The Student Government Association (SGA) hosted its first school-wide event of the year, the Back-to-School Bash on Friday, Aug. 29. The event occurred during lunch, beginning in the Commons and transitioning to the portable fields. The event kicked off with performances from the marching band, Afroelites and poms. Afterward, students headed to the field for popsicles, music, sports and games.
The SGA’s Back-to-School Bash committee planned the event. They began event preparations about a week in advance, undertaking tasks such as reaching out to performance groups, procuring popsicles, creating a music playlist and setting up tables, sports and other activities. According to senior and SGA committee head Jilli Nalibotsky, the purpose of the event was to get students excited about entering a new year and to encourage them to show school spirit and pride.
Junior Edlawit Abebe has positive thoughts regarding the Bash’s success. Abebe recognized how SGA promoted buying students’ class shirts and how that added to the excitement and sense of school spirit. She also found the activities lively and engaging, as she appreciated the welcoming atmosphere created by SGA. “It was exciting for new students to feel included and know that the community genuinely cares about them,” Abebe said.
Before the event, there were issues with the anticipated attendance. Because the event was both during lunch and optional, SGA was unsure if an adequate number of students would take part in the event. “We were worried we wouldn’t have enough students attending, but we were able to manage the crowd well, leading everyone to the Commons and then to the field,” Nalibotsky said.
Abebe and sophomore Hannah Yuan also had suggestions to be considered for future events. Abebe said that she thought the timing of the event could be improved to ensure that more students can participate in all activities. Yuan said she enjoyed the performances, but believes they should have occurred in the same location to avoid people leaving after them. “I would have had the poms performances be at the same place the event was at, so more people were attracted to the event,” Yuan said.
In past years, SGA has hosted pep rallies on the first Friday of each school year in addition to the homecoming rally; however, the school’s administration team did not permit multiple pep rallies in the same season. Therefore, SGA pivoted to a more interactive event that would not interfere with class time or change the day’s schedule.
Overall, Nalibotsky said she was pleased with the outcome of the Bash. She said it benefited the freshmen the most by showing them what the school has to offer. “[Changing schools] is a big adjustment, especially for freshmen, so this was a way we could show new students a glimpse into the fun events we have planned for this year. I thought it was a great attendance turnout for our first event, and everyone there seemed to have a lot of fun,” Nalibotsky said.
