Our school, summer plans, and everything in between were heavily impacted by Covid-19.  Because of the virus, many pre-existing plans have been canceled or rescheduled. One group in particular, Student Leadership, who planned many fun events this year such as Homecoming and the Dance to name a few, had to postpone events as well. However, even with these limitations, Leadership is pushing forward to promote Black Hawk Spirit throughout BHHS all while still prioritizing the safety of students.

   Student Leadership senior Co-President Maggie Eisenberg shared how Student Leadership has prioritized everyone’s safety this year.

   “Many of our ILPs (Individualized Leadership Projects) that we are planning to administer this year have been altered, so they are socially distant and safe for their participants,” said Eisenberg. “The plans that have been impacted the most are Homecoming and The Dance. We hope to be able to host these fun events for the Black Hawks in the future when it is safe to do so.”

   Student Leadership senior Vice President/Fundraising Coordinator, Allie Yaker, further explained the restraints this year and how student leadership will combat these.

   “We do a lot of fundraisers during the year so that is a big thing we’ve had to change,” explained Yaker. “COVID has made it more difficult to run fundraisers in person like we usually do, so we’ve had to come up with ideas for fundraisers that can work virtually.”

   While enduring these limitations from COVID-19, Student Leadership believes that keeping Black Hawks unified is crucial.

   “One way in which Student Leadership is keeping the Black Hawk Spirit alive is focusing on unifying the school,” Eisenberg stated. “It is important as leaders in the community to ensure that no one feels alone during this unprecedented time.”

   Junior Class Co-President Akita Kotian added to this, stating how important it is for every student to feel supported.

   “Stuco is keeping the Black Hawk spirit alive by planning events and fundraisers to support the community during these tough times. We are working to make sure each student feels supported and comfortable with the Hybrid environment,” said Kotian.

   Eisenberg discussed an example of something that she does during online school that can help students and their teachers feel more connected and united.

    “Small acts like turning my Zoom camera on builds one of the BHHS cornerstones of ‘Relationships’ with my peers and teachers. It is important during these hard times to relate to one another to develop a sense of community. Turning on your camera does just that,” said Eisenberg. 

      Bringing back the spirit at BHHS for Student Leadership has always been prioritized. This sense of community and connectedness is what Student Leadership strives for with every Black Hawk. Yaker explained how this affects Stuco’s plans for the rest of the year.

   “Being that the start of the year was crazy for everyone, it took us some time as student leadership to figure out our tentative plan for the year,” said Yaker.  “We have started coming up with some ideas and are working on ways to unite BHHS and bring back the spirit.”

   Leadership’s main goal is to make everyone feel welcome at school and unite the Bloomfield community by planning exciting events to unify students and staff. Although, like everything else, Student Leadership has been presented with many challenges this year, they continue to keep the Black Hawk spirit alive so that everyone can have a fun and safe school year.