ASB held an “Alice’s Winterland” sports assembly on the 20th of January (even though the students’ planners state the assembly is in December). It featured all of FVHS’s winter sports team, the ASB committee, color-guard, dance team, and the cheer team.

ASB set the mood with something different, staging black lights and making student’s white clothes and smiles glow in the dark.

In my opinion, everything seemed to go smoothly until the pep rally. I felt that the pep rally was poorly executed, disorganized, and low in energy. There was some feedback from students saying that that assembly was exciting until it had which the pep rally, where they found it to be a bit confusing. Although it was a “sports’ pep rally,” ASB didn’t showcase the sports as other rallies have done.

It’s disappointing that there was little interaction with the teams. To be frank, the team cheers didn’t do much to help with the crowd intensity, previous years held the sports teams in competitions. Maybe it would have been better for the teams to dance instead of  ASB? The teams ran through a poster, huddled in a circle, and ran off the stage.  Andres Batta (’12) and Mason Clevenger (’12) closed the assembly with a cheer, but it seemed like it wasn’t enough to get the whole crowd pumped up.

During the first assembly, Mr. Fraser stepped in towards the end of the pep rally to get the crowd more involved. However, during the second assembly, there was a lack of energy and enthusiasm.  A failed t-shirt cannon stunt also didn’t help the overall success of the rally. After that, it was hard to get the crowd up and running when MC’s Batta and Clevenger tried to get the crowd energized.  Minh Le (’12), Assembly Director, stated that “The first assembly was a lot better than the second one. Mr. Fraser came in with the T-shirt cannon and got the crowded pumped up during the pep rally.”

Other parts of the assembly were actually very interesting. They had implemented a new lighting system with strobe lights  that added more flavor to the design of the play with the glow- in- the- dark after effects. In addition, Clevenger and Julie Ruck (’12) played their roles as Alice and the Mad Hatter to the point.

So on this note, ASB had just conducted a student survey earlier this week, asking the student body themselves what ASB can improve on for the next assemblies to come. After seeing this assembly and taking the student survey, the question that stands now is that ASB has an idea of what the students are looking for. Yet, are they going to accommodate those suggestions or will they continue to do what they like to see in the assemblies/rallies?

FVHS ASB

On Tuesday January 17th during SSR, ASB will be conducting a student survey in order to assess student satisfaction.  The survey will consist of three open ended questions which students may answer voluntarily.  All responses will be kept anonymous and ASB will later analyze the results.

ASB Activities Director, Quinton Dang, said “the survey is one of our ways to try to reach out towards our students and listen to their voices, to see what they want and what they like and don’t like. We know that there are always certain people who would tell us upfront, but quite frankly, there are a lot of students who aren’t comfortable doing so, so we never get the right feedback. We’re hoping this survey will allow students to freely express themselves.”

ASB plans to take the results into consideration for improvements in the future.

For years, ASB has been the role model of the school. These carefree members of ASB promote school spirit by informing their fellow students of upcoming events and activities around school that they can participate and coordinating entertaining assemblies and other events. Leaders are defined by what they do and these ASB officers have definitely done enough. No, they have done more than enough to be known as the leaders of their schools. But why are some students still against the concept of having an ASB at school?

ASB officers deserve respect for all they do for their schools and the time commitment for each officer sums up to spending more time at school than an athlete, scholar, and even a teacher! Some of them are athletic and/or academic scholars themselves. How do they do this we may ask?

During election or interview, they were confronted with the question, “Can they be on ASB with all the activities they participate in, whether it is being a president of a club, being a captain of a sports team, or taking five AP Classes simultaneously?” They answered, “Yes.” Their response to this question initiates them on the path to becoming the inspirational, leader-like role models they are.

Focusing specifically on our very own Fountain Valley ASB, they work diligently every year so that we, the students of FVHS may have enjoyable assemblies, a memorable Homecoming and Prom, a thrilling Bell Week, and fun lunch time activities. Their work throughout the year is driven solely by the desire to make every student\’s high school career the best it can be.

So next time when someone comes up and says that ASB is useless or has done something horrible, look around the campus and think about it for a second. Do they really deserve the criticism? The answer is, everything ASB does is for the school and the students who attend it.

