Class Clubs: How Will Fundraising Work Online?

As many of us know, IMSA’s class clubs are responsible for raising funds for each class’s prom. Throughout the year, they host different fundraisers such as the food carts and the ever-popular JCC cafe, started by the class of 2021’s Junior Class Club. However, given the situation of IMSA starting remotely, this brings up questions about the current status of the class clubs. What are they doing now? How will fundraising work if we aren’t on campus? Will there be class club reps? And of course, the question that has been on many students’ minds: What happened to the SCC funds from last year?

Current Class Club Update

According to Emily Jung (’22), the JCC Logistics Director, the current Junior Class Club is discussing the idea of selling product-based items by shipping them to students. Although Senior Class Club is also debating the idea of shipping items to students, Patrick Hultquist (’21), the SCC Logistics Director, brings up the additional problems that this idea poses. One of the main issues with shipping items is that, because cash cannot be used, they will have to make sure to process credit card and debit card information securely. Furthermore, they will have to work with companies in order to figure out how shipping will work, should they choose to go through with that plan. Patrick says that SCC “want(s) students to enjoy the things that might be shipped” and they also “don’t want to bother students. Some students may be in tough financial situations.” For both class clubs, this plan has yet to be finalized, but they will work on keeping the student body updated.

The other big difference that remote learning causes is the lack of need for class club representatives. These representatives or reps usually help out with different fundraising events, such as food carts. Patrick has acknowledged that, with those events no longer happening, there is no need for reps at the moment, but “being a rep is definitely fun. Nothing beats a food cart. I would love to have one more food cart.” Currently, both JCC and SCC are not planning on having reps. However, both have said that there is still a possibility that reps may be needed in the future, but there will definitely be fewer reps than in past years.

So what does this mean for prom? Fundraising will definitely be more difficult, but it all comes down to whether or not it will be safe enough for prom to happen. With the current situation of COVID-19, although we all hope to be back on campus for the second semester, it is still uncertain whether we will be able to return. SCC is still waiting for input about prom and whether it will happen this year. Even if prom does not happen, SCC assures us that those funds will definitely go towards something worthwhile regardless, but that will ultimately be determined once we know for sure whether we will be returning to campus in the spring. Although SCC will definitely have a difficult time collecting funds for prom this year, they are not deterred. As Patrick puts it, “We love our class and we love our school, so we’re doing everything we can to make the best out of this situation. We want a prom and we know everyone else wants a prom, so we’re working on that and we’re confident that (as long as we’re back on campus) it will happen.”

2019-2020 Funds

Last year, due to the pandemic, the class of 2020 was unable to attend the prom they had waited for. As a result, those funds were no longer used. According to Kurt Leano (’20), last year’s SCC Logistics Director,  the class of 2020’s SCC had originally planned on using the funds for a senior weekend. It wouldn’t have been the same as prom, but it would have given them all one more chance to spend some time together and make some final memories from their senior year. Unfortunately, as the pandemic worsened, it became clear this senior weekend wouldn’t happen. Instead, some of the funds were used to purchase gifts for the seniors and have them shipped to everyone individually. The seniors each received a senior shirt as well as a speaker with the words “IMSA Class of 2020” displayed on the side.

What about the rest of the funds? Usually, after prom ends, the leftover funds from that year are used to purchase the senior gift. Senior gifts are the class’s gift to IMSA, such as the blue benches outside of IMSA that were gifted by the class of 2018. Of course, with the end of last year being full of unusual circumstances, it’s only natural that the graduated seniors didn’t follow the usual tradition. The board as well as their advisor, Amy Woods, ultimately decided to put the rest of the money towards something greater, and the leftover funds ended up going to the COVID relief fund.

Although the class of 2020 has already graduated, there are still plans to host one final gathering. If the situation with COVID-19 clears up, class of 2020’s SCC hopes to host this gathering next summer. Former Residence Life director Amy Woods, who communicated this plan to the OPA (Office of Public Affairs), says that OPA is willing to help class of 2020’s SCC make this gathering a possibility. For now, we can only wait and see how the situation with COVID-19 progresses, and we hope the class of 2020 is able to participate in this much-deserved chance at making some final memories together.