BY VICTORIA MARTIN
Under normal circumstances, a stampede isn’t something people would be looking forward to. But at CCHS, Stampede is an annual event that many students get excited about attending.
Stampede is the largest fundraiser of the year for CCHS. Students pay $25 for a ticket, which allows them to miss their third period and head out to fields to enjoy themselves with a bunch of activities and food. This school year, however, Stampede has been canceled.
“I am disappointed that we are unable to have Stampede since the money raised goes to giving back to students, whether for scholarships [or] adding improvements and/or technology to help the school,” Parent Teacher Student Association (PTSA) member Linda Albrecht said.
The Stampede was canceled due to a school board policy that says any fundraisers used by the school are not allowed to take the students out of class for participation purposes.
“I am upset that Cooper City traditions are being canceled.”
“In my opinion, most students participate in fundraisers to get out of participating in classroom activities,” senior Ilena Chung said. “When that aspect of a fundraiser [is] removed, I would assume that most of the students here will stop participating in fundraisers as a whole.”
This leads to the question of whether other fundraisers are going to be affected by this new policy.
“I am upset that Cooper City traditions are being canceled,” Chung said. “I have participated in many fundraisers within my years of high school and it is sad to not be able to participate in them for one final time.”
Multicultural Club was planning on hosting an event called the Multi-Fair this year, but this fair was also canceled due to the school board policy.
“… It’s important to consider that students can learn in more ways than just sitting down and filling out a Scantron.”
Another fundraising favorite among CCHS students is the trip to Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios in Orlando. Students who go on this trip normally miss about half a day of school due to the bus ride to Orlando. Since Halloween Horror Nights is a fundraiser that takes students out of class, the school board policy has caused some concerns over the fundraiser’s future at CCHS.
“I think fundraisers such as the annual Halloween Horror Nights trip and Stampede are beneficial to students,” senior Taesha Jones said. “Organizing fundraisers takes a lot of leadership ability, organizational skills and team coordination to arrange. And by involving students in the process, we can learn all these skills while raising money for programs and clubs [that] serve to benefit us and help us grow as individuals.”
Since the new school board policy was implemented, it has not been made clear if Halloween Horror Nights will be continued in years to come at CCHS.
“Schools should strive to educate well-rounded individuals, so it’s important to consider that students can learn in more ways than just sitting down and filling out a Scantron,” Jones said.
Photo by The Lariat Photography
