No senior spree? Prom canceled?! We’ve all heard rumors, but regard less of whether you’ve believed them, the bottom line is this: the Class of 2023 is not broke.

Sure, they started the year with barely $5,000 in their bank account. But through hard work, the current seniors might be in a better position than the ‘22 seniors to pay for end-of-year activities. To debunk some myths surrounding senior budget issues, I spoke with Beth Jiang, an ASB senior senator.

How has the pandemic affected the senior’s budget?

“Obviously, we can trace our financial issues back to the pandemic,” said Jiang. Not only did the senior class lose opportunities to host in-person events, they experienced less participation after COVID-19. “The past few years we’ve been struggling to find ways to engage the rest of our class and the community,” said Jiang. To reunite the class of 2023, ASB seniors organized several fundraisers this year, including the wildly successful Fill-The-Truck fundraiser which raised about $800. They continue encouraging the entire class, not just those in Leadership to get involved in volunteering.

What are some efforts seniors took to fix our budget issues?

The Chipotle fundraiser, Winter Formal, and Boosters Auction all helped the seniors recover funds. Ticket sales for the Winter Formal, put on entirely by seniors, totaled around $3,000 (excluding fees for custodial services and security). The Chipotle fundraiser brought in $600, just 33% of sales made. “For a few hours of fundraising on a random Saturday afternoon, it was very successful,” said Jiang. More recently, the class received $7,600 in donations from the Boosters Auction. “With the Boosters Auction behind us, we’re in a good place for prom,” said Jiang. ASB coordinator Alina Harestad agreed, adding that “tickets could be as low as $25”, substantially less than last year.

So, how can I help?

There is definitely still fundraising to be done before prom. “The venue itself has already been paid for, but we expect catering to be around $5000,” said Harestad.

 Seniors are already planning two more fundraisers: another Fill-The-Truck (tentative date April 18) and selling graduation cords to recognize the senior class. 

If you are a student looking to volunteer, reach out to Harestad regarding helping at these events. 

Direct donations to the senior class are always welcome and can be made using the link on ASB’s page of Shorewood’s website. For now, the class senators encourage seniors “not to worry, and get involved in any way possible!”