Be the Change

How ASB has changed over the years.

In the past decade, Garfield has undergone massive renovations, changes in administration, and noticeable population changes in the community.  Through this, Garfield has continued to progress and grow into the complex community that is garfield.  And in and functioning community there must be a leading force, a representative for those without a voice so everyone can live with some degree of harmony, something the Garfield Associate Student Body strives to be.

“The main point of ASB is to represent the student body in any way we can,” said Tianna Andresen, the junior class president.  Andresen has seen 3 years in office as one of the mediators between the schools administration and the student body, witnessing the continuous change of how leadership at this school presents itself.

“Over the years I’ve seen greater representation ethnically and gender wise, essentially making it more productive and meaningful through better representation of our students.”  
​In agreement with this statement is senior class vice president Barnaby Woods, who sites social segregation as one of the most apparent problems within GHS.  “The more recent ASB classes have recognized this issue in full and made steps to bridge these gaps,” said Woods.  
“It’s really important as it allows to speak for a broader variety of perspectives and holds us accountable as representatives,” said Andresen.
Optimizing the productivity of ASB through diversity was a long process initiated by Ms. Antoncich (known by the students as Ms. A), who received high praise from both of the aforementioned officers.

“She was a big impact in the new identity of ASB, since she actively advertised to the under represented communities at this school,” said Woods.
“I liked teaching Japanese but I always had an interest in developing leadership skills in teenagers,” said Antoncich. “This seemed like an exciting way to take that passion and actually apply it to the Garfield community.”  

After taking up this responsibility four years ago, she has made it a point to incorporate a broader variety of students into ASB.  “As the class has grown, we have the opportunity to hear more voices from different parts of the school,”  said Antoncich.

Like the rest of the school, ASB will continue to change in both size and representation, but Ms. A has very little concern about the years to come.  “We’ve built momentum around people that care really deeply about what happens in these walls… people who have a heart for working toward change in the Garfield community.”