoyed than concerned about people messing around in class. Ultimately it’s their grades and stress for later, but it is frustrating to be working and trying to work when everyone else doesn’t find it reasonable to even just be quiet.
Positive Comment: I may be bias, but I think the Senior and Sophomore officers did amazing during Homecoming. Of course there was stress and tension, even within my own team, but I think these two groups were pretty good at keeping their cool. When it came to my officer team, I think we handled the stress pretty well and worked together against the problem, instead of against each other. I’m also so proud of the freshmen for their dance and lemonade stand, and I really think they improved on everything as the week progressed.
Change: I think we need to have greater consequences for messing around in class, because nothing is changing the behaviors in the classroom. I don’t think calling people out will resolve anything, but if something else can be done to keep people on task, that would be great. Also, I think it could be beneficial to sit with our job positions at some point, so everyone can collaborate with each other, and get advice from others doing similar jobs. All the presidents could touch base, the VPs could talk about their project, etc.
My Impact: I would say I’ve gotten better at my role in the classroom, and I think it’s had an effect on how my class as a whole sees me. I’ve always been someone they know will get the work done, but I think in the aftermath of Homecoming, they feel a little better about what my position means for them. As the weeks went on and we had to keep moving, my calmness and confidence helped me lead my class with everything, from the dance to the float. I was able to guide them better, and instill in them the same confidence I had that they would do well. I know that they were proud of the work I had put in, but I was even prouder that they pulled it off, and I think that mutual respect has helped my class remember that I’m a resource for them.
November
April Yan
Senior Class President
16 November 2022
Position Assessment: Winterfest and Warm and Fuzzy has been the focus of the past couple of weeks. For Warm and Fuzzy, us seniors decided to theme our tree “Santa’s Seniors” and we ordered some acrylic ornaments for seniors to decorate, in an effort to personalize our tree and give our seniors more buy-in. I already took my personal tree and garland out of storage for us to use, so it’s ready to be taken to school when the date approaches. I also already asked to use a grad cap as a tree topper, so that’ll be something we borrow the day of the tree lighting. Gracie and I painted the ornaments red and white so we could stick to a color theme. I requested a facility request that has been approved, so after we come back from Thanksgiving break, all seniors can stop by our table and sign their names on their ornaments. They’ll also be making paper snowflakes that we plan to incorporate into our pillar decorating earlier in Warm and Fuzzy week. The plan is for the seniors to take their ornaments afterward, and any that aren’t picked up will most likely be discarded after a while.
For Winterfest, I led a meeting with the whole class that debriefed on the whole event. We decided on the window, shopping cart, and bleacher competitions, but the dance still needs to be finalized. It’s most likely happening as long as we can get the gym at an earlier time, because while Graham was able to secure us the gym at 8, we would need it at 7 to set up. I still have to work with him to see if we can actually secure the gym that early. Other than that, I worked with each class on paper for the bleacher competition. Every class has already rolled out their paper, and the only ones that still have to take it home are the freshmen. Us seniors have our paper and design but still need to work on gridding everything and sketching it out. Emily and I also signed our shopping cart form and plan to pick it up from CVS after Thanksgiving break. I’ll be housing the shopping cart since everything else is also at my house. All of our designs for Winterfest are sketched and our PO has been put in, we’re just waiting for it to be returned for us to order the materials.
In the midst of this all, the senior officers also met with Morty to come up with the senior motto. All of the creative writing was done by Morty, but the officers and I brainstormed words that can describe our class, like bold, spirited, etc. Our second order of merch has also been delivered, and all of that was distributed out, leaving only a handful of leftover items. We still need to decide what we’ll do with these items, but whatever happens will have to occur after Thanksgiving break. As the end of first semester approaches, I would like to have my officers meet with Vasche to discuss the grad trip, in order for us to stay prepared. This meeting might have to wait until the beginning of second semester, depending on Vasche’s availability.
Standing Committee: I am not part of any standing committees, but the second round of our class merchandise has arrived. It’s all been distributed and we have a few leftover items. I’m not sure what we’ll be doing with them yet, whether it’s sell some or give some to teachers, but that’s our next thing to tackle with merch.
Special Committee: My current special committees are CASL and My Intent. For CASL, I was a group leader and also had a separate document to write. My group collaborated on brainstorming topics and split up the work to individually write paragraphs. After that, I went in and edited all the paragraphs together to make it flow better. My individual CASL write up was about virtual climate, which I finished and sent in to Morty. For My Intent, I made all the bracelets for our promotional video and have been delegating tasks to the rest of my committee, from publicity to announcements to procedure form tasks. I’m mainly overseeing the procedure form, but I’m having Gia do it with me because I trust her work ethic and understanding of the paperwork, and I know that someone will have to be able to do it next year when I leave. We’re working to film our video this week so we can edit it over break and push out immediately after we get back, as that’s when announcements go out to prepare for selling during Warm and Fuzzy week.
Concerns: On a personal level, I’m concerned that I’m too much of a control freak and a perfectionist. There’s a fine line between doing my job and doing too much and I think I can be too meticulous sometimes. While it can come in handy to be so detail-oriented, I think it makes everyone else too stressed because I want everything to be perfect. On the flip side, I feel like some people don’t care enough, and procrastinate too much.
Positive Comment: Elias has been stepping it up with My Intent and I feel like I’ve also seen him get better at staying on task with other things. I’m proud of what appears to be his maturity, and how much he just loves being in the classroom. He keeps things positive even if he’s a little rambunctious at times, and I appreciate that presence.
Change: If we have more workdays in the future, I hope daily debriefs are the norm. I think it forces people to work or face their lack thereof, which is helpful to hold yourself accountable and stay on track. A different change I would like to see is having the class pack up a couple minutes before the bell rings in order to pick up all their trash, because the mess left behind for Ulrich to clean up is not okay, especially because we’re the ones invading her space.
My Impact: I have found myself asking the same question throughout the year: why am I even here? And the answer is that I enjoy being part of the program and what it means for everyone in my life. Not only do I benefit, through the many stressful experiences and learning to balance everything in my life, but I also love being behind the scenes and giving my class memories to hold onto as we leave high school. Putting in work is nothing compared to what it means for the rest of my class to have these experiences, especially after all the confusion throughout our high school years. I feel responsible because I know that I can accomplish this for them, and that skill is what will make this year their best yet. I also love being part of a program of like-minded people with similar drive, and this class has given me my closest friends and bonds with people I never would’ve met otherwise.
Senior Class President
16 November 2022
Position Assessment: Winterfest and Warm and Fuzzy has been the focus of the past couple of weeks. For Warm and Fuzzy, us seniors decided to theme our tree “Santa’s Seniors” and we ordered some acrylic ornaments for seniors to decorate, in an effort to personalize our tree and give our seniors more buy-in. I already took my personal tree and garland out of storage for us to use, so it’s ready to be taken to school when the date approaches. I also already asked to use a grad cap as a tree topper, so that’ll be something we borrow the day of the tree lighting. Gracie and I painted the ornaments red and white so we could stick to a color theme. I requested a facility request that has been approved, so after we come back from Thanksgiving break, all seniors can stop by our table and sign their names on their ornaments. They’ll also be making paper snowflakes that we plan to incorporate into our pillar decorating earlier in Warm and Fuzzy week. The plan is for the seniors to take their ornaments afterward, and any that aren’t picked up will most likely be discarded after a while.
