Sophomores miss out on ASB-funded opportunities

By Morgan Kong,
BlueDevilHUB.com Staff–

Although Student Government at Davis High centers its Associate Student Body activities on inclusiveness and makes sure all grade levels feel free to participate, special school-funded activities cater primarily to upper-classmen.

Mr. Blue Devil, Rent-a-Senior, Senior Prom, Senior Week and Senior Bingo are all traditionally senior events. Yet, sophomores and juniors do not have any specific ASB-funded events. Juniors throw the Winter Ball, but they have a separate class budget and all grade levels are welcome.

ASB does not fund events for sophomores at all.

“Because we’re new, they don’t think sophomores will attend,” said Cariappa Kodira, who is part of Student Government.

Student Government teacher Anthony Vasquez offers a different perspective on the matter.

Vasquez says the reason that there are no events geared only toward juniors and sophomores is to “promote inclusiveness and connectedness to the entire student body”.

And although sophomores don’t have a special dance, certain activities are just for them.

LINK crew orientation is exclusively sophomores and aims to help them get to know each other.

“It helps them know where classes are,” LINK crew leader Ophelia Hsaio said. “It makes them break out of their shells.”

Some high school events like homecoming also have special divisions exclusively for sophomores.

“The sophomore class is in charge of the purchasing, planning, design and execution of [its homecoming] parade float,” Vasquez said.

He also says the spring dance is usually very popular with sophomores, although last year grades of all kinds attended the dance.

But sophomores are still excluded from the most activities, since powder puff football is only available to both juniors and seniors.

“I think it’s only juniors and seniors because they want sophomores to get more experience in high school,” said Maggie Vasquez, a sophomore who was planning to join powder puff this season.