October kicked off with an energetic Spirit Week that saw Hopkins' halls come alive with themed celebrations. From cozy PJ Day to creative Mismatch Day, students embraced each theme with enthusiasm. Beach Day brought summer vibes to autumn, while the traditional Maroon and Grey Day united the community in school pride. This year's participation soared thanks to an engaging social media campaign that awarded points for spirited photos with teachers and interactive Instagram polls. A special shoutout to the seniors who clinched a dramatic last-minute victory, edging out the determined freshmen by an astonishing 445 points.

Our fall Homecoming Dance transformed the middle gym into a vibrant celebration space where Hopkins students came together for a night filled with music, memories, and snacks.  The photo booth was definitely a highlight of the evening, with friends lining up to capture both silly and sweet moments together. (Though some of you cleverly suggested adding Polaroids next time to avoid the lines – we love that idea!)

You all shared some amazing feedback that's helping us plan even better dances for the future! Some creative suggestions included adding superlatives for categories like "best dressed" and "life of the party," creating a chill area where people can actually hear each other talk, and even having HopTV conduct interviews during the dance. The music sparked lots of discussion too, and we're excited to explore ways to incorporate more student input into our playlists for future events to keep the dance floor energy high all night long.

Let's talk about the snacks and drinks situation – we saw all your comments about the $1 charge for refreshments on top of ticket prices (and yes, we caught that "greedy poopy faces" comment – we promise we're not trying to nickel and dime anyone! 😆). Here's the scoop: Homecoming is actually one of Student Council's main fundraisers, helping us provide free events throughout the year like those delicious Pumpkin Bowl donuts and Field Day activities. We charged for snacks and drinks mainly to prevent waste – in previous years, we noticed lots of unopened drinks and untouched snacks left behind when everything was free. That said, we hear you! We're brainstorming other solutions that could work better for everyone, like possibly including some refreshments in the ticket price while keeping extra snacks available for purchase.

With the busy fall season wrapped up, StuCo is excited to shift focus toward strengthening student involvement in school decision-making. Plans are underway to create and build the proposal system, making it easier for students to share their ideas and contribute to positive changes at Hopkins. The council is also working to build stronger connections with faculty members to help turn student suggestions into reality.

StuCo takes pride in listening to student feedback and using it to improve future events. From serious suggestions about better microphone systems to humorous requests for "more drinks" and "foooooooood please," every comment helps shape our events. For example, this year's successful CFBF restructuring came directly from student input, and the new percentage-based system has already doubled participation rates. Similarly, feedback from previous Pumpkin Bowls led to this year's addition of the popular cider mile and pumpkin bowling events.

For the 2024-2025 school year, the Sustainability Board has been actively fostering positive change within the Hopkins community. Recently, Climate Action hosted a bake sale on November 8, with proceeds supporting Save the Sound, an organization dedicated to combating climate change and restoring ecosystems. 

The Waste Subcommittee introduced larger recycling and trash bins on Baldwin’s third floor, replacing smaller classroom bins to reduce plastic waste and contamination while encouraging mindful waste disposal. They plan to compare the trash/recycling distribution to the floors without the standardized bins and if proven successful will invest in larger bins throughout the campus. Stay mindful of where you put your trash!

The Natural Environment Subcommittee has been working to educate the community about local ecosystems by setting up trail cameras to capture photos of wildlife and native plants, with plans to display these images on campus TVs. Keep an eye out for new pictures! They also organized bake sales with petitions in October to support environmental awareness. On September 21, board members volunteered in a Shoreline Greenway Trail cleanup with CT Audubon. 

The Energy Subcommittee set up battery recycling bins throughout campus. Although batteries are often thrown out alongside standard trash, it is oftentimes more valuable to separate them. Almost all states (with the exception of California) deem single use batteries acceptable to throw out, but most states deem throwing away rechargeable batteries illegal because of the corrosive materials within them. The environmental impacts from carelessly throwing away batteries can be larger than imagined, so be mindful of where you put your old batteries. If you have a suggestion for where to set up more bins, reach out!

Looking ahead, the Energy Subcommittee is planning a Veganuary in January 2025 to promote sustainable dieting, emphasizing the health and environmental benefits of conscious eating with faculty sponsorships and active engagement with the community. Climate Action aims to expand outreach through the Razor and campus TVs, engaging more students in sustainability efforts. The Natural Environment Subcommittee will install bird-safe window stickers on the Athletics Center to prevent bird collisions.

Keep an eye out for the Sustainability Board at the holiday fair on December 13th, where we will be arranging succulent planting activities and beeswax wrapping to promote sustainable practices and environmental appreciation.

Quiz Bowl recently competed in Belmont High School’s Fall Tournament! We had a strong showing with our A team placing 8th in standard division, and a bold team of three playing in the novice division. Shoutout to Captain Claire B. and sophomore Derin B. for making top scorers in their respective divisions (with the panda stickers to prove it), and freshman Ravi C. for winning the coveted can of beans with his 20 incorrect answers! We want to thank everyone who came out to play quiz bowl over the beginning of their Thanksgiving break, and are looking forward to hosting our own inter-Hopkins tournament (date TBD). Go Hop!

Model UN recently attended BUSUN (Brown University Model United Nations Conference) and was able to engage in debate on topics from the Olympics to peaceful use of outer space. Club Head Josie L was able to take home an honorable mention delegate award in her crisis committee and we had strong performances across the board from new and experienced MUN-ers! We are also excited to announce that registration for Hopkin’s own conference (HOPMUN) is expected to open in mid-January and will be available to the entire community.