This week, Type One sat down with three of Pine Crest’s class presidents, senior Stefy Grau, junior Salma Abuhamda, and sophomore Katie Sullivan.  While PC students enjoy the whirlwind of homecoming dress-down days, decorations, and events, the week would not be made possible without the countless hours and leadership of the class presidents.  They were excited to tell us about their hard work and experiences that lead up to this year’s anticipated homecoming festivities.

T1: What class are you representing?  

Stefy: The class of 2018. Go seniors!

Salma:  I am representing the junior class

Katie: I am representing the Class of 2020, the sophomores.

T1:  How long have you been serving on your class board?

Stefy: This is my second year on the class board. I have been junior and senior class president.

Salma: This is my first year on the class board, but I was in stuco as a club rep last year.

Katie: This is my second year being on the class board.

T1:  What inspired you to become the class president?

Stefy: During homecoming week of my sophomore year, the class of 2018 worked extremely hard to come in second place behind the seniors. I wanted to be a part of this success to see my classmates come together and enjoy all these festivities.

Salma: I wanted to see change and unity in our grade and the ability to share ideas more easily.

Katie: Growing up my whole life as a Pine Crest Student, I would always see the exciting events that the high school would have, and I could not wait to until I could become involved in them.

T1: How much work goes into planning homecoming events?

Stefy: There are countless meetings at school and a lot of planning at home to make sure everything runs smoothly. As class president, I have to choose students to participate in competitions, make sure that there are enough decorations available for hallway and gym decorations, and oversee the week for the class of 2018. Additionally, the senior class board is in charge of planning the homecoming dance itself, so we had many meetings to go over meetings, decorations, food, and more.

Salma: A lot more than you would think. Everyone on the board has to work together really hard and communicate to make sure every single little aspect is covered.

T1:  Leading a class through spirit competitions can but fun but stressful.  How has this experience been for you?

Stefy: Homecoming week is definitely a stressful experience, but all the stress is definitely worth it when you see your classmates unite together to win the spirit stick. I admit that I find myself going to bed much later during homecoming week than I normally would, making sure that all the events for the following day are organized, but I come to love it more and more each year.

Salma: So far I have had my stress-filled moments, but of course they are worth it when I see everyone have a great time, and I join in on the fun.

Katie: It is definitely stressful to lead my grade through spirit competitions because sometimes everyone wants to participate in one competition, and it gets pretty hectic. However, once everything is planned out, the spirit games are one of the best parts of homecoming. Everyone gets really involved and hyped up throughout out the week with the excitement building after each spirit game.

T1:  What are your biggest challenges while planning homecoming?

Stefy: Time management and making sure everyone is satisfied with the week’s events. While homecoming is full of fun and school spirit, students still have to complete homework assignments and study for difficult tests. As a member of the executive board of student council, I also have to come up with new events each year and plan the busy schedules.

Salma: My biggest challenges are keeping track of all the events and who’s in them, while still trying to balance studying and school work.

Katie: Several things go on behind the scenes that many students do not know about homecoming. It takes a lot of planning, as games and ideas need to be approved by administrations, and I along with all the other Student Council members, try to think of new and enticing games that everyone will love. It is very overwhelming when planning for homecoming because I do not want to let my class down, and I want everyone to enjoy themselves and have the most incredible week of their life.

T1:  What is your favorite thing about homecoming?

Stefy: I love the powderpuff game and the halftime dances. I love seeing everyone’s hard work in both events that require many practices. The crowd in the bleachers never stops cheering, so the events really bring together each grade because it is something everyone can enjoy and participate in.

Salma: My favorite thing would have to be everyone coming together during the events and just enjoying our grade’s company and spirit, no matter who your “friend group” is.

Katie: My favorite thing about homecoming is the pep rally on Friday. All the homecoming activities throughout the week build more and more excitement in everyone until all of this energy is released through spirit at the pep rally and football game. Although at the pep rally we cheer for our grades, in the games, everyone comes together in the end and cheers for one thing: Pine Crest. There are no words to describe how much energy is in that gym at that moment. Everyone is thinking about one thing and cheering for the one school that we all love. It is indescribable.

T1: What advice would you give someone who is thinking about getting involved in student council?

Stefy: If you are willing to put in all the extra time and effort to represent a class of over 200 students, it is a great experience. While stressful and time-consuming, student council is a great organization on campus to be a part of.

Salma: Make sure it is something you can completely commit to because you can’t do it halfway.

Katie: I would say if you love Pine Crest and want to help make it a better place, Student Council is definitely the club for you.

T1:  What did you do to improve upon last year’s spirit performance?

Stefy: Last year, the class of 2018 came in second place for the second year in a row. This year, the senior class was determined to win the spirit stick that we had come so close to winning in the past. We practiced much more for the powderpuff game, planned things much more in advance, and had more participation in the events.

Salma: I reminded people to keep up the spirit and participate in homecoming events through our class Facebook page.

Katie: Being a freshmen last year, all of the homecoming festivities were extremely new to me. It was difficult to fill in all of the Class of 2020 on what activities were going on and what different games consisted of. We tried using Facebook and continued using it last year as out only source of social media reaching our grade; however, this year the Sophomore Class Board is using not only Facebook and Schoology, but also Snapchat. The new private story feature of Snapchat allowed me to create a private story where I can post, or one of the other board members can easily post an update. Over 150 people usually view this story, and it is a great and effective way to communicate with the rest of my peers.

T1:  If possible, what would you do differently next year?

Salma: I would probably give more responsibilities to other board members. I tried to take everything on my own this year.

Katie: Next year, I want to try and get all of the students in my grade involved! I would love to create a way that further promotes going to all of the events, not only ones during the school day but also after school.

T1:  What have you learned about yourself during this process?

Stefy: I have learned that the class of 2018 is full of so many talented individuals. When we all come together during events like homecoming week and contribute all of our talents together, we are truly an unstoppable force.

Salma: I have learned that if I really want to get something done, I can put my mind to it and do it, no matter the time crunch.

Katie: I have learned that I love being involved in school and involved throughout my grade. I think that because I am in Student Council, it has made me so involved within the Pine Crest community that I have become friends with so many people that I would not have known before. This does not only apply to people in the club of Student Council but, especially last year through homecoming week, I have been able to make personal relationships with basically everyone in my grade. I love knowing everyone’s names and being able to have an ongoing conversation with them about different topics.

T1: What is your biggest homecoming accomplishment?

Stefy: Winning the spirit stick during the class of 2018’s last homecoming week. Sprinting across the field during halftime of the homecoming football game to get the spirit stick with all of my classmates is a moment I will never forget.

Salma: My biggest homecoming accomplishment would definitely have to be the increase of spirit in the junior class and increase in participation.

Katie: At the end of the week or throughout the school year, I hear my friends say “Homecoming week is the best week of the school year.” To hear that is my biggest accomplishment because although it may be hard work, in the end it most definitely pays off to know that I helped to contribute to one of their highlights of high school.

After putting on a well-spirited homecoming week full of games, memories, and school unity, Type One would like to thank Stefy, Salma, and Katie for making homecoming week 2017 one to remember. Congratulations to the class of 2018 for winning this year’s spirit stick.