For Winterfest, I led a meeting with the whole class that debriefed on the whole event. We decided on the window, shopping cart, and bleacher competitions, but the dance still needs to be finalized. It’s most likely happening as long as we can get the gym at an earlier time, because while Graham was able to secure us the gym at 8, we would need it at 7 to set up. I still have to work with him to see if we can actually secure the gym that early. Other than that, I worked with each class on paper for the bleacher competition. Every class has already rolled out their paper, and the only ones that still have to take it home are the freshmen. Us seniors have our paper and design but still need to work on gridding everything and sketching it out. Emily and I also signed our shopping cart form and plan to pick it up from CVS after Thanksgiving break. I’ll be housing the shopping cart since everything else is also at my house. All of our designs for Winterfest are sketched and our PO has been put in, we’re just waiting for it to be returned for us to order the materials.
In the midst of this all, the senior officers also met with Morty to come up with the senior motto. All of the creative writing was done by Morty, but the officers and I brainstormed words that can describe our class, like bold, spirited, etc. Our second order of merch has also been delivered, and all of that was distributed out, leaving only a handful of leftover items. We still need to decide what we’ll do with these items, but whatever happens will have to occur after Thanksgiving break. As the end of first semester approaches, I would like to have my officers meet with Vasche to discuss the grad trip, in order for us to stay prepared. This meeting might have to wait until the beginning of second semester, depending on Vasche’s availability.
Standing Committee: I am not part of any standing committees, but the second round of our class merchandise has arrived. It’s all been distributed and we have a few leftover items. I’m not sure what we’ll be doing with them yet, whether it’s sell some or give some to teachers, but that’s our next thing to tackle with merch.
Special Committee: My current special committees are CASL and My Intent. For CASL, I was a group leader and also had a separate document to write. My group collaborated on brainstorming topics and split up the work to individually write paragraphs. After that, I went in and edited all the paragraphs together to make it flow better. My individual CASL write up was about virtual climate, which I finished and sent in to Morty. For My Intent, I made all the bracelets for our promotional video and have been delegating tasks to the rest of my committee, from publicity to announcements to procedure form tasks. I’m mainly overseeing the procedure form, but I’m having Gia do it with me because I trust her work ethic and understanding of the paperwork, and I know that someone will have to be able to do it next year when I leave. We’re working to film our video this week so we can edit it over break and push out immediately after we get back, as that’s when announcements go out to prepare for selling during Warm and Fuzzy week.
Concerns: On a personal level, I’m concerned that I’m too much of a control freak and a perfectionist. There’s a fine line between doing my job and doing too much and I think I can be too meticulous sometimes. While it can come in handy to be so detail-oriented, I think it makes everyone else too stressed because I want everything to be perfect. On the flip side, I feel like some people don’t care enough, and procrastinate too much.
Positive Comment: Elias has been stepping it up with My Intent and I feel like I’ve also seen him get better at staying on task with other things. I’m proud of what appears to be his maturity, and how much he just loves being in the classroom. He keeps things positive even if he’s a little rambunctious at times, and I appreciate that presence.
Change: If we have more workdays in the future, I hope daily debriefs are the norm. I think it forces people to work or face their lack thereof, which is helpful to hold yourself accountable and stay on track. A different change I would like to see is having the class pack up a couple minutes before the bell rings in order to pick up all their trash, because the mess left behind for Ulrich to clean up is not okay, especially because we’re the ones invading her space.
My Impact: I have found myself asking the same question throughout the year: why am I even here? And the answer is that I enjoy being part of the program and what it means for everyone in my life. Not only do I benefit, through the many stressful experiences and learning to balance everything in my life, but I also love being behind the scenes and giving my class memories to hold onto as we leave high school. Putting in work is nothing compared to what it means for the rest of my class to have these experiences, especially after all the confusion throughout our high school years. I feel responsible because I know that I can accomplish this for them, and that skill is what will make this year their best yet. I also love being part of a program of like-minded people with similar drive, and this class has given me my closest friends and bonds with people I never would’ve met otherwise.
December
April Yan
Senior Class President
15 December 2022
Position Assessment: Since the last ASB meeting, the seniors prioritized Warm and Fuzzy before Winterfest, but are gradually working on that event as well. We painted the acrylic ornaments for our holiday tree to give it a color theme, and then had a week where our peers could decorate them to personalize our tree. That included providing the materials, making a poster, posting on social media, and getting a facility request approved. We were also selling merch that same week, but no one bought anything, which we assume is because it was right after Thanksgiving break. We have 11 items left, but there’s no rush to necessarily sell, because there’s always going to be later times to sell, and people that eventually remember they forgot to buy anything.
While the merch sales were a bust, the ornament decorating was not. We had a lot of people stop by, and only had a few ornaments left that weren’t decorated. After that, our tree decorating was painless. We were borrowing one of my many personal trees, so I brought it to school on the morning of the rally, and we set it up after school. We didn’t get first place, instead getting second, but we were the only class to even place among the many trees, so we’re celebrating the small victories. The senior officers also had a Winterfest meeting with Morty, where we finalized dates for her to put on her website. We made the decision to move the dance sync to the MUB instead of trying to secure the gym at an earlier time because it was the most stable course of action.
Another one of the responsibilities we’ve completed is the judging ballots for the Winterfest competitions. I took the main responsibility of making those, but the officers all approved of the rubrics. We also began to ask teachers to be in the fashion show, only verbally as of right now. An email is going to be sent out the week before winter break as a reminder of their responsibilities, and another will be sent out after break as well. I’ve been checking in with classes periodically, and all of them have said they’re managing Winterfest wonderfully so far. I haven’t asked to see any evidence yet, but that is also something I’m asking the week before break, just in case they’re waiting on inventory to come in. I have also communicated with Rally about the two rallies we’ll have for Winterfest, and they’re working on those scripts using Homecoming as a foundation for both the kick off and night rally.
The seniors have our shopping cart request signed for CVS but can’t get the cart until our store manager comes back to work since having COVID. If they don’t come back in time, we plan on asking a different store to borrow a cart. We have all of our sketches done and have begun gridding our large bleacher paper, and have received most of our materials. The dance practices are going to start at the end of winter break, and our goal is to have a list of volunteers by the time we leave for break. For the music we decided to do a mashup similar to Homecoming, but have focused mainly on a song from Teen Beach Movie because of the idea of bikers versus surfers. So far, the senior officers feel okay about Winterfest, but it could change over break, with the amount of work we get done with decorations and dance practices. We don’t feel ahead, but we also don’t feel behind.
Outside of all our event planning, the senior officers have finished filming our part of the position video for Tech, and it was pretty painless. On top of the normal group officer shot, we decided to do duos instead of singles so that Tech would have less clips to edit together, and because it was much easier. I have finished most of my final and am working on Secret Santa at this time, and have a lot of work ahead of me in general. Once Winterfest is over, I’ll be focusing on Gallery of the Arts with Gia and Sofia, and I can’t wait! I know that we’ll make it the best yet, and I hope that they can feel comfortable taking it over when I leave.
Standing Committee: Being a senior officer, I am a part of the sign committee, which puts up the yard signs for each event. We haven’t put any up since Dude Be Nice because we don’t have any signs for Warm and Fuzzy. However, our next event with signs will be Winterfest, which occurs after we come back from winter break.
Special Committee: At this time, the only special committee I’ve focused on is My Intent. The video was finalized, since we finished filming before break and Tech edited it all together by the time we came back. The video was pushed out to advisories, and sales occurred from 12/5-12/9. I made the schedule for selling, and we had pretty stable sales throughout the week. While I made the bracelets, we set aside a day where I could teach Gia, Sofia, and Kiely how the bracelets are made in case they continue the committee after I leave. The goal is to distribute the bracelets during first period, and finish doing so before finals come around.
