Schools that have an Associative Student Body (ASB) have an obligation to host events that rally up school spirit. Foothill Technology High School (Foothill Tech) ASB has a large working body that organizes lots of said events for the students, but during the 2023-2024 school year, canceled events have been at a significant increase. In some cases, they end up getting rescheduled and worst-case scenario, canceled entirely because of a lack of student attendance.
Throughout the school year, ASB plans plenty of events, whether they have been dances or functions that relate to a culture or a holiday. The percentage of student involvement may often vary, but the majority of the time they end with success. The other times can be the complete opposite, with events ending in cancellation.
One of the most recent cancellations was a Foothill Tech Carnival, hosted by the freshman class that was to take place on April 19, 2024. The event had a $15 entrance fee, paying for an afternoon of food, games and activities. A few days before the event, information about it had been taken down, and it was announced on Foothill Tech’s ASB Instagram that it had been canceled due to lack of participation.
ASB vice president Josh Gelman ‘26 said, “The freshman have been planning [the carnival] for a while, and then ticket sales were very low so we had to make the decision of pulling the plug … the freshman still put thought and effort into their event so it’s sad seeing that it’s not going to happen.”
The carnival cancellation is not the first time ASB has had to cancel an event throughout the school year. During Black History Month, ASB had planned to host a movie night in celebration of African American culture on Feb. 8, 2024. At first, it was just rescheduled to Feb. 29, until there weren’t enough tickets bought, and ASB had to cancel as they couldn’t push it back any farther.
Keera Wallace ‘26 said, “I know everything costs money, but a lot of times students aren’t willing to pay anything.” Wallace suggested changing the prices of events like the carnival, which might get more people invested.
In some areas, school spirit and pride dictate where some students choose to study and or attend, proving the importance that it holds to some individuals. Though some of the spirit isn’t being received, ASB continues to work hard and show Foothill Tech students that they are appreciated and deserve to be cheered on.
