On Feb. 16, ASB members from all of GUSD’s middle schools stormed into the auditeria, eager to see the differences between their experiences and those of high school ASB students. The annual GUSD Middle School Leadership Conference allows high school ASB students to interact with the middle school students, in hopes that the students will carry on their ASB positions once they begin high school.

The conference is held at a different GUSD high school, and this year it was Clark’s turn to host the event. With a Harry Potter theme, Clark’s ASB members created posters with different Harry Potter houses such as Gryffindor and Hufflepuff.

Students were divided into groups and spent time in classrooms that weren’t occupied by Clark students. The ASB room and the cybrary were filled with Roosevelt, Toll, Rosemont and Wilson students who all had their own shirts and sweatshirts to show off their school spirit. ASB members participated games such as musical chairs and the whisper challenge. “It was very energetic, and all of the middle schoolers participated really well,” said ASB advisor Elaine Snodgress.

Though it seemed like fun and games from the outside, the middle schoolers were also given information about how ASB runs in different GUSD high schools. ASB members from Glendale High School answered questions about how they organize rallies and set up for events such as football games and Round-Up, while Clark ASB students explained how they fund senior trips such as Catalina Island and Disneyland.

Glendale High School’s Junior Class President Michelle Yolyan was a leader of one of the middle school groups and said that she participated in the same conference when she was in middle school. “Through this conference, I was encouraged to join ASB in high school,” she said. “So now, I want to continue inspiring other middle schoolers to participate in leadership activities and be active members of society.”

To conclude the day on an exciting note, each middle school created their own dance and performed it in front of the other ASB students. Roosevelt danced to “Bodak Yellow” by Cardi B and changed up the lyrics to reflect their experience in ASB, while Wilson danced to the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song. The meeting ended with full energy,  just as it had start. “It was a lot of energy, a lot of fun and a lot of activities,” Snodgress said.