Paradise High ASB presidents push through pandemic
Life in student government is normally built around findingways tomanage student funds, organize rallies, prepare for football games and homecoming. The students also plan some of the bigger events in a normal school year, like graduation and the prom.
But for ParadiseHigh co
Associated Student Body presidents Sophia Scribner and Maddi Bergman that has not been the case.
This year the two, who are also best friends, are having to run student government fromZoominstead of in-person meetings. And the meetings haven’t been on campus activities but about instead coronavirus.
“It’s just kind of been about corona and the fire, sort of all of the weird things that we have going on,” Bergman said. “So we haven’t done anything normal yet.”
“In terms of events, we told (the school) we were doing kindness week, virtually,” Scribner said. “But we haven’t done any events because we can’t.”
But the two said that the virtual kindness week didn’t even occur as scheduled, because of the recent evacuation warnings caused by the North Complex fires — which canceled school.
One of the other functions of ASB is to create school spirit, which is a challenge at a time when students are all off of campus and there’s no real way to organize school-wide events that do that.
“It’s not as hard as you would think it would be; it’s all virtual,” Scribner said. “I feel like a lot of people are into it because it’s easy. You wear a shirt that had to do with that day and send it in.
She added that they had some classes in which students had a 100 percent participation in events like Ultimate Pride Friday.
“I think for any other schools getting participation might be a challenge ,” Bergman said. “We always have great participation. We have a school spirit — just go to a football game. And that spirit shows through now when the circumstances just keep getting harder.”
She added that even though Paradise keeps getting hit with challenges, they keep perservering.
“We have four classes, we have 100 percent dress and it’s virtual,” Bergman said. “I think that’s great.”
But it’s still tough, and there are things they miss.
“Just not being able to be on campus,” Scribner said. “There are so many things to get ready for like rallies and events. One of my favorite parts of being in leadership and being ASB president is being involved ( in things). But it’s hard because there’s nothing to be involved in now.”
Bergman added the two have been able to see their older friends have their events and want those moments as well.
“We have gone to their graduations, their proms, got to see, watch them on senior nights in volleyball, basketball and football,” she said. “This was finally our turn, and now we might not get have the events that we got to watch our friends have, so that part is sinking in.”
The two were also involved in last year’s rally to welcome ParadiseHigh students back to the first day back on campus following the Camp Fire.
“I know that when we come back, that first day is going to be a big day,” Scribner said. “If that is — hopefully soon, even if we’re still high schoolers. I feel like one even just one more day here at this high school would be nice, and I would look forward to it.”
They both miss the little things associated with high school life, like seeing friends at lunch off- campus
“(Like) us walking into class 20 minutes late walking into class because the TacoBell linewas too long,” Bergman said. “And the teachers calling us out because it happens every day.”
She added that she misses having the teachers tell them to stop talking and quiet down.
“Now it’s just an awkward silence on Zoom,” Scribner said. “It’s not the same at all.”
It certainly has been a challenge for the two, but nothing has been normal educationally for the 2021 class since November 2018. They haven’t had a normal school year since freshman year.
“Why freshman year, of all the years?” Bergman asked.
“I don’t know,” Scribner said. “But it stinks.”
However despite that the two still have big plans.
“We’re going to put together — if we can — the most bad ass graduation and prom this school has ever seen!”