Junior Class Officers have begun the struggle to book a graduation speaker for next year as student participation dwindles and they experience difficulties communicating with administration.
The meeting last Wednesday to talk about the senior gift and speaker for the class of 2009 did not accomplish much, as only the Junior Class Officers attended.
Although Becky Streaker, the new Junior Class President, and Lindsay Dutton, the former, reported that they have come up with many ideas for the speaker and the gift, they have struggled throughout the process.
Streaker said, "The four class officers don't want to choose the speaker and the gift without consensus from the student body. It is important that they have input."
At the beginning of the year, Dutton sent letters out to parents asking about any celebrity connections. Parent replies included Raymond Offenheiser, the president and founder of Ox Fam America, General Michael Hayden, Director of the CIA, Will Baker, the president of Dress Bay Foundation, and Jeff Westerinen, the fourth in line at Microsoft.
Other celebrity ideas that they have thought of for the speaker include Bill Nye the Science Guy, Mike Rowe from "Dirty Jobs," Ellen DeGeneres, and Herman Boone.
Senior Class gift ideas include a beach volleyball court and an outdoor theatre. Streaker said that they will hopefully decide on the gift by upcoming winter break next semester.
For the speaker, Dutton and Streaker will hand in a list of ideas to the administration, whose job it is to contact the nominees. Administration also has the option to choose someone not on the preferred list.
Along with the low participation from the Junior Class, the officers have also experienced problems with the administration.
Dutton explained that at one point during the semester the administration had already chosen a senior speaker without any input from the officers.
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