The culture and spirit at Carlmont are chosen by just a handful of students.
Out of approximately 2,200 students at Carlmont, 82 are part of the Associated Student Body (ASB). This group of students has been responsible for making certain decisions for the students such as important assembly dates, spirit week ideas, and games for students to participate in during lunch and after school. ASB attempts to create a welcoming environment for students to share their opinions, but some students feel that ASB ignores their thoughts and sticks to their plans for the school year as they only listen to thoughts from the people who hold a position in or are apart of the ASB, “clique.” ASB Service Council Vice President Cate Armstrong, a senior, said, “I understand that it can sometimes be intimidating to voice your opinion to such a big group, but we are always open and welcome for new input if anyone feels uncomfortable with anything or if they have any new ideas. Through school activities, we hope to gain trust for students to voice any opinion they may have.” Though ASB and many students find these activities festive and enjoyable, many students feel they have no input on the activities planned, which might affect the success of certain activities that take place throughout the school year. Nicole Eftimiou, the senior cheer captain, said, “I do feel like ASB ignores the cheer team and the student body. They do try in some situations to communicate, but it always somehow comes out to whatever they want.” In spite of these efforts, not all students are convinced. Liane Brown, a junior, said, “Over the past few years I felt from time to time that my opinion wasn't always important. This year and the end of last year I've felt that my opinion has been valued a lot more, but you will always have to be pretty well-known or involved in ASB to have an actual impact on events.” Tyrese Lopez, ASB member and senior, responded to the opinions of students and their input on ASB. “Everyone has the right to express how they feel. In ASB, we know that we can't please everyone. We're aware of the different opinions there are about the program. We focus more on the constructive criticism, and always keep what they say in mind to make our activities better,” said Lopez. ASB is also in charge of the budget of the school, which decides how much money goes to certain programs and clubs around the school. The beginning balance of the 2017-2018 school year was $173,733.49, according to the budget spread that is accessible to the public on Carlmont’s website. Each year certain clubs, sports teams, and programs get a portion of this money, but many students do not know who decides where this money goes. Dance commission supervisor, Michelle Tenin, a senior, said, “Within ASB there is a separate voting body called the Executive Council that meets Wednesday mornings and discusses budget proposals brought on by the clubs and organizations around campus. We spend at least an hour going through the proposals and discussing the pros and cons of giving the money that is requested by the organization.” According to the budget spread, last year, two-thirds of Carlmont’s money was directed toward the athletics programs. “I think that students should have some say in the budget and what it goes into. For example, I think that we should have more funding go into community service clubs like the Key Club and also the culture clubs around school,” said Brown. Activities Director, Jim Kelly suggests the best way to get involved in school activities is through clubs and other extracurriculars. “Any clubs, performing arts, or sports are awesome ways to stay involved. There is also Carlmont Cup during lunch where teams can sign up. If you are interested in the budget, [ASB President] Tiffany Chung knows a lot about it and there are public meetings where anyone who wants to come is welcome to join and share their input. They’re always open to listen,” said Kelly. Although some students may continue to have an opinion on ASB’s control on many of the activities and decisions for the student body, ASB welcomes students to share opinions and listen to their perspectives to try to reach a compromise for dates, types of spirit days, and other conflicts for students. “Everyone has a place at Carlmont and they should always feel like their opinions matter and can be heard by ASB,” said Armstrong. “We are always here and willing to cater to our peers’ needs, as we represent a diverse community and want to do so accordingly.” |