Many are oblivious to the responsibilities and duties that the Associated Student Body (ASB) class presidents tackle.
Though Carlmont High School has closed due to safety measures, ASB continues to prepare for the next school year.
Their primary focus is to navigate through the interview process to figure out who will be in ASB next year. The most vital factor of the interview process is the fact that it is a face to face interaction to learn the characteristics of the applicant, while simultaneously evaluating whether they are the right fit for the commission.
Next year’s ASB President, junior Noah Camerino, explains the difficulties of using modern group communication platforms to determine how ASB will run next year.
“Obviously, we would love to meet everybody face to face, but health concerns come first. So, we’re trying different video call platforms like Zoom and Google Hangout,” Camerino said.
Another difficulty is that, as students progress further into high school, they become less enthusiastic about participating in school activities, specifically those set up by ASB. In turn, Jono Sison, next year’s junior class president, must work harder to ensure the turnout of students.
Specifically, concerning Sison and his partner, Vice President Nathaniel Hsich, the junior year comes with several activities and school work that severely restrains students’ time.
Our responsibility is to ensure our Associated Student Body is by the students and for the students — Noah Camerino
“In sophomore and especially freshman year, kids are eager to be involved in as many activities as possible. As we make our way into junior year, several students no longer feel the need to attend these events that we plan, which makes the job of being a class officer even harder,” Sison said.
Solutions to this problem are exemplified by Nicole Miranda, next year’s sophomore vice president, who wants to work closely with the student body.
“I know if the future sophomore president, Max Vano, and I work hard enough to publicize well and spread the word by talking to my classmates, more students will participate in school activities,” Miranda said.
In reality, a large number of students participate in ASB activities due to the current ASB members’ hard work. From Homecoming to assemblies to Valentine’s Day activities, students love to get involved. Jim Kelly, the ASB supervisor and activities director, clarifies that the statistics show a large percent of the student body participate in events, meaning hundreds of kids get involved.
“When you look at the numbers, the ASB activities range from 20% to 60% of the school population. 20% participation means there will be close to 500 people involved. Is it everyone? No, but it will never be 100%. I’m very pleased with the effort this year’s class officers have made,” Kelly said.
However, class leaders will always strive to gain more participation from the students of Carlmont. For example, Camerino also wants to offer different groups, including clubs and other small organizations of students, a chance for more recognition from ASB and other students.
The leaders of our class and ASB have a full plate in front of them. However, they are fully capable of handling the responsibilities of preparation for the upcoming year.
