Most decisions students make are based off of their emotions in a single moment: do I feel like studying for this test, am I in the mood to go out tonight, do I want Chipotle or Panera right now? Caught up in our fast-paced and hectic schedules, we rarely consider the impact of our choices beyond ourselves or our immediate friends. It’s hardly news, however, that these choices are significant, and we’ve all heard it before – our school is what we make of it. The week of Icefest will be an opportunity for us to recognize this idea and make the best of it.

Certain events, such as homecoming and prom, are high school traditions and it goes without saying a majority of the student population will participate in them. Newer ones, however, can be difficult to integrate into students lives. The sponsors hold the heavy responsibility of advertising and raising awareness in order to encourage maximum participation. While it is easy to criticize their efforts, at a certain point the results of their work are out of their hands. Instead, it rests with us. 

Over the past few years, SGA has been trying to make Icefest a more prominent part of the school year and a way to extend school spirit from beyond the football season and into the basketball season. Hopefully the decision to hold the event after winter break will overcome at least the obstacle of students’ apathy and low attendence in the weeks leading up to their vacation. Their efforts can only go so far, and in the end it will be our decision whether or not to participate in school spirit.

Social media has unquestionably become a major part of our decision making process. We use sites such as Twitter and Facebook to gauge the mood of the student body, which then influence our own opinions. A single tweet or status update can spread like wildfire, which can either be a helpful tool or a dangerous obstacle. During this past football season, students were able to effectively plan spirit days and themes for the games. At the same time, however, students have used the same means to voice opposition to planned spirit events and discourage others from participating.

What we’ve learned so far this year is the student body has the ability to make a poorly planned event succeed or a well planned event fail. Even when students disagree with the decisions SGA makes, they can use their influence to make improvements rather than simply tearing it down. It’s only one week but it has the potential to be much more. Regardless of the decisions SGA makes in planning Icefest, the final decision is in our hands.