A grade normally plagued with apathy created a surprising turnout at the latest Class of 2020 meeting.
On Monday, April 15, the Class of 2020 officers hosted a meeting in Student Government Association (SGA) sponsor Natalie Flaten’s classroom. While Class of 2020 events are notorious for their low turnout, the news of the meeting brought dozens of juniors to the third floor of the 3900 building, turning a standard meeting into a standing-room-only event.
For many juniors, the meeting presented an opportunity to voice their frustrations over issues such as senior T-shirts. The controversial shirt design was posted to the Class of 2020’s Twitter on April 11 and was met with some grumbles on social media and on campus.
“I think a lot of juniors showed up because we as a class aren’t 100 percent on board with everything [the class officers] have been doing,” junior Jada Pallagi said. “I know a lot of people were upset about T-shirt designs and wanted to voice their opinions and give suggestions on what [the class officers] should be doing.”
We as a class aren’t 100 percent on board with everything [the class officers] have been doing.
The senior T-shirts were sold to the Class of 2020 from April 15 to 18 in the cafeteria. At the Monday meeting, Flaten strongly encouraged juniors to buy their senior T-shirts before Step-Up Day on May 28. For rising seniors, this is the first day that they are at the top of the high school totem pole. The Class of 2019 will have finished their senior exams the week before and will no longer be on campus.
Per CCHS tradition, the rising senior class will decorate Burger King crowns after school on May 23 and come to school on May 28 decked out in Cooper-related gear, including senior T-shirts. Though the senior T-shirt design may not please the entire Class of 2020, Flaten emphasized the importance of supporting one’s grade by purchasing a shirt.
“It’s a senior T-shirt. So whether you like the design or not, it’s $15,” Flaten said. “Just wear it to school … show your solidarity with your classmates.”
Another main appeal of the meeting for juniors was the discussion of prom theme. Some ideas that were bounced around were the Roaring ‘20s, Enchanted Forest and A Night Under the Stars. Images of decoration inspiration were projected on the board, eliciting varying degrees of excitement from the juniors at the meeting.
“It’s high school. A T-shirt design is not going to define your year.”
“I realized that if I wanted our senior year to be enjoyable, I would have to take the responsibility in my own hands to help make decisions, such as prom which is really important to me,” junior Sierra Gavilondo said.
However, one aspect of prom that might not be enjoyed by juniors is the cost. The current seniors’ prom tickets cost a shockingly low $65— the lowest price in several years for CCHS and a stark contrast to other high schools’ tickets, which according to Flaten can near $170. But the seniors’ ticket cost could only be lowered by four years of successful fundraising by the Class of 2019. Flaten emphasized that funds for prom could either be paid through supporting Class of 2020 fundraisers, such as senior T-shirt and sweats sales, or through a hefty ticket price later down the road.
Though many juniors entered the meeting focused on shirts and dance themes, Flaten made sure they left considering the relative importance of these material things in their senior year.
“It’s high school. A T-shirt design is not going to define your year. A prom theme is not going to define your year,” Flaten said. “What defines your year? Your attitude … and how well you want to support your class.”
Photo by Alexandra Sansone
