As annual debates over graduation, senior pranks, and class t-shirts are revived, the reality of a new generation coming into the school is often forgotten until summer break subsides and July arrives. However, just as these seniors did throughout their time at the school, incoming students must take over their roles in campus clubs, programs, and even Student Government.

A new corral of student body and class officers was voted on throughout the final few months of the school year, putting many new faces on the bill for the 2017-2018 school year. These include Faith Maestas as secretary, Cody Soelberg as vice president, and Hannah Bashford as student body president.

This year’s current student body president senior Aaron Clouse shows excitement for the change in leadership. “[Hannah] will be great. She really knows what she’s doing,” Clouse said, adding, “she’s going to be excited to be our student body president next year. They’re going to throw some great dances, great events.”

The process of voting in a new generation of StuGo members involves a system of campaigning where support is gained by word of mouth, posters, and a video speech played for classes. With these methods of advertising, a candidate must gain enough votes to surpass others competing to be elected into StuGo.

“You have to make posters, get a grade check, teacher recommendations, and signatures from classmates,” freshman Ashley Haek said. After being a class officer over this past year, Haek hopes to bring her responsibility, organization, and creativity as a sophomore class officer next year.

Principal Dan Serrano hopes to preserve the smooth relationship between StuGo and administration established over the past year, despite a potential adjustment period during the beginning of each year as students learn that “there are procedures and rules they have to follow.”

As incoming officers prepare to initiate new ideas next year, senior StuGo members must move on to college and leave their legacies behind.
After spending four years in StuGo, Clouse reflected on key ideas he learned throughout this past year as student body president, hoping to pass the information on to the future generations of StuGo. “This year was really just kind of an eye opener. You see these guys coming up with deadlines and figuring out the logistics of everything, doing the things you want to do. And it was something different and I really enjoyed learning it,” he said.