Mentorship Evaluation: Even if we weren’t as close as we are, I know that my mentorship with Claire would still be very functional. We can do anything from thrifting together to talking about our responsibilities, and the stress that comes with it. Even with “competitions,” Claire and I are very upfront with each other, and I will always appreciate the transparency. I also feel super comfortable discussing my personal concerns and conflicts with her, and I know she feels the same.
Concerns: I don’t have any super large concerns at this time, other than people procrastinating and making everyone around them tense with their nervous energy. Despite all the competitions, Leadership is a family at the end of the day, and we have each other to ask for help. However, when people procrastinate and don’t communicate, or don’t even ask for support in the first place, no one else can help them and we just have to deal with the consequences.
Positive Comment: The freshmen really seem to be picking it up since Homecoming, and I’m proud. While there’s always room to grow, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they did on their holiday tree, and how much they seem to be planning in advance. I also appreciate all the seniors in Leadership, because they keep a wonderful balance of asking to help and being a positive presence. While Core Camp might not have been the most ideal start, the seniors aren't toxic and we support each other, which I’m super grateful for.
Change: At this time, I have nothing super concerning that comes to mind and warrants change. There’s always going to be people that procrastinate or straight up don’t work, and that’s something they need to fix on their own. As far as everything goes, I like having things posted ahead of time, from the portfolio pages to the book study. I also think posting the agenda before class is helpful to keep people organized, and I know it helps me prepare for my week, and how to balance my different workloads.
My Impact: I don’t know if it’s because I’m a president this year, or because I’m a senior, or because I carry myself differently, but I think I’ve really stepped up my role model game. I’ve still seen a couple of my Link Crew kids around, and they still remember me! We always have a quick conversation about how their freshman year is going and I’m glad they seem excited to talk to me, even if it might be because I’m projecting my own excitement. I’ve also had people ask me things because they know I’m in Leadership, and I love being a source of information for them. Sure, I help plan events and represent the seniors, but I feel like no one has really made me a source of information until this year. Whether it’s about clubs or events, it feels fabulous when I can answer people’s questions!
Senior Class President
15 December 2022
Position Assessment: Since the last ASB meeting, the seniors prioritized Warm and Fuzzy before Winterfest, but are gradually working on that event as well. We painted the acrylic ornaments for our holiday tree to give it a color theme, and then had a week where our peers could decorate them to personalize our tree. That included providing the materials, making a poster, posting on social media, and getting a facility request approved. We were also selling merch that same week, but no one bought anything, which we assume is because it was right after Thanksgiving break. We have 11 items left, but there’s no rush to necessarily sell, because there’s always going to be later times to sell, and people that eventually remember they forgot to buy anything.
While the merch sales were a bust, the ornament decorating was not. We had a lot of people stop by, and only had a few ornaments left that weren’t decorated. After that, our tree decorating was painless. We were borrowing one of my many personal trees, so I brought it to school on the morning of the rally, and we set it up after school. We didn’t get first place, instead getting second, but we were the only class to even place among the many trees, so we’re celebrating the small victories. The senior officers also had a Winterfest meeting with Morty, where we finalized dates for her to put on her website. We made the decision to move the dance sync to the MUB instead of trying to secure the gym at an earlier time because it was the most stable course of action.
Another one of the responsibilities we’ve completed is the judging ballots for the Winterfest competitions. I took the main responsibility of making those, but the officers all approved of the rubrics. We also began to ask teachers to be in the fashion show, only verbally as of right now. An email is going to be sent out the week before winter break as a reminder of their responsibilities, and another will be sent out after break as well. I’ve been checking in with classes periodically, and all of them have said they’re managing Winterfest wonderfully so far. I haven’t asked to see any evidence yet, but that is also something I’m asking the week before break, just in case they’re waiting on inventory to come in. I have also communicated with Rally about the two rallies we’ll have for Winterfest, and they’re working on those scripts using Homecoming as a foundation for both the kick off and night rally.
The seniors have our shopping cart request signed for CVS but can’t get the cart until our store manager comes back to work since having COVID. If they don’t come back in time, we plan on asking a different store to borrow a cart. We have all of our sketches done and have begun gridding our large bleacher paper, and have received most of our materials. The dance practices are going to start at the end of winter break, and our goal is to have a list of volunteers by the time we leave for break. For the music we decided to do a mashup similar to Homecoming, but have focused mainly on a song from Teen Beach Movie because of the idea of bikers versus surfers. So far, the senior officers feel okay about Winterfest, but it could change over break, with the amount of work we get done with decorations and dance practices. We don’t feel ahead, but we also don’t feel behind.
Outside of all our event planning, the senior officers have finished filming our part of the position video for Tech, and it was pretty painless. On top of the normal group officer shot, we decided to do duos instead of singles so that Tech would have less clips to edit together, and because it was much easier. I have finished most of my final and am working on Secret Santa at this time, and have a lot of work ahead of me in general. Once Winterfest is over, I’ll be focusing on Gallery of the Arts with Gia and Sofia, and I can’t wait! I know that we’ll make it the best yet, and I hope that they can feel comfortable taking it over when I leave.
Standing Committee: Being a senior officer, I am a part of the sign committee, which puts up the yard signs for each event. We haven’t put any up since Dude Be Nice because we don’t have any signs for Warm and Fuzzy. However, our next event with signs will be Winterfest, which occurs after we come back from winter break.
Special Committee: At this time, the only special committee I’ve focused on is My Intent. The video was finalized, since we finished filming before break and Tech edited it all together by the time we came back. The video was pushed out to advisories, and sales occurred from 12/5-12/9. I made the schedule for selling, and we had pretty stable sales throughout the week. While I made the bracelets, we set aside a day where I could teach Gia, Sofia, and Kiely how the bracelets are made in case they continue the committee after I leave. The goal is to distribute the bracelets during first period, and finish doing so before finals come around.
Mentorship Evaluation: Even if we weren’t as close as we are, I know that my mentorship with Claire would still be very functional. We can do anything from thrifting together to talking about our responsibilities, and the stress that comes with it. Even with “competitions,” Claire and I are very upfront with each other, and I will always appreciate the transparency. I also feel super comfortable discussing my personal concerns and conflicts with her, and I know she feels the same.
Concerns: I don’t have any super large concerns at this time, other than people procrastinating and making everyone around them tense with their nervous energy. Despite all the competitions, Leadership is a family at the end of the day, and we have each other to ask for help. However, when people procrastinate and don’t communicate, or don’t even ask for support in the first place, no one else can help them and we just have to deal with the consequences.
Positive Comment: The freshmen really seem to be picking it up since Homecoming, and I’m proud. While there’s always room to grow, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well they did on their holiday tree, and how much they seem to be planning in advance. I also appreciate all the seniors in Leadership, because they keep a wonderful balance of asking to help and being a positive presence. While Core Camp might not have been the most ideal start, the seniors aren't toxic and we support each other, which I’m super grateful for.
Change: At this time, I have nothing super concerning that comes to mind and warrants change. There’s always going to be people that procrastinate or straight up don’t work, and that’s something they need to fix on their own. As far as everything goes, I like having things posted ahead of time, from the portfolio pages to the book study. I also think posting the agenda before class is helpful to keep people organized, and I know it helps me prepare for my week, and how to balance my different workloads.
