SGA Roundup: Fall 2011

The Student Government Association (SGA) is holding several annual events this fall. The Inova Blood Drive is the first event of the year, followed by the annual Activity Fair and freshman class elections. Homecoming events begin the week of Oct. 10, a week earlier than last year and will be the main focus of this year's fall events. The SGA also plans to sponsor a homeless walk and blood drive in late fall, but those events are currently in the early planning stages, according to junior SGA representative Kathlyn Skolnik.

Inova Blood Drive, Sept. 20

Blazers who are 16 and older can donate blood on Sept. 20. Those under 17 must present a signed parent consent form to donate blood. The drive will be held throughout the day during all class periods to accommodate the number of students willing to donate.

Activity Fair, Sept. 27 and Sept. 30
Blazers will gather on Blair Boulevard during periods five and six to learn about Blair's numerous clubs and activities. Clubs will set up displays with information about their activities and how students can join. For the second year in a row, the fair will be held over two days in order to allow students to visit all of the booths.

Freshman Elections, Sept. 26
The class of 2015 will vote for their SGA class president and vice president on Sept. 26. Freshmen who are interested in running for class president are required to get a petition form from the SGA office and gather signatures supporting their candidacy. After the candidates turn in their petitions, they must also agree to the terms of the election. Candidates will also give speeches on a date to be determined.

Homecoming Week, Oct. 10-15
This year's homecoming activities will begin with Spirit Week, which will be held from Oct. 10 through 14. The Spirit Day themes are yet to be decided. The annual homecoming pep rally will be held at the end of the school day on Oct. 14. A homecoming tailgate party will also take place after school in the parking lot outside the football stadium to encourage school spirit. The homecoming football game against Walt Whitman will follow at 6:30 p.m.

The homecoming dance will take place in the Student Activity Center (SAC) at 7 p.m. the next day. According to Skolnik, the SGA will try to take into account more of the student body's ideas while determining the details of this year's homecoming. The themes that Blazers can vote on will be released in the upcoming weeks.

Despite the absence of new fall activities, the SGA is looking to revitalize and get more students involved in their events, according to sophomore representative Amalia Perez. The SGA is also planning to become more open and inviting than in years past. "We did a poll and [the students] said they were intimidated by [the SGA], so we're starting to sit down with people at lunch, and introducing ourselves," she said.