In my four years of high school, I’ve never seen a group of students as spirited as those that I have been surrounded by this year. This has been ASB’s hope all along: to revive the school spirit we lost during COVID. For many of us, it feels as though we were robbed of the true high school experience–a campus life with endless entertainment, a place where everyone feels like they are a part of a larger community. For the past few years, we as the ASB have been working to restore an atmosphere where San Marcos students can thrive. I am proud to have played a role in this effort, and I will forever be grateful to all of those who have helped our school get to this position.

As students, we hope you’ve seen the increased organization, advertising, and participation this year–in rallies, dances, football games, and Musical Mondays, but I want to highlight what you might not see: the ASB students who have stepped up beyond precedent to spearhead a brand new system. I’ve seen students with visions for halftime show skits and a Time Machine for our freshman rally–innovations that hadn’t been done before–and they’ve led these projects fearlessly. A huge part of this must be credited to the activities director himself, Mr. Hiracheta, who came into this job with a vision. With his guidance, ASB restructured to encourage students to take initiative on activities. We’ve doubled our size to 50 members, and are leaning more on the Executive Cabinet to lead events and hold everyone accountable. 

Now, San Marcos’s spirit is the envy of high schools in our area and beyond through word of mouth and our social media platforms. Inclusivity and community building are ongoing battles, however, which is why the ASBs of SM, DP, and SB are meeting in a few weeks to compare notes on different ASB structures and methods of uplifting student voices.

Building a strong and spirited community takes everyone. Thank you to the ASB students who have worked overtime to improve the high school experience of others, the House of Reps members spreading information and spirit to the entire student body, the teachers who work overtime to help us just because they care, and all two thousand of you for embracing the new culture of spirit and participation. You have all helped transform the high school experience from a chore into something we are excited about. As we enter the holiday season, let’s take pride in our successes and keep this momentum going for the rest of the year. 

Go Royals!