My Impact: I don’t know if it’s because I’m a president this year, or because I’m a senior, or because I carry myself differently, but I think I’ve really stepped up my role model game. I’ve still seen a couple of my Link Crew kids around, and they still remember me! We always have a quick conversation about how their freshman year is going and I’m glad they seem excited to talk to me, even if it might be because I’m projecting my own excitement. I’ve also had people ask me things because they know I’m in Leadership, and I love being a source of information for them. Sure, I help plan events and represent the seniors, but I feel like no one has really made me a source of information until this year. Whether it’s about clubs or events, it feels fabulous when I can answer people’s questions!
January
April Yan
Senior Class President
06 February 2023
Position Assessment: During January, we tried to set up a formal meeting with Vasche to discuss our responsibilities for the Disneyland trip, but since she’s no longer leading that, we have to wait until she talks to the teacher taking over, Mr. Yonan. However, in our talk with her she did tell us our main role is to buy breakfast in the morning and bring it to school, which is very manageable. Our biggest priority in January, and the months leading up to it, was Winterfest. As an officer team, we held a couple preliminary meetings with Morty so we were more aware of our responsibilities, and it was very helpful to finalize the competitions in the week as well. We talked to our fashion show teachers a couple times before break about their roles, and I sent them an email as well. I also filled out all the announcements of dress up days before we left so I wouldn’t have to worry about it when we got back from break.
When it came to competitions, the bleacher poster was the biggest, quite literally, but we didn’t start painting it until winter break because we didn’t have any outrageous plans. One of our officers was grounded and unable to visit and help as much during Winterfest, but we managed to finish the poster with the rest of the officer team. It did take several days because we could only roll out half of the poster at a time, but in my professional opinion, it was a perfectly manageable task for each class. Even if the classes didn’t have the space to complete it all at once, gridding it immediately and working on it foot by foot definitely would've worked considering the amount of time we had the paper for. The dance was something we started before winter break, as we held sign ups before we left. The music and choreo were finalized about a week before our first practice during break, and sent to Tech not long after. We aimed to hold seven practices, but only had six because I didn’t feel well enough to host one day. We had less people than Homecoming, only about 26 or so, but they picked up the dance quickly. While it was enjoyable and successful for our class, the biggest difficulty was getting people over break, as there were vacations to work around.
The window was the next competition we focused on, and it’s always one of my favorite competitions to do. That one was pretty painless, as we worked on it with general measurements we had from Homecoming, then took specific ones later and tweaked our design to fit. I am a little upset it didn’t stay up very long, but we would’ve had to take it down soon anyway. The shopping cart was the last competition we started, and it was actually much easier than last year, probably because we didn’t worry about any moving parts. We picked it up before winter break in case we had time to work on it early, but didn’t end up working on it until everyone came back from vacation. We used Emily’s truck to bring it to the school, and my mom’s car to take it back.
In the midst of it all, we were also working on coronation. Gracie and I typed up the initial voting lists, but she did most of the work on that. I worked on the basketballs and sashes, and made a quick list of the things I needed to say that night. I think it ran seamlessly, with Kade rolling out the carpet and us getting the crowd involved. I think I took a little too long, since the players started coming out of the team rooms, but it went well! Next on our list is to hopefully meet with Vasche and Yonan, as well as Morty to talk about the grad trip, senior gift, and graduation.
Standing Committee: We did have yard signs to do for Winterfest, and the senior officers did so all but one day of that spirit week, because we were setting up the window competition on Wednesday. We asked ASB to help us on Wednesday, which they did, and we put them away later that afternoon. We’ve given up on finding a container for the signs and have instead decided to build one with the help of Mr. Mortensen. After we take all our measurements, we’ll fill out a PO for wood and materials, take a trip to Home Depot, and help him build the container.
Special Committee: I’m in charge of Gallery of the Arts with Gia and Sofia, and we did start working in the midst of Winterfest. We began looking at possible prize options and talked to Bowers and Felver about what to expect for the year. We’ll be having the same art mediums and set up with Bowers, where he establishes the layout of the art hanging and we’re the labor to put it up. Felver also told us he has a guest speaker secured, and the schedule of the night will be relatively the same. We hope to set up a QR code for donations, if we can manage. We’ve started the procedure form and are going to utilize the people who want to help like Gabby and Jaydin, who offered to make posters for publicity. I was also tasked with replenishing butcher paper, partially because we need a lot of black for Gallery and white for the new Winterfest competition. Since Spencer is technically my trainee, I talked to him about what that entailed, filled out the paperwork, and ordered the paper with Morty. The hope is that we have enough black paper if the order doesn't come in time for Gallery, but I believe we will.
Mentorship Evaluation: While Allie and I didn’t have the chance to go to lunch during Winterfest, with our various meetings and being unable to find a good day among our schedules, we did have a chance to plan lunch with Katie and Gracie the week after! Katie ended up having an appointment, but the three of us still went to Coffeehouse together. We talked about random things like college applications and senior year, but mainly elections and how everything could unfold next year. I’m glad we went to lunch because Allie is really nice and honest, and it helped me become more comfortable with her.
Concerns: My biggest concern as of recently is the lack of taking responsibility and holding ourselves accountable. While it mainly pertains to Winterfest, I also mean in general about wasting time and not prioritizing what needs to be done. Everyone likes to complain about situations they created for themselves, and blame it on everyone but themselves. Not only does it become annoying, but it shows an inability to problem solve or think for yourself. It’s a bad habit and needs to stop.
Positive Comment: One of my positive comments goes to Gracie. She’s my ride or die and spent every possible moment with me during Winterfest to help shoulder the workload. She always keeps everyone around her laughing, especially me, and I really appreciate the consideration she holds for others. I’d also like to recognize Gia, who I always saw working hard, even as she got a little sick. During the morning of the window competition especially, she just kept working even as some of her classmates stood around doing nothing, even though she sounded like she just rose from the dead. She has amazing dedication to everything she does.
Change: I know that we’re doing a fundraiser soon, and that we already touched on this during class, but one change we can make in the program is to try and do more community service. We don’t necessarily have to require everyone to do it on an individual level, if we could find some way to do it as a class. For instance, volunteering at the recycling center is a way to both give back to the community and make money, but I know other groups on campus tend to reserve certain dates too.
My Impact: I think I set a good example for people, when it comes to prioritizing the work in my life and showing outward love for others, but I need to work on trusting others so they can trust themselves. If I do everything for someone, I’m smothering them with my helicopter-ness, and it doesn’t do them any favors. I’m not giving them the chance to fail and learn from their mistakes, simply for the sake of efficiency. It’s not fair to anyone, and it’s something I can improve on.
Senior Class President
06 February 2023
Position Assessment: During January, we tried to set up a formal meeting with Vasche to discuss our responsibilities for the Disneyland trip, but since she’s no longer leading that, we have to wait until she talks to the teacher taking over, Mr. Yonan. However, in our talk with her she did tell us our main role is to buy breakfast in the morning and bring it to school, which is very manageable. Our biggest priority in January, and the months leading up to it, was Winterfest. As an officer team, we held a couple preliminary meetings with Morty so we were more aware of our responsibilities, and it was very helpful to finalize the competitions in the week as well. We talked to our fashion show teachers a couple times before break about their roles, and I sent them an email as well. I also filled out all the announcements of dress up days before we left so I wouldn’t have to worry about it when we got back from break.
