By Joanne Su Chan & Tiffany Phan
Editor-in-Chief & Chief Financial Officer
Recently, students voted in ASB elections, selecting their representatives for next year. Yet for many, ASB remains something they hear about in passing, leading to misconceptions about its roles and responsibilities. As senior members of ASB with experience in running for elected positions—Tiffany served as the Freshman Vice President, Sophomore President, and Junior Vice President and is currently an Activities Commissioner, and Joanne served as an Activities Commissioner for two years and is now an Assemblies Commissioner—we feel that this is an important time to reflect on the process, address these misconceptions and discuss the future.
ASB ELECTIONS
Through ASB elections, candidates can make an impact on campus by running for leadership positions. Being elected means inheriting the responsibility of serving and representing the student body—yet when campaigns start, most voters are drawn to the eye-catching posters, giveaways and campaign themes rather than the substance of candidates’ platforms. This only reinforces the narrative that ASB elections are simply a “popularity contest,” overshadowing the candidates’ actual plans.
Remember that the candidate you vote for should best represent your wishes for the next school year. Consider all candidates based on their vision, leadership qualities and proposed initiatives, as these are far better indicators of their potential than a poster on a wall.
Voters should also approach these campaign promises with a critical mindset. Candidates sometimes promise changes that are beyond their control—for example, many touch on school lunch policies, but federal and state departments control lunches, not student governments. Holding candidates accountable to realistic and actionable platforms encourages more informed, thoughtful leadership. This expectation fosters stronger, well-developed ideas that lead to meaningful improvements on campus through concrete plans put into action.
ASB AS A WHOLE
Many students—including both those who run for office and those who apply for appointed positions—do not fully understand the work ASB requires. It appears to be an “easy class,” with responsibilities limited solely to fourth period. This could not be further from the truth.
Organizing events involves many moving parts and intricate details building up to the events. Activities doesn’t just “plan dances”—they manage every aspect of the experience, including arranging food, DJs and photo booths. PR handles more than the ASB Instagram account, designing posters for school events. 5-Star manages student engagement and recognition, while Assemblies oversees the planning and execution of all rallies, and emcee for campus events. Campus manages not just clubs, but also serves on the Camellia Festival Committee.
Furthermore, our grade is based on the number of hours dedicated to ASB events, including those outside of school. As the student body’s leaders, ASB members must foster school spirit, including building Camellia floats, setting up for dances, and attending football games. In fact, ASB work begins in the summer, with ASB Retreat.
Reentry to ASB is also not guaranteed. Members must try out each year, and the President, Vice President and ASB Director Michael Kidd continuously evaluate their performance to ensure members’ dedication and effectiveness. In ASB you must perform well at your task, and also continually improve.
“I need to make sure that every year you are here in ASB, you grow as a person and you grow in your leadership,” Kidd said. “I do want to see qualified candidates joining, but I also don’t have to see completely polished, wonderful-at-everything candidates. I need to see what you’re good at, and try to figure out what you’re not good at that I feel we can do a good job of improving.”
CONCLUSION
In all honesty, ASB is countless late nights, endless planning and moments of pure chaos. Still, we take immense pride in what we’ve accomplished. Every event we pull off leaves us exhausted but fulfilled, knowing our hard work made an impact.
To those eager to get more involved on campus, we say go for it—but remember truly contributing to change means more than just the title. It means knowing exactly what you’re signing up for: relentless dedication, unwavering commitment and the drive to turn ideas into reality.