By Brittany Snow

Staff Writer

   Challenging. Fulfilling. High-energy. 

   The Associated Student Body (ASB) on campus has gone through major changes throughout the past few months, the most significant being the change in advisors. Advanced placement and regular chemistry teacher, Chanda Strom, accompanied by physical education teacher, Edith Gonzalez have taken on the advisory positions. 

   The duo shared a laugh as they discussed the reasoning behind their new roles. “I have always been interested in the leadership aspect of the class, but it never fit into my schedule,” Strom shared. “When I saw that the position was available and that time was allotted during my day, I thought hard about it and I asked [Gonzalez] to be my partner.”

   In the recent years, Gabrielino has seen a set of changes in the school climate, one of the most noted changes this year has been the revival of “Class Clash,” where students from each grade participate in activities to try to accumulate the highest amount of points for their grade level.

   “The students in ASB wanted to bring back class competitions, and having been at Gabrielino for a long time, I’ve noticed that yearly tradition slip away as time went on,” Gonzalez shared. “I’m really thankful to have that event back so that it could bring some pride, not just school pride, but class pride.”

   To improve the visible school spirit, ASB has organized weekly activities to enhance the participation of students on campus. This year, the daily theme changes, from “Music Monday” to “Game Day Wednesday.” The week ends with a pep rally in the quad to cheer on our fall sports, with performances by both cheer and marching band. 

   “Normally we just find something that we haven’t played because if we were to play the same thing over and over, it wouldn’t be as interesting,” snare drummer, Jacob Pena, sophomore said. “I feel pretty comfortable up there, even during my solos, at least until I come up with something on the spot.”

   Following lunch rallies, the speakers remain on the library steps as music continues to play following the traditional shake to conclude the rally. Well-known songs play, such as “Cha-Cha Slide” or “Cupid Shuffle” to draw attention to the quad and attract people to dance along to the music.

   “When we’re with our families, we’re okay to be goofy and have a good time,” Gonzalez expressed. “It would be nice to have that sense of family back on campus where students aren’t afraid to participate in activities for the fun of it.”