When it came to competitions, the bleacher poster was the biggest, quite literally, but we didn’t start painting it until winter break because we didn’t have any outrageous plans. One of our officers was grounded and unable to visit and help as much during Winterfest, but we managed to finish the poster with the rest of the officer team. It did take several days because we could only roll out half of the poster at a time, but in my professional opinion, it was a perfectly manageable task for each class. Even if the classes didn’t have the space to complete it all at once, gridding it immediately and working on it foot by foot definitely would've worked considering the amount of time we had the paper for. The dance was something we started before winter break, as we held sign ups before we left. The music and choreo were finalized about a week before our first practice during break, and sent to Tech not long after. We aimed to hold seven practices, but only had six because I didn’t feel well enough to host one day. We had less people than Homecoming, only about 26 or so, but they picked up the dance quickly. While it was enjoyable and successful for our class, the biggest difficulty was getting people over break, as there were vacations to work around.
The window was the next competition we focused on, and it’s always one of my favorite competitions to do. That one was pretty painless, as we worked on it with general measurements we had from Homecoming, then took specific ones later and tweaked our design to fit. I am a little upset it didn’t stay up very long, but we would’ve had to take it down soon anyway. The shopping cart was the last competition we started, and it was actually much easier than last year, probably because we didn’t worry about any moving parts. We picked it up before winter break in case we had time to work on it early, but didn’t end up working on it until everyone came back from vacation. We used Emily’s truck to bring it to the school, and my mom’s car to take it back.
In the midst of it all, we were also working on coronation. Gracie and I typed up the initial voting lists, but she did most of the work on that. I worked on the basketballs and sashes, and made a quick list of the things I needed to say that night. I think it ran seamlessly, with Kade rolling out the carpet and us getting the crowd involved. I think I took a little too long, since the players started coming out of the team rooms, but it went well! Next on our list is to hopefully meet with Vasche and Yonan, as well as Morty to talk about the grad trip, senior gift, and graduation.
Standing Committee: We did have yard signs to do for Winterfest, and the senior officers did so all but one day of that spirit week, because we were setting up the window competition on Wednesday. We asked ASB to help us on Wednesday, which they did, and we put them away later that afternoon. We’ve given up on finding a container for the signs and have instead decided to build one with the help of Mr. Mortensen. After we take all our measurements, we’ll fill out a PO for wood and materials, take a trip to Home Depot, and help him build the container.
Special Committee: I’m in charge of Gallery of the Arts with Gia and Sofia, and we did start working in the midst of Winterfest. We began looking at possible prize options and talked to Bowers and Felver about what to expect for the year. We’ll be having the same art mediums and set up with Bowers, where he establishes the layout of the art hanging and we’re the labor to put it up. Felver also told us he has a guest speaker secured, and the schedule of the night will be relatively the same. We hope to set up a QR code for donations, if we can manage. We’ve started the procedure form and are going to utilize the people who want to help like Gabby and Jaydin, who offered to make posters for publicity. I was also tasked with replenishing butcher paper, partially because we need a lot of black for Gallery and white for the new Winterfest competition. Since Spencer is technically my trainee, I talked to him about what that entailed, filled out the paperwork, and ordered the paper with Morty. The hope is that we have enough black paper if the order doesn't come in time for Gallery, but I believe we will.
Mentorship Evaluation: While Allie and I didn’t have the chance to go to lunch during Winterfest, with our various meetings and being unable to find a good day among our schedules, we did have a chance to plan lunch with Katie and Gracie the week after! Katie ended up having an appointment, but the three of us still went to Coffeehouse together. We talked about random things like college applications and senior year, but mainly elections and how everything could unfold next year. I’m glad we went to lunch because Allie is really nice and honest, and it helped me become more comfortable with her.
Concerns: My biggest concern as of recently is the lack of taking responsibility and holding ourselves accountable. While it mainly pertains to Winterfest, I also mean in general about wasting time and not prioritizing what needs to be done. Everyone likes to complain about situations they created for themselves, and blame it on everyone but themselves. Not only does it become annoying, but it shows an inability to problem solve or think for yourself. It’s a bad habit and needs to stop.
Positive Comment: One of my positive comments goes to Gracie. She’s my ride or die and spent every possible moment with me during Winterfest to help shoulder the workload. She always keeps everyone around her laughing, especially me, and I really appreciate the consideration she holds for others. I’d also like to recognize Gia, who I always saw working hard, even as she got a little sick. During the morning of the window competition especially, she just kept working even as some of her classmates stood around doing nothing, even though she sounded like she just rose from the dead. She has amazing dedication to everything she does.
Change: I know that we’re doing a fundraiser soon, and that we already touched on this during class, but one change we can make in the program is to try and do more community service. We don’t necessarily have to require everyone to do it on an individual level, if we could find some way to do it as a class. For instance, volunteering at the recycling center is a way to both give back to the community and make money, but I know other groups on campus tend to reserve certain dates too.
My Impact: I think I set a good example for people, when it comes to prioritizing the work in my life and showing outward love for others, but I need to work on trusting others so they can trust themselves. If I do everything for someone, I’m smothering them with my helicopter-ness, and it doesn’t do them any favors. I’m not giving them the chance to fail and learn from their mistakes, simply for the sake of efficiency. It’s not fair to anyone, and it’s something I can improve on.
March - The Challenge
April Yan
Senior Class President
06 March 2023
1. What committee(s) have you been placed on, explain them, what is your role?
I joined the Gift to the Community committee, which is focusing on giving back to our elementary schools through writing letters to the eighth graders. These are supposed to be letters of advice going into high school, to help them make the transition. Everyone in Leadership is required to write several letters, but it’ll fall on the shoulders of the committee to fill in the gaps, as the numbers don’t work out proportionally and there will be about fifty more kids to write to I believe. I will be writing a few additional letters, or as many as Mina needs me to, as well as helping him and Jaydin fold them up, envelope them, and deliver them if necessary, as I do have an opt out in the morning. I also joined the Staff Committee but with no specific job at this time, just as an extra set of hands/labor if they need it during the spirit week.
2. What did you contribute during the week to the committee work and presentation for next week?
Since I was sick, I made sure to check in with the committee leaders of my chosen group when I got back to school. I was debriefed on my responsibilities and brought up concerns I had, which were quickly addressed by Mina. Because I wanted to join another committee, I offered my help to the student group, as it’s always the largest amount of brunt work, but was reassured they had it covered. I decided instead to join the staff committee, as there were not many people signed up for it. While I was told all the paperwork was done and everything was taken care of for now, I thought my labor could be useful in the future. As for the presentation, Mia and I shared the last slide covering overall costs throughout the event, and we worked together to break it down not only by days (teachers, staff, students, community), but also by fund allocation (decor, food, etc.).
3. What will you be in charge of the week of the challenge?
I’m not a lead for any project, but I will be in charge of delivering letters to at least one elementary school for the community committee, and perhaps helping them put all the letters in envelopes. Which school has yet to be determined, but my first period opt out is going to be utilized. I will also be working a shift handling the popcorn and/or the snow cone machine during the night of the dance. A schedule has already been created by the committee leader, and she’ll push it out as we get closer to the date. My role in helping the staff committee is mostly labor related, and I’m just at their beck and call if they need help.
4. What are some pros that you saw during this week while planning and executing various items?
People had wonderful communication, getting up to talk to their leaders and working together to find decorations and fill out POs. I think we’re doing a great job working as a team, and especially outside of our normal groups. The Challenge committees aren’t necessarily composed of people we would normally work with, and I think that is creating stronger bonds within the class, and strengthening our connections.
5. What are some cons that you saw during this week while planning and executing various items?
I will say that while communication was wonderful, it was almost too wonderful. Just like every other time, people could sometimes get a little loud and rowdy, which disturbs those who are concentrating, whether it’s on their ASB reports, filling out POs, or writing their letters. I would also say a few people tended to get easily distracted, but that’s almost to be expected from some people during work days.
