By Lana Hy
Staff Writer
This school year, Gabrielino High School has implemented three main programs to motivate students to share their voices and become more active on campus. The programs are School Site Council (SSC) and class council, as well as Student Senate, which is new to Gabrielino.
Last Friday, students will be voting for two classmates in their second period classes to become Student Senators and attend monthly meetings held in the large gym. The purpose of the meetings are for students to discuss topics ranging from their experiences at school to how safe they feel at Gabrielino.
Meanwhile, SSC has evening meetings that run from 6-8 p.m. in the principal’s conference room once a month, and, like Student Senate, two representatives are elected to serve. SSC is based on a school-wide vote by students.
Applicants had to fill out a form and explain why they were interested in being a SSC representative by the application deadline, and their names would be placed on the ballot. Any Gabrielino student was permitted to vote.
This year’s SSC winners are senior Stephanie Rubio and sophomore Bianca Lua. Rubio and Lua will be student representatives along with senior Edward Tran and sophomore Emily Haas, who were last year’s SSC winners.
Each student representative has a two-year term unless the first term occurs during their senior year.
During meetings, students discuss subject matters that include budget, school theme, and library hours with Principal Sharron Heinrich and Assistant Principal Ruth Esseln, along with parents and teachers involved in SSC. Towards the end of meetings, students have the opportunity to share any changes they feel would make Gabrielino a better place.
“I signed up for School Site Council [since] my intention was to speak up about what I felt needed to change at [Gabrielino] rather than simply complaining,” stated Lua.
Unlike Student Senators and SSC, class council does not involve voting. Sophomores, juniors, and seniors each have their own class council, and they are managed by their class president.
In previous years, the only activities in class council were making posters and preparing for Homecoming. This year, the class councils would like to implement more activities to engage students to take part in ASB-related events.
Therefore, another activity students will be doing in class council is helping ASB with lunch-time activities. There are other activities planned, but class presidents have declined to comment.
“[I think]” students should [join] class council because it’s a valuable experience to be behind the scenes, as well as take a leadership position,” said William Tantribeau, senior class president.
In order to participate, students simply have to attend their respective monthly class meetings held in the ASB room.