Banner designed by Club Commissioner Ayah Bany-Mohammed ('12).

Every year I look forward to the first week of November, the much anticipated Bell Week. It’s one of my favorite weeks of the year. I love getting pumped up at the Pep Rally and I love seeing posters hung all over campus and the way they cover entire walls and even the ground. For the last three years, I have had the chance to work with the ASB and Senate in their efforts to prepare for Bell Week. I’m surprised at how much time they sacrifice to raise school spirit. What strikes me the most is the quality of the posters and how that quality has improved year after year.

During the summer students brainstorm poster ideas and begin designing them.  Many of the ASB officers put about thirty minutes or more into just a single poster. That requires dedication considering how they are obligated to basically draw 100 posters. The time they spend to put the posters up is even more astonishing. Having only Thursday night to hang up posters all over campus, our ASB and Senate works diligently and swiftly to assure that the school will be ready for the next morning when students walk through the gates.

In addition to their poster duties, ASB officers  were expected to attend the annual ASB Breakfast with the Chargers\’ ASB around 5:00 A.M. The hours of bedtime they sacrificed for just this week is unimaginable.

Mural completed by Spirit Commissioner Natalie Wilson ('12).

Some question whether the numerous amounts of posters are necessary every single year. The truth is yes. Yes, because it rallies up the school to defeat the Edison Chargers. Although we haven\’t won for the last seven years, our school still exerts pride and spirit at every Bell Game.

What about all those students who have worked so hard to make Bell Week happen? What everything really worth it?

Spirit Commissioner Jessica Hanson (\’13) thinks so. “In the end, it was all worth it. I believe the posters and the rally really got everyone pumped up for the game. I honestly never have seen our school as loud and together before of my three years in high school. It\’s really thrilling to see the crowd so stimulated.”

You don\’t see Edison or Marina High Schools rally up as much spirit as we have for football games. Everyone on campus from the student body to the administration has exemplified what it is to be a Baron through spirit and unity. We should be thanking ASB for all the countless hours they have spent to make Bell Week possible and the student body and staff for being so supportive. We are the mighty Barons!

FVHS ASB

I have never been popular in my life. In my never ending pursuit of knowledge I decided to explore the realm of popularity. Before I could discover the majestic world of fame (the land of ASB) I had to find out more about the foundation. The members of the Associated Student Body are not just there by inheritance, they must earn their right in the hierarchy of high school popularity.

So, how does one achieve this honor? A common route is by joining Senate, also known as the gateway to the kingdom which is ASB. This gateway intrigued me because many join, but few proceed to the next level.

It wasn’t enough for me to ask members of Senate or ASB to find the truth of becoming popular. I knew they would give sugarcoating answers and make it seem like the road is all sparkles and rainbows. I felt that the only way to give the Barons the truth was to go incognito and visit some of the “poster parties” Senate hosts after school.

My feelings would best be described as apprehensive. I have heard many things about Senate prior to my planned trip. “Senate is like ASB’s little elves,” says Vinh Vu (’12) This is coming from a man who is on homecoming court, on a popularity level almost equal to ASB. “Aren’t they a lower echelon of ASB?” Jaime Tran (’12) said, as you can tell Jaime is just your average nerd (who uses the word echelon outside of math class?), but he shares the same view of Senate as many other students on campus.

Before I had arrived to the gateway of popularity I expected to see something similar to scenes of a missionary visiting a third world country. I could imagine it already. It would look exactly like Sam Childers seeing the poor children of East Africa for the first time in the movie “Machine Gun Preacher”, except it would be little senators slaving away on posters in a blazing inferno.

When I arrived I saw it. The little senators were toiling away on posters, but it wasn’t just them. ASB was also helping out. It was amazing, I thought I would see elves slaving away while the ASB leaders fed on the grapes of servants. This is probably the only time ASB is helping senate I thought to myself.

Maybe ASB was just “giving back” to the community and being nice that day. I had to visit again to ensure that it was just a charity act. The second visit was even more stirring. ASB was there again making posters with the senators. I even made a poster with a senator and conversed about the whole idea of senate and ASB.

