The Associated Student Body (ASB) at Carlmont has lots of responsibilities for fostering school spirit, but the reality is even more complex than it appears at first glance.
ASB organizes many events throughout the year to encourage students to have fun and distract from the stress of school. Each requires careful planning, the inclusion of many commissions, and time.
“It involves years of cultural development both within ASB and the school community itself. With that in place, it usually takes about two to three months of planning for an activity or event to happen,” said Jim Kelly, the Activities Director for ASB.
The workload of a student leader is heavy, and it takes a lot of effort to work on behalf of the student body. Ultimately, the rewards of having people’s dependence outweigh the various obstacles encountered on the job.
“My favorite part about student government is being trusted by students to vocalize their requests. By electing me, it means that they have confidence in my judgment when it comes to certain decisions that ASB makes,” said Jono Sison, ASB president.
Many students agree that school leadership is essential to a successful community. Each grade has elected officers, so everyone has a chance to vote on who will represent their class.
It is important to ensure that the people within ASB feel a part of something and enjoy their jobs. Otherwise, they won’t put forth their best effort.
— Jon0 Sison
Carlmont ASB’s mission, to maintain a spirited community and keep students engaged, and vision, to unite the school and leave everyone smiling, laughing, and involved, best represent its primary goal.
“Our biggest challenge is trying to live up to our mission and vision. In this day and age of social media and online entertainment, it’s always a challenge to compete with that. Especially this year, students crave personal interaction and activities that allow them to be social and have fun,” Kelly said.
Morale was at an all-time low during distance learning, so returning to school caused ASB to work especially hard in raising school spirit. Although student government can be challenging and stressful at times, it’s worth it in the end.
Elizabeth Cruz, the freshman class vice president, recounts her first impressions of student government.
“ASB led our freshman orientation, and it was really cool. I liked the energy that they had and what they created; it made me want to be a part of it,” Cruz said.
Beneath the surface of the student body, there are many different positions a student could obtain when joining ASB.
Emi Suzuki, one of the three Publicity Commissioners, describes her job.
“We publicize all the events that happen at school, such as homecoming, football games, and spirit activities. My favorite part is the great group of people and how everyone lifts each other up,” Suzuki said.
Despite the wide variety of functions and positions in student government, everyone shares one main objective.
“It’s amazing when different kinds of people who all have the same goal of raising school spirit come together in one place,” Sison said. “Everyone feels safe and welcome regardless of who they are.”
