Senior class officers do their best in providing fun, safe and memorable events for not only the senior class but the entire school as well. However, one notion that many people fail to realize is difficult is the constant need for coordination with staff, students and vendors to keep everyone informed and involved.
One important task is keeping staff in the loop. Since staff are often unable to purchase items like Falcon Fizz and baked goods during lunch sales, the officers send out an electronic blast that notifies the entire staff, giving them the option to preorder their sales. This way, teachers do not miss the chance to engage in the fun, and support the class activities easily!
For students, staying updated is key. The senior class officers manage a senior class page under an instagram with the handle: whs_seniors_26 . This page is crucial for the senior class officers to post information about events that will reach students quickly, as they have found out over many years, students typically do not respond to their email as quickly. Jamie Jacksons, a senior shared her thoughts about the first senior class officer activities, “I think senior sunrise was my favorite event so far because it brought everyone together and was a nice start to school,” This year’s senior class page has already surpassed the amount of followers from last year’s page, proving that this accessible tool is being reached to a larger audience, a factor that could be leading to more engagement in class events.
One of the most crucial people the senior class officers have to coordinate with are the vendors who participate in supporting events, making sure everything is set and ready for student participation. One example of this from this year is Kawi Coffee, a coffee company that graciously parks one of their coffee trucks outside West in front of doors 14W once a month for student use. Vice President Lucy Bernick led the charge with Kawi Coffee to organize a time where they could sell before school to students and staff. Bernick states that one obstacle was that “ the only issue we’ve had is that with the harsh winter weather the coffee truck isn’t able to come due to the freezing temperature because of frozen pipes,” The senior class officers and Kawi coffee have to closely keep in touch with each other to coordinate and schedule which days they can come onto campus. This way, both the senior class officers and Kawi Coffee make the best use of their time, effort, and energy. A small interaction but a crucial step in efficiency. The senior class officers also reached out to Andy Snyder, a Mississippi fairgrounds event coordinator for their Haunted House. With this, the senior class officers were able to negotiate a 20% discount for West high students who brought their student ID’s to the haunted house.
While communication with all of these groups may appear easy, it can be a frustrating ordeal for big events that must keep all three groups in the loop. Events fundraisers with food companies like Chipotle and Jersey Mike’s require clear communication between all three parties. The senior class officers have to first request the company to host this fundraiser, then have to distribute the specific date, times, and location the fundraiser is happening to staff and students. Then, communication between students and those restaurant workers have to occur in order to get money from the fundraiser because students must say they are here for that specific fundraiser because the workers cannot assume they are. This constant back-and-forth makes food fundraisers one of the most complex but rewarding parts of a senior class officer’s duties.
Behind every successful event is a team of senior class officers juggling emails, social media updates, and vendor calls to keep the whole school connected. Their hard work often goes unnoticed, but it is clear that without their coordination, many of the fun moments for the entire school would not be possible.
