The scent of hot dogs and pizza wafted through Carlmont’s campus as students gathered to purchase Costco food court items during Scotsco, an Associated Student Body (ASB) fundraising event.
During lunch on Nov. 20, students gathered outside the ASB room to buy hot dogs, pizza, cookies, chicken bakes, and Capri Suns. This was one of many events ASB hosts to help fund future dances and assemblies.
“We wanted to bring our school community together before Thanksgiving and also fundraise money to host more events for the student body where we can give back,” said Asteris Ling, the sophomore class vice president.
The Class Officers Commission organized the event, and multiple other commissions helped with other tasks such as preparing food, collecting money, serving samples, and controlling the crowd.
ASB sold Capri Suns for $1, hot dogs and slices of pizza for $2 each, cookies for $3, and half a chicken bake for $5. Other than these food items, ASB members also walked around and handed out samples of snacks resembling samples that would be given out at Costco.
“We decided on the price to make it both accessible and also to help fundraise for future events,” Ling said.
Two seniors in ASB helped transport the bulk order from Costco to Carlmont and missed second period doing so.
“There is no catering with Costco. We just placed a bulk order of around 80 chicken bakes, 10 pizzas, 40 hot dogs, and 50 cookies,” said Charlie Wescott, one of the seniors responsible for bringing the food.
Leading up to the event, ASB advertised the event online via Instagram stories and posters around campus. These advertisements included the items and prices that were going to be sold.
Due to the nature of the fundraiser, ASB marked up the prices of items beyond their actual sale value, leading to student dissatisfaction.
“Charging students $5 for half a chicken bake, when Costco offers a whole one for $4, felt like a complete ripoff. Many people were misled to think they were paying for a full portion,” said Hean Ng, a senior at Carlmont.
Many students immediately went to the quad after lunch started, leading to immense lines of those eager to try the unique food sale. The school lunch line was shorter than usual due to the diversion in student traffic.
“The leaders of the event could have given our kitchen a little more time to prepare for the event. Our kitchen staff are impacted when there are other food options on campus,” said Gregg Patner, the administrative vice principal.
Students were provided a table next to the hot dog line to self-serve condiments. However, some still had concerns regarding the quality of the food.
“Although the food tasted exactly like it was supposed to, it was a little cold by the time they started selling it,” said sophomore Justin Ji.
ASB sold out of their items before lunch was even halfway over, resulting in many students being unable to purchase anything.
“We did sell out pretty quickly which is something we will definitely consider again next year,” Ling said.
While they recognized that the event could still be improved in the future, ASB saw this year’s Scotsco as a success. They were able to raise funds for school events while also bringing the school community together.
“Scotsco went really well despite some of the last-minute changes with the weather. It was inspiring to see so many people in ASB work together to put on an event that ultimately brightened the day of the student body,” Ling said.
