As Spring Break came to an end and students returned to school, the Pine was definitely abuzz. Not just with questions about the second weekend of Ultra, or what everyone did during their Spring Break, but also filled with reactions to the newly-announced StuCo President, Junior Louis Browne, and Vice-President, Sophomore Ben Frantz. We asked a few students about their thoughts towards the upcoming school year and StuCo board.

Name: Elizabeth Pozzuoli

Grade: Freshman

Opinions on the upcoming year: I think it’s going to be a successful and fun upcoming year.

Things you want to see changed for next year: I want to see more events that inspire more school pride.

Why?: Between Louis’ support of the arts, and Ben’s support of sports, I think that they will really be able to balance each other in supporting both of the Pine’s biggest programs.

Name: Alvaro Torrejon

Grade: Freshman

Opinions on the upcoming year: I think that, in the following year, there will be many positive changes to the Upper School that will benefit all of the upperclassmen in ways that have never been seen before. Due to our new leaders, Louis Browne and Ben Frantz, I believe that next year will be a year to remember, filled with entertainment, charity, fun, and loads of Pine Crest spirit.

Things you want to see changed for next year: What I would like to see changed, are more activities involving Homecoming and Winter Carnival, as well as more support in the creation of the Homecoming Dance through fundraising done by students.

Why?: The reason I would like for this to happen is because Homecoming was fun during the school day, but the Homecoming Dance was not as expected by my peers or by the opinions of students in all grades. If there is more cooperation between classes, there is a significantly bigger chance that the Homecoming Dance can be a much bigger success, thus drawing more people to attend.

Name: Eliza Moldow

Grade: Freshman

Opinions on the upcoming year: I think it will be a lot more fun than this year, and there will be a lot of new, creative ideas from the new StuCo board.

Things you want to see changed for next year: I think there needs to be more of a focus on school-wide events because it’s a better way for everyone to grow closer and get together and have fun.

Why?: I saw a lot more people involved with events this year and a huge increase in school spirit. It’d be great to see us get even more spirited than we already are and show people what the Pine is all about.

Name: Ellie Botoman

Grade: Sophomore

Opinions on the upcoming year: I think it’s going to be a lot of fun. I know that school’s going to get pretty stressful at times, but it’s definitely going to be a memorable year.

Things you want to see changed for next year: More school spirit and more appreciation of the arts, and the dance and drama department.

Why?: Because all of the students work really hard every day, coming in early in the morning and leaving late after school. It would be nice to celebrate their achievements more in the upcoming year.

Name: Rachel Cagnetta

Grade: Sophomore

Opinions on the upcoming year: Definitely excited for next year, that’s for sure.

Things you want to see changed for next year: It frustrates me how there isn’t enough appreciation for the arts at Pine Crest, unlike other schools. Students need more recognition for their abilities, not just a few random assemblies.

Why?: An effort is barely made to appreciate the arts, compared to sports at Pine Crest, where buses are organized to get students to come to games. Kids who are involved in the arts deserve just as much attention.

Name: Amanda Soares

Grade: Sophomore

Opinions on the upcoming year: I think Louis will be a great president and that students will be more involved while continuing traditions established this year.

Things you want to see changed for next year: Definitely more of a focus on the arts because last year was totally focused on sports. This year was really an awkward mix of the two, but our school should focus more on student-run magazines and newspapers, art exhibits, and student performances.

Why?: I feel like our school focuses too much on sports, and the arts deserve their year in the spotlight.

Name: Lindsay Camerik

Grade: Junior

Opinions on the upcoming year: Well, I know Louis is really dedicated and creative, so I expect a really good Homecoming Week and Prom, and probably a lot of emphasis on the arts, since that’s Louis’ thing. I worked with him on Homecoming last year, and he was at school at the crack of dawn to get things set up, and he oversaw everything. Serious dedication right there. I don’t really know the new Vice-President, so I don’t have an opinion on him. But I think Louis is going to make next year a good one. (I hope so, at least.)

Things you want to see changed for next year: Well, it would be nice for our grade to actually get a trip next year.

Why?: Because ours got cancelled this year and was never rescheduled.

Name: Maitlin Rifleman

Grade: Junior

Opinions on the upcoming year: Because I’m going to be a senior, next year is going to be pretty good. I don’t know Ben personally, but knowing Louis, I believe that they will work hard and put a lot of effort into making next year successful.

Things you want to see changed for next year: Events should be better planned so that more people attend them. The Homecoming Pep Rally is always fun because everyone is there, whereas only twenty people attended this year’s Water Balloon Fight.

Why?: I feel like this year, StuCo was so focused on actually having events and trying to make them seem fun that they didn’t work out well. They overhyped a lot of events and people just ended up bored.

Name: Tristen Vaughan

Grade: Junior

Opinions on the upcoming year: Hopefully, it should be better than this year. It definitely depends on whether or not events can actually get planned and approved.

Things you want to see changed for next year: A resurrection of Homecoming Week and more ideas of these possible events being realized, including better planning of class trips and more of them.

Why?: I want a great senior year, and I want to spend time with my classmates at school events, if possible. More of these events and class trips would do just that.