When ASB isn’t working on an event of some sort, the organization is working on internal improvement- what better way to enrich the FHS campus then to improve those responsible for its enrichment? On December 1st, ASB hosted its own convention, inviting Santa Paula’s high school ASB to come and share ideas, and grow from the teachings of a special leadership speaker, Richard Parkhouse.

The first part of the convention kicked off with a fantastic lecture from aforementioned Mr. Parkhouse himself, and his message proved effective as students left with inspiration and the desire to make their school better not only for themselves, but for the entire student body. Parkhouse emphasized just how many students don’t feel welcome at their own school, a pressing issue manifesting across the country with the growing trend of heartrending suicides and shootings such as the Columbine High massacre. An alarming 50% of students don’t feel like a part of their school according to a country-wide study, and Mr. Parkhouse made us realize how this is a problem that has gone unaddressed for far too long. Overall, his message of understanding and putting oneself in other people’s shoes was a success, and hopefully made a great enough impression on the students present that they will want to “change lives and impact futures” as much as Richard Parkhouse.

The rest of the convention was a rotating system of sharing ideas and practices used in Fillmore and Santa Paula ASB’s. When a song was played on the speakers, groups of students from both schools would move from table to table, each table headed by 1-2 Fillmore ASB members who were in charge of a specific job or activity. They would present Fillmore’s way of going about the activity, then listen to the other students from Santa Paula share how they did the same activity differently at their school. The exchange of techniques turned out to be a great way to bring the schools together and learn countless new ways to improve FHS into the campus we know it can be, not just in an aesthetic sense, but to make Fillmore a school kids can really feel like they’re a part of.