As the school year comes to a close, the newest round of seniors are leaving the Associated Student Body (ASB). With this comes a handful of dedicated juniors that have campaigned (and were elected) to become the newest leaders of the incoming senior class.  With outgoing president Tristan Waits leaving a lasting mark on the association, the newest members know they have a larger responsibility than ever  of governing and advocating for the students.

“I wanted to join ASB because I’ve been on it before and I fell in love with it,” Dylan Tiffany, junior, said. “Helping create things for the student body for the past year has been a  fantastic experience and I really want to be a part of it next year.”

Tiffany, who was re-elected for the upcoming year, stressed that he knows the level of dedication that the job entails, and believes his experience will prove promising in the future.

“I appreciate all of the work the officers put into the events that we put on. It is a lot more work than people will ever realize,” Tiffany said. “The long hours and late hours some of us spend at school is crazy. It certainly is a lot of work, but it’s all worth it.”

Many other members already a part of the board agree with the statement, knowing the hard work is worth the product.

“I wanted to continue ASB because I love getting involved with the community and making as much positive impact on the school as I can. Next year I want to work more on acceptance and inclusion of our special needs students,” Shaylee Hicks, junior, said. “I want to bring a wave of new acceptance for the LGBTQ plus community in our school. Overall, I want to make sure everyone knows that they are in a safe, loving and supportive place where they can be or do whatever it is they want.”

Hicks’ believes that her role as junior officer will prepare her to continue her role as the newest President of ASB as well.

“I thought we did a great job with spreading support beyond the main huge sports like football and basketball,” Hicks said. “There’s still some areas in that matter that could be worked on but I can definitely see improvement. One thing I noticed we did really well was advertise the Thespian Club.”  

Other members up for reelection knew that while the work level would be an important aspect to address, the relationships and communication would be a crucial part to making sure ASB can smoothly govern in the coming year.

“I want to join because it was so fun this year when I was on it,” Avery Esau, junior, said. “And I want to have a fun time with new friends I make while getting work done.”

Esau, who participated in ASB this year and was re-elected, knows that her main goal will be solidifying the relationships between members.

“I really love how we really make a point to include everyone,” Easu said. “I hope we can improve even more this year.”

Many elected students that are new to ASB also have differing ideas for improving the club, as well as their initial reasoning for joining, which some base off of their experiences at the school.

“I would like to join ASB because I would like to be more involved in my school. I want to do more for the school that has done so much for me, and for the teachers and students who care so much about our community,” Gabe Romero, junior, said. “I would love to bring new ideas and philosophies to ASB and hopefully make some difference in the school and our community.”

While Romero has many things he would like to add to ASB, he still appreciates many initiatives the group provides.

“Right now, I appreciate that the ASB is continuously coming up with new ideas and events that the entire school can find relatable or fun, while also keeping in mind that there are people that might find something offensive or that may be seen as exclusive to a group of people,” Romero said. “I think they do a superb job of keeping the study body connected with their events and I would love to make sure that they do the same for next year.”

Regardless of experience regarding ASB or previous history at the school, all students that were elected agree that joining ASB can come from their appreciation for the school and the need to improve the experience of the student body as a whole.

“I wanted to rejoin ASB because I love being so involved with every school event throughout the year. This past year on ASB was so much fun and hands down the best high school experience I’ve ever had. Getting involved with anything like ASB opens so many doors and so many new relationships with people. I hope to have a positive and strong impact on the group,” Ellie Young, junior, said. “I will build more lasting friendships with the other officers. I think it should be a priority next year to make sure everyone’s voice is heard and everyone is included.”

Young, who was reelected for her senior year, knew that the efforts made by ASB’s graduating class would be an important topic to continue even as the year comes to a close.

“This year went really well when it came to inclusion and I hope that is continued. Right now ASB has a wide range of input and influence on the student body because more students are running every year making all of us officers unique, and the activities we are involved in diverse,” Young said. “I believe this helps us get more students involved and I hope that it will continue.”

As the school year comes to a close, students remain hopeful for the upcoming year and future projects and goals of ASB.

“[Now that] I’m re-elected I can continue to serve our school and help make it a stronger community. It is my hope to be able to serve others throughout my life, and ASB has been the perfect place for me to work towards that goal,” Kylie Fretwell, junior, said. “I am extremely passionate about all the work we do and couldn’t have asked for a better three years of high school so far.”

Fretwell, along with other students a part of the board, has big plans for the student body in the coming year.

“I believe that the work we do positively impacts the student’s body and helps to experience a good one,” Fretwell said. “By contributing towards making a positive impact on West Linn High School students, my hope is that they will graduate West Linn with some amazing memories.