Written by John Ortega
I would like to direct your intention to the image that I placed within this post. You are probably wondering why I chose to include that particular photograph. Most importantly, you probably do not know that the picture was taken during a Senate event, one in which participation was open to the student body.
The image was taken during a new Senate activity that delves into the exploration of the many dining, educational, and historical sites found in city of Cleveland. Dubbed "Discover Cleveland," the event serves as a form of field trip in order to allow students to better appreciate what Cleveland has to offer.
This trip featured in the photo took its participants to dine at Mama Santa's in Little Italy and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Any member of the student body was allowed to sign up for the Senate-sponsored trip. The food and traveling costs were provided by the Senate free of charge. However, on Friday, February 27th, 2015, only six students went on this excursion to University Circle, and all six students were Senate members.
I was one of the six members who enjoyed eating the pizza and spaghetti at Mama Santa's and viewing and interpreting the art pieces in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Although it was a great experience for my peers and me, the lack of non-Senate participation somewhat bothered me throughout the whole trip.
This trip featured in the photo took its participants to dine at Mama Santa's in Little Italy and the Cleveland Museum of Art. Any member of the student body was allowed to sign up for the Senate-sponsored trip. The food and traveling costs were provided by the Senate free of charge. However, on Friday, February 27th, 2015, only six students went on this excursion to University Circle, and all six students were Senate members.
I was one of the six members who enjoyed eating the pizza and spaghetti at Mama Santa's and viewing and interpreting the art pieces in the Cleveland Museum of Art. Although it was a great experience for my peers and me, the lack of non-Senate participation somewhat bothered me throughout the whole trip.
The lack of participants mostly indicates to us either one of two things: not many students were interested in attending the trip or the activity was not publicized well enough in order for the student body to be properly aware of its existence. Whether it be the former or the latter, the issue at hand is that the activity failed to fulfill its purpose: to engage participation from the student body.
The reality is that the amount of participation from the student body determines the longevity and success of our events. If no one dressed up as a lumberjack, Lumberjack Day would cease to exist. If no one brought in toys for the Toy Drive, we would not be able to visit local schools and provide gifts to the children.
Newer activities like Discover Cleveland can easily dissolve and never occur again if a lack of participation remains a constant issue. A winter formal used to be held yearly, but it soon dissipated due to underwhelming showings year after year. Its replacement, the spring event (Wildcat Wild West) still struggles to maintain a high level of attendance.
Senior Prom is funded by all of the class events that your class has throughout your time at Ignatius. If a certain class has trouble garnering enough participation for fundraising events, obtaining money for prom can be quite problematic. The revenue that we receive from Homecoming, in fact, funds a majority of the projects that we host for the rest of the year.
With so much hinging upon the student body's attendance at Senate events, we want to ensure that the events that we host are catered to what you, a member of the student body, desire. That is why Mitchell has been periodically emailing the student body with surveys asking you for input for next year's Homecoming. Thanks to your responses, the Homecoming theme was chosen by you. Many of the additions and improvements to this year's Homecoming are also influenced by your responses to the Homecoming surveys. Be sure to keep an eye out for future surveys because your input is invaluable to us.
Of course, in order for you to attend one of our activities you need to be provided with the information that you need to know! We will constantly be updating this website and our Twitter with information about bigger Senate projects to even the smallest events. Details about events from times to locations to more specific questions like "What toy do I need to bring in for the Toy Drive?" will be found on this website. In addition, you can find your class officers on this website.
If you would like to see photos of some of our events, you can take a look at our Flickr account. You can also check out our Youtube channel for videos of our events from the past as well.
We are always open to new ideas and suggestions, so if you would like to talk with us about hosting a new activity or if you have any questions, you can contact us at [email protected].
The reality is that the amount of participation from the student body determines the longevity and success of our events. If no one dressed up as a lumberjack, Lumberjack Day would cease to exist. If no one brought in toys for the Toy Drive, we would not be able to visit local schools and provide gifts to the children.
Newer activities like Discover Cleveland can easily dissolve and never occur again if a lack of participation remains a constant issue. A winter formal used to be held yearly, but it soon dissipated due to underwhelming showings year after year. Its replacement, the spring event (Wildcat Wild West) still struggles to maintain a high level of attendance.
Senior Prom is funded by all of the class events that your class has throughout your time at Ignatius. If a certain class has trouble garnering enough participation for fundraising events, obtaining money for prom can be quite problematic. The revenue that we receive from Homecoming, in fact, funds a majority of the projects that we host for the rest of the year.
With so much hinging upon the student body's attendance at Senate events, we want to ensure that the events that we host are catered to what you, a member of the student body, desire. That is why Mitchell has been periodically emailing the student body with surveys asking you for input for next year's Homecoming. Thanks to your responses, the Homecoming theme was chosen by you. Many of the additions and improvements to this year's Homecoming are also influenced by your responses to the Homecoming surveys. Be sure to keep an eye out for future surveys because your input is invaluable to us.
Of course, in order for you to attend one of our activities you need to be provided with the information that you need to know! We will constantly be updating this website and our Twitter with information about bigger Senate projects to even the smallest events. Details about events from times to locations to more specific questions like "What toy do I need to bring in for the Toy Drive?" will be found on this website. In addition, you can find your class officers on this website.
If you would like to see photos of some of our events, you can take a look at our Flickr account. You can also check out our Youtube channel for videos of our events from the past as well.
We are always open to new ideas and suggestions, so if you would like to talk with us about hosting a new activity or if you have any questions, you can contact us at [email protected].