6. What will you be speaking about in the formal presentation?
In the formal presentation, I’m speaking on the overall cost of the event with Mia. We’ll be presenting the allocation of our funds, referencing the totals that each committee has racked up and the areas that the money is going to. I think I’d like to add a pi chart for fun, and to give the class a better idea of where the money is going. This will be sorted into categories like food, decor, etc.
7. What is your overall opinion of the event idea?
I like the revamp of the theme. I think it suits what we want to add to the dance (like the food truck and more games) and I think it gives us a nice little change. It’s going to allow us to expand on a lot of fronts, and I believe the student body will react positively to it. I also love that we’re making the gifts a little more personal, like with handwritten notes to teachers and the letters to connect to our eighth graders. The foundation of the event is the same, but I think what we’re building on will only make it greater.
8. Do you believe this class will be successful in planning and executing this event?
I think the class will be successful in planning it, but I’m a little nervous about execution. Just in considering last year, and personally experiencing a last minute Savemart run, something is bound to go wrong. I have full faith that Makenzie will do everything in her power to make sure that doesn’t happen, or to fix any issue that comes her way, but I can’t help but get this sick feeling in my gut that something is going to happen whether we like it or not. However, I do think that if we maintain good communication, we’ll execute this event successfully, only because there’s no way we can achieve perfection.
9. What should be done to peers in the class that do not fulfill their jobs?
If people don’t fulfill their jobs, that needs to be reflected in their evals. If there was enough time, I’d suggest a disciplinary conversation with Morty, but I don’t think we can fit that in with everything else going on this time of year. If they’re not doing their jobs, it’s not like we can take away responsibilities, because they’re not doing them in the first place. It really just has to reflect in their grades. Public shaming, while starting to become appealing as time goes on and behaviors don’t change, won’t actually fix anything. People just need to prioritize what they’re doing.
10. What is your favorite aspect of this event? What are you most excited for?
My favorite aspect of this event is the variety that it holds. From different carnival games, to the letters for teachers and eighth graders, to the new decor and food, I think this Challenge has the opportunity to be big, fun, and festive, which is exactly how the year should be ending. I also like that we’re adding something to give back to our community outside of Ripon High, which I can’t recall us doing last year. One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is the new theme. I think a carnival could be really fun at the dance, with all the games it allows us to do and decorations we can have. I’m also really excited for the food catering because it’s a new addition and I do love tacos.
Senior Class President
06 March 2023
1. What committee(s) have you been placed on, explain them, what is your role?
I joined the Gift to the Community committee, which is focusing on giving back to our elementary schools through writing letters to the eighth graders. These are supposed to be letters of advice going into high school, to help them make the transition. Everyone in Leadership is required to write several letters, but it’ll fall on the shoulders of the committee to fill in the gaps, as the numbers don’t work out proportionally and there will be about fifty more kids to write to I believe. I will be writing a few additional letters, or as many as Mina needs me to, as well as helping him and Jaydin fold them up, envelope them, and deliver them if necessary, as I do have an opt out in the morning. I also joined the Staff Committee but with no specific job at this time, just as an extra set of hands/labor if they need it during the spirit week.
2. What did you contribute during the week to the committee work and presentation for next week?
Since I was sick, I made sure to check in with the committee leaders of my chosen group when I got back to school. I was debriefed on my responsibilities and brought up concerns I had, which were quickly addressed by Mina. Because I wanted to join another committee, I offered my help to the student group, as it’s always the largest amount of brunt work, but was reassured they had it covered. I decided instead to join the staff committee, as there were not many people signed up for it. While I was told all the paperwork was done and everything was taken care of for now, I thought my labor could be useful in the future. As for the presentation, Mia and I shared the last slide covering overall costs throughout the event, and we worked together to break it down not only by days (teachers, staff, students, community), but also by fund allocation (decor, food, etc.).
3. What will you be in charge of the week of the challenge?
I’m not a lead for any project, but I will be in charge of delivering letters to at least one elementary school for the community committee, and perhaps helping them put all the letters in envelopes. Which school has yet to be determined, but my first period opt out is going to be utilized. I will also be working a shift handling the popcorn and/or the snow cone machine during the night of the dance. A schedule has already been created by the committee leader, and she’ll push it out as we get closer to the date. My role in helping the staff committee is mostly labor related, and I’m just at their beck and call if they need help.
4. What are some pros that you saw during this week while planning and executing various items?
People had wonderful communication, getting up to talk to their leaders and working together to find decorations and fill out POs. I think we’re doing a great job working as a team, and especially outside of our normal groups. The Challenge committees aren’t necessarily composed of people we would normally work with, and I think that is creating stronger bonds within the class, and strengthening our connections.
5. What are some cons that you saw during this week while planning and executing various items?
I will say that while communication was wonderful, it was almost too wonderful. Just like every other time, people could sometimes get a little loud and rowdy, which disturbs those who are concentrating, whether it’s on their ASB reports, filling out POs, or writing their letters. I would also say a few people tended to get easily distracted, but that’s almost to be expected from some people during work days.
6. What will you be speaking about in the formal presentation?
In the formal presentation, I’m speaking on the overall cost of the event with Mia. We’ll be presenting the allocation of our funds, referencing the totals that each committee has racked up and the areas that the money is going to. I think I’d like to add a pi chart for fun, and to give the class a better idea of where the money is going. This will be sorted into categories like food, decor, etc.
7. What is your overall opinion of the event idea?
I like the revamp of the theme. I think it suits what we want to add to the dance (like the food truck and more games) and I think it gives us a nice little change. It’s going to allow us to expand on a lot of fronts, and I believe the student body will react positively to it. I also love that we’re making the gifts a little more personal, like with handwritten notes to teachers and the letters to connect to our eighth graders. The foundation of the event is the same, but I think what we’re building on will only make it greater.
8. Do you believe this class will be successful in planning and executing this event?
I think the class will be successful in planning it, but I’m a little nervous about execution. Just in considering last year, and personally experiencing a last minute Savemart run, something is bound to go wrong. I have full faith that Makenzie will do everything in her power to make sure that doesn’t happen, or to fix any issue that comes her way, but I can’t help but get this sick feeling in my gut that something is going to happen whether we like it or not. However, I do think that if we maintain good communication, we’ll execute this event successfully, only because there’s no way we can achieve perfection.
9. What should be done to peers in the class that do not fulfill their jobs?
If people don’t fulfill their jobs, that needs to be reflected in their evals. If there was enough time, I’d suggest a disciplinary conversation with Morty, but I don’t think we can fit that in with everything else going on this time of year. If they’re not doing their jobs, it’s not like we can take away responsibilities, because they’re not doing them in the first place. It really just has to reflect in their grades. Public shaming, while starting to become appealing as time goes on and behaviors don’t change, won’t actually fix anything. People just need to prioritize what they’re doing.
10. What is your favorite aspect of this event? What are you most excited for?
My favorite aspect of this event is the variety that it holds. From different carnival games, to the letters for teachers and eighth graders, to the new decor and food, I think this Challenge has the opportunity to be big, fun, and festive, which is exactly how the year should be ending. I also like that we’re adding something to give back to our community outside of Ripon High, which I can’t recall us doing last year. One of the things I’m looking forward to the most is the new theme. I think a carnival could be really fun at the dance, with all the games it allows us to do and decorations we can have. I’m also really excited for the food catering because it’s a new addition and I do love tacos.