“We really feel like we help to encourage school spirit and contribute to a positive school environment.” said Harrison Nguyen (’14) when I asked him what he thinks Senate does for Fountain Valley. This answer was very mature and shocked me to some degree. I was reluctant to believe that all senators felt this way. This Harrison Nguyen kid was probably just an exception.

The rest of the senators were hungry for the fame of ASB right? The thing is they weren’t. I interacted with several other members of senate and I admit I had fun. In fact, I befriended several members of Senate and my viewpoint has changed.

After my visits I realized that the students on Senate have a genuine desire to help our school. They treated me as an equal even though my popular points were not as high as theirs. It was a loving environment and the marvelous element about it all was that you have fun.

However, because Senate attends many school events and helps around campus frequently, these students become more well-known and “popular”. It’s something that is inevitable and maybe they deserve it, after all they do provide a better atmosphere at school for all of us. We can all agree to what Kanye said in School Spirit, “Back to school and I hate it there, I hate it there.” and Senate tries it’s best to make it as fun as possible.

So, next time you see Senate working on their posters, you should remind yourself that they’re doing it for you. If you’re feeling really generous ask to make a poster yourself, they don’t mind. Underneath all of the popularity and stardom, ASB and Senate are people too and amicable ones at that.

Students enjoying themselves at the Aloha Dance.

I went to the Aloha dance with every intention of having the worst time, as I did last year. But when I walked out of the gym this year I  literally had no complaints.

Don\’t just take my word that the dance was well-received. Student Julie Dang (\’13) said the “Aloha Dance was definitely the right way to start out my junior year! It really exceeded my expectations.”Avid dancer Joy Chen (\’13) thought the Aloha Dance “was a good night with friends” and had “good vibes!” Micheal Perri from Dance commission triumphantly added that this year’s turnout was “a new record in FV gym dance history” saying that ASB “only needed to make a few changes… to make our other dance[s] more amazing.”

I reviewed all of the things that I hated about it last year: it was hot, crowded, and full of individuals dressed in socks and leis, and not much else. Was it less crowded? On the contrary, there was a massive turnout. And naturally, more people means more body heat. Did administration actually enforce the dress code? Definitely not (that will be the day no one attends the Aloha Dance.)

So I asked ASB what they did differently. Andrew Thai from the Spirit commission thought the success was due to the “amount of publicizing done.” He explained that the past years they simply used word of mouth and facebook, whereas this year ASB “went above and beyond by incorporating a flash mob promoting the Aloha Dance.”

Students who attended the dance felt it was a better experience for other reasons.  Said attendee Brandon Khong (\’13) “Well, I think that the Aloha dance this year was way better than the previous ones. ASB really went all out with the scenery.”

The only complaint voiced by students was about the choice of music. One student was overheard saying that she felt the music “wasn’t danceable.” Khong also commented on the song choices. “There were some slow songs. They should’ve added some more upbeat songs for more hardcore grooving,” he said. But the general consensus was that this was the best Aloha Dance so far.

I think this Dance was so successful due to the spirit that invigorated the school. ASB was aggressively publicizing it, teachers were encouraging attendance and the entire school was buzzing with excitement. Because ultimately, the music, the venue and the decorations do not really determine success (I distinctly remember standing around awkwardly with my friends at the 2010 Aloha Dance and commenting on the cute palm- tree lights.) Success is determined by the enthusiasm of the students. So even though I would be the last to admit it, FVHS Barons and ASB deserve a round of applause for making the Aloha Dance a great beginning to what will hopefully be a fantastic year for all of us at Fountain Valley High.

By Tue Duong, freelance photographer

2011 to 2012 ASB gathers after Bingo Set-Up. Click on image to enlarge. PHOTO CREDIT: Tue Duong ('14)

After a long, tiresome process of applying and interviewing, the newest Fountain Valley High School (FVHS) Associated Student Body (ASB) members of the 2011-2012 school year have finally been chosen. I was truly excited for this day to come as I will have a chance to witness promising students become our new leaders of this school. It was a difficult process to choose which out of 76 candidates would be most fit for the position.

“I feel very confident in them,” says Melissa Casiano (\’12), “I think they are getting along very well.”

After working with the upcoming ASB leaders setting up for weekly senior Bingo, I have seen how hardworking and fun-loving they are. The executive ASB had to make sure they chose a diverse group of people, and, all in all, they believed they chose an excellent group of students

“They\’re working really well, and they\’re really committed even though their term doesn\’t start yet,” says Noelle Nguyen (\’12).

