The Student Council Association elections took place in advisory on Apr 1 and results came out on Apr 6. Read about what’s in store for PFHS for the 2022-2023 school year.

What’s high school without fun-filled memories such as pep rallies, spirit weeks, homecoming, and prom? Well, without the Student Council Association there would be none of that. The Student Council Association (SCA) is tasked with keeping the school spirit alive at Potomac Falls. 

Sophomore Arjun Setty (president), junior Jack Barton (vice president), junior Noshin Zaman (secretary), sophomore Lily Jacobs (creative director), and junior Jacqueline Carachure (public relations) were the candidates who won for next year’s SCA officers. Officers for SCA are the main heads of the class, which takes up their own study halls, and are the driving force behind all of the other members of SCA. 

As the last quarter of this school year begins, here is a first glance of President Setty’s and VP Barton’s ideas and plans to improve our school and create new, fresh ideas for the study body and staff. 

Arjun Setty, President

Q: What are your specific plans for next school year? 

A: My plan for SCA next year both builds upon current initiatives from this year and a strategic vision that will help the PFHS Student Body reach new heights. Specifically, I plan to continue upon the work that we did this year with regards to planning homecoming, cutting ticket prices, and marketing while building communication channels, improving pep rallies, involving clubs, and restructuring SCA. (You can refer to my Instagram Post for more details.)

Q: What aspects of PFHS would you like to see improve? ?

A: My improvement plan for Potomac Falls is centered around student input and open communication. Oftentimes, it’s the student body that has the best ideas for our school, and as SCA President representing them is my top priority. Based on my experience as PR Officer, our most successful events, homecoming, for instance, were all developed off of the opinions of our student body. While developing a strong communication and outreach channel is the cornerstone of my agenda, I did have other action items. One of the biggest ones on that list is making pep rallies fun again. I’m going to say it as it is: Our pep rallies are really boring right now, and don’t reflect the school spirit that we have as Panthers. My “Day 1” action would be to make our hoco pep rallies as successful as the dance by incorporating more theatrical elements, giving students more freedom, and by making them more interactive and engaging. Additionally, I plan to build relationships with clubs, and start club-sponsored events and spirit days that the whole school can enjoy. One very popular suggestion has been to hold a diversity day in collaboration with our affinity groups. My last, biggest immediate action item would be restructuring SCA into committees so individuals can dedicate their time to productively improving specific areas of our school.

Q: What’s your vision for PF?

A: My vision is to build a school environment where each and every student feels has a sense of belonging, where events demonstrate our full potential and talent, and where our student body exemplifies our values of excellence not only in our school, but also in their community. It sounds idealistic, but I like keeping this vision of inclusivity, excellence, and community at the forefront of my mind when working with my peers and stakeholders to improve our school.

Q: What do you expect from the student body and staff as far as school spirit goes? 

A: Personally, I never want to force anything upon an individual or pressure them to do something. So, go do what makes you happy with regards to showing school spirit! At the same time, our spirit days are going to be so fun, that people who don’t do them will miss out on one of the most fun parts of being a Panther. To answer your question, my only expectation from the student body and staff is that they share their great ideas with us and have as much fun as possible during spirit weeks and schoolwide events!

Q: What does school spirit mean to you? 

A: To me, school spirit means being proud to be a Panther, it’s the sense of community that you get when you walk into the foyer every day, it’s the feeling of belonging you have when you’re at a tailgate, it’s the notion of unrelenting unity when you’re cheering for our football team. School spirit is always there and embracing it is, in my eyes, the best part about being a Panther.

Jack Barton, Vice President

Q: What are your specific plans for Potomac Falls? 

A: Next school year, I would like to plan out a great homecoming dance with acceptably priced tickets. I would also like to have a few more spirit weeks and pep rallies throughout the year compared to how many we had this year.

Q: What do you plan to improve for PFHS?

A: The main thing I would like to improve at the school is simply the level of spirit. I would like to see more people participating in spirit events or be present at sports games.

Q: What’s your vision for PFHS?

A: My vision for Potomac Falls is a school where everyone is involved and happy.

Q: What do you expect from the study body and staff as far as school spirit goes? 

Honestly, there are definitely some kids and staff who have a lot of spirit at our school, but there are also some others who don’t get involved very often. The responsibility falls to the SCA to come up with fun ideas to get the less hesitant people involved.

Q: What does school spirit mean to you? 

A: To me, school spirit just means how much you love Potomac Falls. It means how much you want to represent our school and just make it a more fun and bright place to be in.

As our county and school starts to go back to “normal”, some of the more traditional high school traditions are starting to ease back in. In the next 2022-2023 school year expect fresh ideas and exciting activities for Potomac Falls. For more updates from SCA, follow them on Instagram @pfhs.sca for more updates and information.