April & May
April Yan
Senior Class President
08 May 2023
Position Assessment: In the month of April, one of the biggest things I was able to do was order the senior gift, which was the signs for the front of the school. I’m so glad that’s over, because working with that finicky site was so unfortunate. Periodically throughout the month, I worked with my dad and Gracie to measure and cut the wood, as well as paint the wood panels for the other part of our senior gift, the boxes. We haven’t been able to assemble either of the two boxes, but we’ll finally have the time to do it this weekend, so hopefully we can get at least one box done by Monday. I promise, Morty, it will get done before I graduate! I also presented at the April board meeting to talk about math tutoring. It was vaguely nerve wracking, and I did face some loving Morty backlash for the small rips in my jeans, but I swear I was told it was okay to wear by the person in charge of our presentation! I should’ve known better, but I was already wearing those from school…oops. Other than that, I handed out College Reveal invites during my opt out, with help from Kenz, Gracie, and Morty, and that was a lot of fun. My hands smelled like latex, but seeing all the balloons on campus throughout the day was nice, and I think it’s an idea we should continue every year.
I also arranged a meeting with Sylvia Ochoa to talk about Baccalaureate, which was helpful to get straight to the source and find out what was expected of me. I was surprised to hear that I was running the event, as I didn’t even know that was the case until said meeting, but it’s not anything super difficult, just mildly surprising. I contacted all the speakers and students involved in the event so they knew about rehearsal times and expectations, and have already reviewed the peer reflection. I haven’t seen the staff reflection yet, but I have full faith that Francis doesn’t need me to look over his speech. I was able to fill in all the necessary names and information on the brochure, so that should be ready for Sober Grad to print. I also have some social media ready to push out when it gets closer to the actual date, and the RSVP date. Around this time, I also personally asked our four chosen teachers to be name readers at Graduation, which was Burton, Francis, Felver, and Brown. They all said yes and I didn’t realize it was such an honor, but I know we chose well for our class dynamic. I also reminded Vasche and Rangel about their commitment to reading names and colleges at College Reveal, and they both assured me that they would be there. Kenz has taken the lead on the event after it passed from my hands to the juniors and back, handling the procedure form and whatnot, but I’ve been making and pushing out social media on the class account, and will be helping to set up.
For the banquet, the senior officers and I worked to figure out what we wanted to order for our advisor gifts. We decided on a puzzle and thermos for Vasche, that we might add Red Bull to, and a Lord of the Rings poster and figurine paint for Yonan, which we could also add some candy to. Another part of our gift is going to be a framed picture, so we’re voting on our overall favorite for me to print and frame. I’m halfway done with my speech, but it won’t take me too long to finish it up. We also worked on what songs we wanted our class to vote on for the graduation procession. We did make one of the options a Taylor Swift song, as is usual for us and our class, but it was the One Republic song that ended up winning. I’ve been making and pushing out a billion social media posts for everything under the sun, from announcing the class song, to the Disneyland sign ups, and College Reveal reminders. When it came to Disneyland sign ups, I was filling out bus preferences on both days, and at the end of lunch on Thursday, I sorted through all of them to even out the amount of people on each bus. It worked out with only a few people not getting their first or second option, which was pretty solid. We also only had seven or so students not pick their preferences, and they’ll just get placed on one of the more empty buses.
As the year comes to an end, there will be events like the Challenge, Senior Yearbook Distribution, and Senior Sunset to work on. For the Challenge, I’m not directly in charge of anything, so I’m just helping within my special committee, and as necessary outside of it. For Senior Yearbook Distribution, the officer team and I have been working with Ochoa to figure out what we plan to give the seniors. We already ordered the complimentary sharpies for those receiving a yearbook, but also want to incorporate a food component to the event. We're deciding between ordering cookies or providing popsicles, but are leaning toward doing the latter because we don’t want to worry about someone picking it up. For as much as we shouldn’t, we’ll probably just buy the popsicles out of pocket because it makes everything easier. We also want to add music to the event, and encourage seniors to sign each other’s yearbooks on the lawn at the amphitheater. We would encourage them to bring blankets to spread out, but I’ll have to see if that’s a feasible idea. I’ve prepped social media to push out for this event, but I’m waiting until other events have passed so the posts don’t get lost in people’s feeds.
Last but not least, I do have my written farewells ready to go. I need to print my picture component to give to everyone, but the letters themselves are done, and I just need to reread all of them to make sure they cover everything I need them to. I’ll have to ask if everyone is required to make a video, or if we’re making them together, but I’m mentally preparing myself to cry my eyes out!
Standing Committee: I already talked about ordering signs for next year, and the construction of the box, but another recent responsibility of the signs committee was putting them up for senior celebration week. We didn’t do the first day, since that was ditch day, but we did do every other day. I didn’t receive good attendance from my officers in putting them up in the morning, but I’m hoping that will change with our future events, like College Reveal and the summer kickoff.
Special Committee: For the Challenge, I was part of Mina’s letter writing committee, and haven’t had any other work since writing my letters and turning them in. I did offer to help him put them in envelopes, but he assured me that he had it under control. I don’t think I’m officially on the CADA special committee, but I did help Gracie cut papers and stuff bags inside and outside of class, and we worked on our joint presentation for the actual event. I think it went pretty well, and the kids liked the games we incorporated. I’m also not technically on Kade’s pipe committee, but I did spend a day cutting some material with him because I didn’t want to work on my ASB Report at the time!
Mentorship Evaluation: Allie and I haven’t been able to hang out much, because we don’t have a lot of free time overlap with me being busy and her being gone, but we’ve had a few check in conversations during class. I appreciate that she’s always open when we do get the chance to talk, and I hope to remedy our minimal contact in the last few weeks of school. With her being a senior officer next year, and me going to the school she hopes to attend in the future, there’s a lot to talk about!
Concerns: I get that it’s the last few weeks of school, but the total decline in drive and willingness to fulfill responsibilities is pathetic. I’d like to say it’s disappointing, but it’s actually fully expected, especially from the people I’m seeing it from. I just don’t understand why you would choose to join a program that is forthcoming about the amount of work it entails, then refuse to put forth the required work, and complain every step of the way. I’m just concerned at the fact that the amount of people this applies to only continues to increase, because the energy in the room is reflecting it.
Positive Comment: I want to applaud Gracie for her overwhelming amount of work on CADA, from the menial tasks to presenting with me at the event. She has absolutely killed it, with some mumbles and grumbles along the way that are just part of her hilarious personality. She is constantly filling in the holes people leave with their carelessness and irresponsibility, and she’s an amazing presenter. She really got the middle schoolers under control better than I ever could’ve, and I’m so proud of her for the fact that she’s still standing.
Change: This might be toxic and unnecessary, but I think we need to be harsher with enforcing consequences on people not doing their work. It’s just so upsetting to see the same people make up for the constant lack of commitment from others in the room without the slackers receiving anything other than a slap on the wrist. Other than evals, there’s really no way for this to reflect in their grades, and generally those are too far apart to encourage a change. But if there was another gradebook category, like an eval but on a weekly basis, that might push some to follow through on their responsibilities. It's probably a grading nightmare, but just a thought.
My Impact: This is such a small thing, but as the seniors were signing up for their buses on the Disneyland trip, some of them would start to give me their name because they didn’t expect me to know it. When I kindly interrupted them by saying I knew their name, they seemed surprised but touched, and I think it just shows how a little kindness and consideration goes a long way. Knowing someone’s name is just a great way to help them feel seen, and at this point in my high school career, with such a small class, I actually do know most seniors' names!