The executive ASB hopes that next school year they will insure that their relationship with the staff and teachers are strong. They also aim to improve the school\’s pride and spirit, and draw more students to attend other school activities, such as the sports games and school dances.

“I\’m really confident that next year they\’ll bring a lot more to offer,” Jessica Le (\’13), “and just ‘cause everyone here has been really impressive and we can tell.”

Noelle also gives the newest ASB members a bit of advice, saying, “Know how to manage your time well and keep your priorities in order. Keep a good relationship with those on ASB because you\’ll never know when you need their help.”

Overall I would say that this is a promising group of diverse people that will definitely succeed in leading us into the coming year. I am excited to see what is in store for us in the new year knowing that we will be kept in good hands. If you guys have any suggestions for ASB, don\’t hesitate to ask because they always want to hear some of your ideas.

And without further ado, I present to you the newest members of FVHS ASB 2011-2012. Good luck to those and I wish you a great year!

Executives

President: Noelle Nguyen

Vice President: Bryan Nguyen

Secretary: Kyle Le

Parliamentarian: Melissa Casiano

Treasurer: Jessica Le

Activities: Quinton Dang and Chelsea Harvey

Administration

Assemblies: Cristina Bainter, Cindy Nguyen, and Minh Le

Athletics: Andres Batta II and Nathan Moss

Clubs: Kathy Dang and Ayah Bany-Mohammed

Spirit: Jessica Hanson, Tricia Vuong, Andrew Thai, Michael Landis, and Natalie Wilson

Dances: Katrina Khamis and Michael Perri

Media: Sarai McTyer and Lee Perri

Publicity: Yvonne Le, Colleen Vuong, Anhdao Uong, and Daisy Pham

Historian: Tracey Tran

Photos by Kennington Cung

At 3:43pm today the Activities office announced the results to today’s ASB elections. The finalists are:

Melissa Casiano
Quinton Dang
Chelsea Harvey
Jessica Le
Kyle Le
Bryan Nguyen
Noelle Nguyen

[Show as slideshow]

ASB with Orange County Registrar of Voters hosted the 2011 ASB elections for the coming 2011-2012 school year.

Squirming through the tight crowds, screams coming from all different directions, cute grabbers and handouts are only a few of the things you experience from Club Rush.  Every year, FVHS holds the highly anticipated Club Rush where clubs campaign to gain new potential members and show off their school spirit.

On campus, clubs vary from the Pokemon Club to Operation S.E.A. Red Cross to Make-A-Wish and many, many more.   Each of these clubs have different set of goals for themselves such as helping the environment, prevention of cancer, community service, or just simply being around people who share the same hobbies and interests.

This year, FVHS\’s ASB decided to have a battle between the clubs to see who could be the most spirited and loudest of all.  The winner who came out on top would have first pick at our school\’s International Week and receive a pizza party for their club.  Many clubs vied for this since International Week is a very important fundraiser for clubs.  Key Club and KIWIN\’s were some of the loudest this year even going as far as having a spirit battle with each other.

Students had many opinions this year about the long standing tradition and were not afraid to voice them out.  Tracy Nguyen (\’12) said, “I liked it because there were a variety of clubs and there were new ones that sprang up that were unique and new like the Asian Pacific Islander Club.  I also really liked advertising for my club and talking to the freshmen was great too!”  Richard Nguyen (\’13) said, “It was really loud and crowded.  I joined Red Cross because it meets in the room I hang out in so it\’s the best of both worlds.” Tom Nguyen (\’12) thought that “it went well and was outstanding this year because each club represented themselves well and cheered very loudly.”  Catherine Chu (\’14) thought it was “well organized and it really showed a perspective of each club.”

Joining clubs can be a thrilling and new experience for most people because it truly allows yourself to get out into the open and engage in many activities and helps you broaden your outlook on a variety of different interests.  Now isn\’t that what high school\’s all about?  Learning and experiencing new things that put you into situations that you haven\’t been in before are priceless. You should take the chance when given the opportunity to learn.  Club Rush remains and will continue to be a favorite high school event in the years to follow.