SGA sells survey with local school
Posted on February 18, 2008
From Jan. 28 through Feb. 4 SGA members went to Harrisonburg High School to help promote sales of a survey, called iFlurtz, that paired students up based on compatibility. The survey cost nothing for students to fill out, charged a fee for individuals to see their results.
When SGA became involved, HHS students had already completed the iFlurtz survey. The only job left was to help student leaders promote the sales of the results.
“We had two goals with this program,” said Junior Class Secretary, Mallory Micetich. “To teach them to learn and stick to a timeline and also how to execute a publicity plan.”
Each SGA member worked with a small group of HHS students who focused on a particular publicity medium, such as banners, print advertisements, posters, commercials and contests.
Gifford Hall senator John Sutter headed one of the commercial groups. His group produced two thirty-second commercials.
Sutter said that he guided his students in their goal setting and their execution.
“When it came to designing and creating the ideas for the commercial, the high schooler’s came up with those ideas themselves,” he said, adding that he helped with the video editing process.
Micetich worked with the poster group, composed of three freshmen and one junior HHS student.
“I just remember looking back at the junior girl and how she was mentoring the freshmen girls,” she said. “It was awesome to see her using her leadership. It's a position I'd like to see all of our SGA students doing with the high school kids, and the high school kids were doing it to each other.”
SGA members didn’t just teach the importance of goal setting. Being a part of the college community allowed for creative ideas that the high school students may not have thought of, such as using the popular website Facebook as a promotion tool and accessing JMU’s Clubhouse for art supplies. Although the HHS students didn’t have direct access to the Clubhouse, members like Chiquita King, junior class president, went to the center for supplies that students in her banner group needed.
“I felt empowered that we were sharing what we love to do on a daily basis with the HHS students and giving them tools to expand their program and make it as big as it could be,” Micetich said. She added that with all the resources that SGA members have as college students, it didn’t make sense that they weren’t working with the high schools more.
The HHS students came from a leadership class taught by Valerie Penton. Many students involved also participate in HHS’ Student Council Association, or SCA. The course aims for its participants to be among the most intelligent in the school and as a result, the students wanted to be pushed and were really motivated to get work done, Sutter said.
JMU’s SGA junior class conducted the project as a way to reach out to the community. The idea originally intended for the class to go to the high school and mentor junior class students there, but the idea expanded to encompass the entire SGA and the high school equivalent.
“Students are our future, so it’s not only putting JMU’s name out there, but it’s empowering students to meet their potential,” King said.
SGA members returned to HHS last Tuesday and Friday to wrap up a parliamentary procedure workshop. The workshop taught a widely used method of conducting formal meetings that was created by professor John Cagle at California State University, Fresno. During the two-days, SGA members emphasized the importance of having a structure for a meeting, setting an agenda, following that agenda, and giving each person a chance to speak, Sutter said.
Although definite plans are not set at this time, SGA hopes to go back to HHS and work with the students again sometime in March.