Senior Class President
08 May 2023
Position Assessment: In the month of April, one of the biggest things I was able to do was order the senior gift, which was the signs for the front of the school. I’m so glad that’s over, because working with that finicky site was so unfortunate. Periodically throughout the month, I worked with my dad and Gracie to measure and cut the wood, as well as paint the wood panels for the other part of our senior gift, the boxes. We haven’t been able to assemble either of the two boxes, but we’ll finally have the time to do it this weekend, so hopefully we can get at least one box done by Monday. I promise, Morty, it will get done before I graduate! I also presented at the April board meeting to talk about math tutoring. It was vaguely nerve wracking, and I did face some loving Morty backlash for the small rips in my jeans, but I swear I was told it was okay to wear by the person in charge of our presentation! I should’ve known better, but I was already wearing those from school…oops. Other than that, I handed out College Reveal invites during my opt out, with help from Kenz, Gracie, and Morty, and that was a lot of fun. My hands smelled like latex, but seeing all the balloons on campus throughout the day was nice, and I think it’s an idea we should continue every year.
I also arranged a meeting with Sylvia Ochoa to talk about Baccalaureate, which was helpful to get straight to the source and find out what was expected of me. I was surprised to hear that I was running the event, as I didn’t even know that was the case until said meeting, but it’s not anything super difficult, just mildly surprising. I contacted all the speakers and students involved in the event so they knew about rehearsal times and expectations, and have already reviewed the peer reflection. I haven’t seen the staff reflection yet, but I have full faith that Francis doesn’t need me to look over his speech. I was able to fill in all the necessary names and information on the brochure, so that should be ready for Sober Grad to print. I also have some social media ready to push out when it gets closer to the actual date, and the RSVP date. Around this time, I also personally asked our four chosen teachers to be name readers at Graduation, which was Burton, Francis, Felver, and Brown. They all said yes and I didn’t realize it was such an honor, but I know we chose well for our class dynamic. I also reminded Vasche and Rangel about their commitment to reading names and colleges at College Reveal, and they both assured me that they would be there. Kenz has taken the lead on the event after it passed from my hands to the juniors and back, handling the procedure form and whatnot, but I’ve been making and pushing out social media on the class account, and will be helping to set up.
For the banquet, the senior officers and I worked to figure out what we wanted to order for our advisor gifts. We decided on a puzzle and thermos for Vasche, that we might add Red Bull to, and a Lord of the Rings poster and figurine paint for Yonan, which we could also add some candy to. Another part of our gift is going to be a framed picture, so we’re voting on our overall favorite for me to print and frame. I’m halfway done with my speech, but it won’t take me too long to finish it up. We also worked on what songs we wanted our class to vote on for the graduation procession. We did make one of the options a Taylor Swift song, as is usual for us and our class, but it was the One Republic song that ended up winning. I’ve been making and pushing out a billion social media posts for everything under the sun, from announcing the class song, to the Disneyland sign ups, and College Reveal reminders. When it came to Disneyland sign ups, I was filling out bus preferences on both days, and at the end of lunch on Thursday, I sorted through all of them to even out the amount of people on each bus. It worked out with only a few people not getting their first or second option, which was pretty solid. We also only had seven or so students not pick their preferences, and they’ll just get placed on one of the more empty buses.
As the year comes to an end, there will be events like the Challenge, Senior Yearbook Distribution, and Senior Sunset to work on. For the Challenge, I’m not directly in charge of anything, so I’m just helping within my special committee, and as necessary outside of it. For Senior Yearbook Distribution, the officer team and I have been working with Ochoa to figure out what we plan to give the seniors. We already ordered the complimentary sharpies for those receiving a yearbook, but also want to incorporate a food component to the event. We're deciding between ordering cookies or providing popsicles, but are leaning toward doing the latter because we don’t want to worry about someone picking it up. For as much as we shouldn’t, we’ll probably just buy the popsicles out of pocket because it makes everything easier. We also want to add music to the event, and encourage seniors to sign each other’s yearbooks on the lawn at the amphitheater. We would encourage them to bring blankets to spread out, but I’ll have to see if that’s a feasible idea. I’ve prepped social media to push out for this event, but I’m waiting until other events have passed so the posts don’t get lost in people’s feeds.
Last but not least, I do have my written farewells ready to go. I need to print my picture component to give to everyone, but the letters themselves are done, and I just need to reread all of them to make sure they cover everything I need them to. I’ll have to ask if everyone is required to make a video, or if we’re making them together, but I’m mentally preparing myself to cry my eyes out!
Standing Committee: I already talked about ordering signs for next year, and the construction of the box, but another recent responsibility of the signs committee was putting them up for senior celebration week. We didn’t do the first day, since that was ditch day, but we did do every other day. I didn’t receive good attendance from my officers in putting them up in the morning, but I’m hoping that will change with our future events, like College Reveal and the summer kickoff.
Special Committee: For the Challenge, I was part of Mina’s letter writing committee, and haven’t had any other work since writing my letters and turning them in. I did offer to help him put them in envelopes, but he assured me that he had it under control. I don’t think I’m officially on the CADA special committee, but I did help Gracie cut papers and stuff bags inside and outside of class, and we worked on our joint presentation for the actual event. I think it went pretty well, and the kids liked the games we incorporated. I’m also not technically on Kade’s pipe committee, but I did spend a day cutting some material with him because I didn’t want to work on my ASB Report at the time!
Mentorship Evaluation: Allie and I haven’t been able to hang out much, because we don’t have a lot of free time overlap with me being busy and her being gone, but we’ve had a few check in conversations during class. I appreciate that she’s always open when we do get the chance to talk, and I hope to remedy our minimal contact in the last few weeks of school. With her being a senior officer next year, and me going to the school she hopes to attend in the future, there’s a lot to talk about!
Concerns: I get that it’s the last few weeks of school, but the total decline in drive and willingness to fulfill responsibilities is pathetic. I’d like to say it’s disappointing, but it’s actually fully expected, especially from the people I’m seeing it from. I just don’t understand why you would choose to join a program that is forthcoming about the amount of work it entails, then refuse to put forth the required work, and complain every step of the way. I’m just concerned at the fact that the amount of people this applies to only continues to increase, because the energy in the room is reflecting it.
Positive Comment: I want to applaud Gracie for her overwhelming amount of work on CADA, from the menial tasks to presenting with me at the event. She has absolutely killed it, with some mumbles and grumbles along the way that are just part of her hilarious personality. She is constantly filling in the holes people leave with their carelessness and irresponsibility, and she’s an amazing presenter. She really got the middle schoolers under control better than I ever could’ve, and I’m so proud of her for the fact that she’s still standing.
Change: This might be toxic and unnecessary, but I think we need to be harsher with enforcing consequences on people not doing their work. It’s just so upsetting to see the same people make up for the constant lack of commitment from others in the room without the slackers receiving anything other than a slap on the wrist. Other than evals, there’s really no way for this to reflect in their grades, and generally those are too far apart to encourage a change. But if there was another gradebook category, like an eval but on a weekly basis, that might push some to follow through on their responsibilities. It's probably a grading nightmare, but just a thought.
My Impact: This is such a small thing, but as the seniors were signing up for their buses on the Disneyland trip, some of them would start to give me their name because they didn’t expect me to know it. When I kindly interrupted them by saying I knew their name, they seemed surprised but touched, and I think it just shows how a little kindness and consideration goes a long way. Knowing someone’s name is just a great way to help them feel seen, and at this point in my high school career, with such a small class, I actually do know most seniors' names!