By Megha Pendyala
The Class of 2026 are looking out for their future selves, especially in the financial area. Every Wednesday, they host Bagel Wednesdays where you can get almost any type of flavored bagel for one dollar if it’s untoasted and two dollars if it’s toasted. They also always have the fundraising opportunity to hand in Dash’s receipts, where the freshman class is able to gain a percentage of money from Dash’s.
Not only do they host Bagel Wednesdays and have Dash’s receipts open, but the Class of 2026 recently had a fundraiser located at Jersey Mikes. It was on Saturday, February 11th from 12pm-8pm. A fundraiser at Jersey Mikes hasn’t been done before, and the idea was created by the Class of 2026’s president, Andrew Suh. He said that he’d been looking for a fast food place to hold the fundraiser at and “Jersey Mikes seemed new and popular.” Regarding the funds of this fundraiser, Andrew commented that he doesn’t have exact data but he “…feels the fundraiser went well. Many people I’ve talked to went and showed support. The very generous 25% [of profits from Jersey Mikes] will benefit us a lot more than any other restaurant.”
Kay Jung, a member of the Class of 2026, was asked what she thought the class’ funds should be used for. Kay said,“I think they should probably just be used for any future events like Prom or JDD.” This opinion is aligned with what many members of the Class of 2026 think as well for the use of the money. When asked the same question, Andrew agreed that’s where a majority of the funds will go, but he added that the class might also invest in new t-shirts. The 2026 Class advisor, Mr. Hurley also offered his input on this, agreeing that classes should start fundraising early. He shares that, “Mrs. Wagar and I have a long track record of successfully keeping costs for JDD and Prom to levels so all students can have an opportunity to participate…and that starts with fundraising now.”
Currently, there are no scheduled fundraisers coming up, but according to Mr. Hurley, “The Class of 2026 is always looking for unique fundraising ideas that will appeal to the student body.” When Andrew was asked about any upcoming fundraisers, he said that “a Chipotle fundraiser is in mind.” Members of the Class of 2026 were asked what fundraisers they think will be popular for other students. Emily Megan, a freshman, said, “Me personally, I really like Chipotle and Panera…I feel like most people like them too, so a fundraiser there is an idea.” Kay Jung shared her opinions as well when she said, “I feel like our class should focus on bake sales and things where you can buy stuff at school…it can be hard for people to find time in their schedule to drive to where the fundraisers are.”
Regarding meetings for the Class of 2026, there’s not an exact date at the moment, but there are usually meetings every month. When asked if the Class of 2026 council does a good job of listening and conveying its members’ ideas, Phoenix Pham, a member of the Freshman Steering committee, said, “Yes because Andrew usually asks us if we have any ideas, and he takes them into consideration.”
Consider supporting the freshman class in their future fundraisers!
