The SGA Spring Project is an annual week-long event. SGA uses it to promote connectivity throughout the community, whether it is between students, parents, or alumni. The theme this year was “Patriots Stay Connected,” and showcased the subcategories of culture, arts and athletics, future and environment.
SGA decided to make the project a month-long instead of a week as this allowed them to hyperfocus on each subcategory as each category would last a week instead of a day. They had an abundance of events in mind, extending the Spring Project and strengthening the community even more.
Culture week was March 3-7, with events like Cultural Wootton Feud, performances in the Commons and International Day. Arts and athletics week was March 10-14, exhibiting events like performances and popcorn, an art mural and an athletic drive, and their big event, Patriot Games. Future week spanned March 17-21, presenting Career Fair in the main gym, snack packs for “So What Else?” food pantry, and alumni lunch in the library. Lastly, Environment Week lasted March 24-28, featuring decorating birdhouses, Wootton Feud and clubs and planting flowers.
This month-long event helped maintain connections not only within the community but also with the alumni and parents. Senior and SGA co-president Ashi Stanislaus said that parents could get involved through the Career Fair. “Many alumni and parents came in to talk about their careers and education paths for future week, boasting career fields like healthcare and business,” Stanislaus said.
Patriot Games were highly anticipated, as it was a spin-off of a popular show, Squid Games, and SGA did a lot of promoting. Senior Argil Bilegsaikhan hopes the school can participate in more events like it. “Patriot Games was my favorite part of the Spring Project. Even though I didn’t win, it was fun participating in all the activities, and I think that so many people participating at once made it a really connecting and bonding experience,” Bilegsaikhan said.
Due to the size and time frame of the project, students said they thought this year’s project was more memorable than the last few. Senior Yael Zief said that since everything was spread out more and a whole week was dedicated to one category, there were more significant moments and she felt a lot more connected. “I enjoyed talking to many parents and adults about their careers, including jobs in the military, in healthcare, and in finance and management. It helped me with my consideration of career paths and what I want to do in college,” Zief said.
One of the events that directly improved the connections in the community was culture week, as dances, foods, and events were shared. This increased knowledge and awareness of cultures in the school.
Junior Yeshetila Tafa is Ethiopian and said he enjoyed seeing his culture and other cultures be represented at the fair. “I loved trying new foods from different cultures as well as watching K-pop and Afroelites dance,” Tafa said.
