The Student Council has organized socials for middle school students for years, however, this year they decided to change them. During the spring, the Student Council decided to take the eighth graders bowling instead of having a normal social.
In past years, the seventh and eighth graders would have a social together in the Farmer and Blue gyms with food, drinks, and games. But this spring, The student council rented out the top floor at Rowans bowling alley and got food and drinks to celebrate.
Director of Student Life Mr. Payson Bullard said, “The student council representatives looked at the attendance from the last social in January and decided that not that many kids in eighth grade showed up.”
Mr. Bullard later said why the student council decided to change the socials. “If they did something different it might be more appealing to the eighth graders.”
Mr. Bullard said that the feedback he got from the kids who went to the social was really positive and they really enjoyed the social. He hoped the attendance would go up in general but he thinks that if the socials stayed the same the attendance would be lower than the bowling. The attendance in the social during winter was extremely low therefore he wanted it to go up. Mr. Bullard explained how the student council paid for this. “The student council paid for these events through the student council funds and didn’t use any money from a fundraiser.”
Student council co-president Darren Morris said, “We decided to change up the socials to try to get more kids to come. Personally, I was really pleased with it and everyone who went said they thought it was fun.”
Morris later talked about the attendance rates. “I just wished more kids came. I’m sure everyone would have fun. The attendance did go up from the last social though which is a positive.” The attendance went from around 25 to 35 from the winter to spring social.
To finish Morris expressed interest in continuing this type of social for eighth graders because he thought they were very effective but in the end, it is up to next year’s student council representatives.
The other student council co-president MacCoy Weil had similar points. “I thought the bowling was definitely an effective improvement because it boosted the turnout and the students who came said that it was their favorite social yet. The bowling idea did not directly impact the seventh grade social, but there is a definite connection between the two socials.”
Weil wanted to change up the last social for the eighth graders and try to make it special. He told the student council that he wanted to do something special. He added later, “I am not going to lie, the bowling was definitely a financial strain upon our limited budget, but nonetheless, it was necessary. We actually used the money to do something that kids would enjoy as opposed to wasting it on a social that nobody would come to.”
Also, Weil talked about the change in activities. “We realized that not every kid likes bouncy castles or basketball and we thought bowling was something that everyone would enjoy and be happy with.”
Student council representatives and Mr. Bullard was pleased with the increase of eighth grades and they hope the attendances increases for next year.
