Every year, for a few weeks in April, the GMHS hallways are filled with slogans that attempt to be catchy, candidates that attempt to gain votes, and students who have absolutely no idea what’s going on. Personally this time period is one of stress, since every year, and hopefully for the next two, I belong in the candidates category. At least for my campaign, I’m only appealing to students in my own grade, because I can’t imagine what it would be like to try to get the attention of all the students in the school. The SCA plays a larger role in building a strong reputation for our student body than you may think, and it’s more than important to not only recognize its existence, but also to be aware of its dedication to the entire Mason community.
This year’s SCA drew the attention of the Virginia Student Councils Association (VSCA), and earned the VSCA Achievement Award, becoming one of 21 schools in the Commonwealth of Virginia to receive the prestigious award.
However, many may still ask, what is the SCA? What does it do? Why do we have one? Why should we care? Some students would be content without knowing the significance of our student council, and those same students probably don’t realize how much the student council is responsible for.
Remember the intensity of last October’s Spirit Week and Pep Rally, and Rebound Week and February’s Pep Rally? Yeah, the SCA organized that. Who organizes and sets up the Homecoming Dance, as well as helps to sort through some of the complications of graduation? That goes to the senior class officers. What about the Junior Senior Prom and the Fall JV Show? That’s something the junior class officers work on. Mr. and Ms. Mason? That’s yet another SCA responsibility, and it’s not just any responsibility, because while in the past funds went to the CFF, this year’s went to the AHA.
Not to mention the new activities that the SCA manages to come up with every year, especially when it comes to the Community Outreach Committee. With each school year, they get more creative with their community service projects. This year brought the second annual Share the (G)love Drive, and the first ever Halloween Hootenanny. Both proved to be successful, with Share the (G)love funds going towards local non-profit FACETS, and the Halloween Hootenanny raising money for AFAC.
It doesn’t stop there. And I don’t think the SCA’s momentum will be slowing down anytime soon. Wh
at students probably don’t know is that there is a constitution for the student council in existence, and there are currently two proposals being considered as amendments. Before spring break, members of the SCA voted on the proposals, and both have passed. Last year, the school was on the verge of a major change in the bell schedule. When Principal Tyrone Byrd presented the proposed schedule to members of the SCA, the officers immediately communicated with the students in order to gain feedback.
So you see, the SCA doesn’t just run fundraisers for charities or organize yearly activities for the school, they’re responsible for representing student voice and opinion, and making changes for the greater good of the student body. The student council is a powerful organization, and its continual growth depends on a close relationship with everyone in the Mason community.
