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The 2024 Open Mic Night hosted by Student Council. Photo by: Henry L.
Disclaimer: This article is written by a member of the Upper School Student Council.
By Henry L.
The Upper School Student Council hosts a variety of events each year such as Open Mic Night, but how do they plan for each of them?
The Upper Secondary Student Council has always been hard at work, filing through student feedback, communicating to the administration, and planning events. Their latest product shown to the Rams community was the annual Open Mic Night, hosted for the first time on the balcony of the Athletic Center on November 1st, with the theme being Day Of The Dead.
But what did the Student Council do exactly to make this happen? What do they do in their meetings, often held several times a week? How did they plan for such a major event? It is important that these issues are transparent to the rest of the community, so everyone knows what gears are being turned inside those meeting rooms.
Open Mic Night was an event where students and faculty would sing on the stage while their peers would enjoy the food, the sunset, and music. It was merely a 2-hour event, but behind the curtains was 3 weeks or more of meticulous work and planning.
“To plan major events like Open Mic Night, the Executive Council first collaborates closely to create a general plan, which is then shared with the General Councils for finalizing ideas together,” said senior Euna J., the Executive Council (ExCo) president.
In the Student Council it is important that everyone has a chance to have a say in things. The theme for events, for example, is voted on by all General Councils (GenCos).
This year’s Open Mic Night theme was decided, quite unanimously, to be Day of The Dead, aligning with the date it was hosted. After the major outlines were set, the event went through an official planning process.
The Student Council begins by completing a Project Planning Form. The Project Planning Form is a piece of paperwork that all students had to file to host an event. It includes the specifics, like date, time, location, purpose, items being purchased, and more. These aspects are checked by the Student Council, teacher supervisors, the Activities Office, the Secondary Office, and the Secondary Secretary.
Representatives from each of these parties need to sign off on the form, after which it can be submitted to the school, and the event would become official. Completing the Project Planning Form can prove to be a lengthy process since many people need to view and sign the form. After the Project Planning Form is submitted, specific plans start to take place.
“The Executive Council focuses on the larger tasks, like communicating with teachers,” Euna J. said. “Meanwhile, the General Council handles details.”
The responsibilities are made clear for every council. This year, GenCo 10 was responsible for creating the beautiful Open Mic Night promotion designs which they then sent to ExCo to be ordered into banners, posters, and tickets.
The Open Mic Night banner designed by GenCo 10. Photo by: Henry L.
ExCo borrowed items from School Services or purchased items such as stage platforms, decorations, and lighting.
GenCos, on the other hand, planned for their booths which they would sell drinks or food to the students and teachers. They used this method to generate a budget that can then be invested in future events. The items on the menu for Open Mic Night are all on par with the theme of the Day of The Dead, with quesadillas, lemonade, nachos, and tacos having been on offer.
After this specific planning process, Open Mic Night turned from a concept a few weeks ago to a well-thought-out event ready to start.
The 2024 Open Mic Night was hugely successful with no major problems. Many teachers and students had fun either singing, enjoying the music, or just hanging around with friends. A definite highlight was the venue of the event.
“I think the location where you guys made this event, it’s very heartwarming, very romantic, very deep, very comfortable,” said sophomore Kyle C., referring to the 4th floor balcony of the Athletics Center, which has never been used before.
“As soon as I walked up here, I was like wow, this was amazing,” said Zachary Navarro, a math teacher who had performed a song during Open Mic Night.
Open Mic Night was surely a special night that helped many people create new memories and new experiences.
“I think when the teachers are also connected with us by singing, it’s a big part, I think it really [allows us to] see more of our teachers,” said Kyle C.
“The weather was amazing, the performances were nice, the food was delicious. It was all in all a very great night,” said Navarro.
Many would comment on Guangzhou’s weather as being notoriously too hot or too cold, but amid transition between fall and winter, the temperatures were in a Goldilocks zone that more than contributed to the comfy vibes of the night.
However, Open Mic Night is only one of the many events Student Council plans, and planning events is only one of the many responsibilities Student Council members must balance between, making this a very busy role.
“Student Council focuses more on events, we spend a lot of time planning,” sophomore Audrey L., the GenCo 10 president said.
Junior Eddie L., the GenCo 11 President, even argues that StuCo spends too little time on other responsibilities, such as student voice, because of events.
“While events like Class Competition and Talent Show engage students, taking in student feedback and making the changes can improve the school environment long term,” he said.
Some students in Upper Secondary would agree on this as well, with Franziska L., a sophomore student said, “I don’t see much change from Student Council that was due to feedback,” possibly referencing major events that students have complained about in the past like the lanyard policy or rising café prices.
“I believe Student Council had a larger impact in terms of hosting events rather than putting feedback of the students into actual use,” Alfred P., a junior, said.
Despite this, many in the community seem to enjoy the StuCo-hosted events.
“The water balloon activity was super fun because the water cooled us down from a sweaty day. In general, all the activities were interesting,” commented sophomore Iris T.
“Competitive events are the best in my opinion as the majority of students actually feel motivated to win for once,” Alfred P. said.
However, the problems with the Student Council also remain clear.
Alfred P. has also mentioned that he thinks “student council should work on creating more events where the school spirit could be demonstrated.”
“I think the lack of enthusiasm from the student body makes the events less interesting,” said sophomore Franziska L.
The Student Council will keep trying to improve these issues such as low student spirit and event participation, and the previously mentioned low focus on student feedback, as they continue to strive to make AISG a more accommodating school.
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