Homecoming Week is now here and excitement levels are high. Pajama Day, the Powderpuff games, the Pep Rally, even Meme and Character Day are all a part of this year’s lineup of activities for the theme “Under the Bright Lights: New York.” It all culminates in the homecoming dance that will be held on Saturday, Oct. 4, in the gymnasium. 

But with all of this activity, you might be wondering just who is behind these events. Look no further than the Student Government Organization, or SGA, who put in the time and effort to make this year’s Homecoming Week a reality. Along with Homecoming Week, SGA also organizes Hoopcoming and Senior Week, as well as a monthly project for each class’s members. They also participate in community outreach and coordinate with North Atlanta’s administration to give the student population a voice. Any interested student may join, but it is a year-long club and requires a certain level of commitment and involvement to be considered an active member.

SGA primary leadership involves a student-selected president and vice president, although there is some level of staff leadership as well. Teachers Jennifer Page and Emily Galloway help oversee SGA and ensure that everything runs smoothly. But for the most part, it is up to the students to decide what activities they are going to plan and how they are going to coordinate with the school to set them up. The election for SGA vice president took place between Sept. 4 and 6 and the results were revealed the following week during the morning announcements. Meanwhile, the former vice president was slated to become the president. If elected to the position of vice president, the student automatically becomes the president of SGA the following school year.

Senior Emily D’Achiardi was elected by her peers last year as the SGA vice president, and is hence the organization’s president for this school year. She is responsible for overseeing and orchestrating the club’s initiatives and activities at school, as well as outside of it. D’Achiardi is also accountable for the assignment of each class with a monthly initiative. She  tasks them with developing a campaign for that initiative and spreading their campaign throughout the school.

SGA as a group comes up with several projects throughout the year under D’Achiardi’s guidance and this year’s president is also steering the organization toward projects that are of personal interest to her. An avid environmentalist, D’Achiardi aims to see her organization raise environmental consciousness and even take on topics like climate change. Making good on her plans, D’Achiardi has already carried out one of these environmentally-focused events. Along with the Environmental Club, she helped to plan Sept. 26 walkout for climate justice. More than half the school attended, with speakers at the front of the football field giving speeches and calling for action. “Environmentally-focused events like these really open up our perspective,” she said, “A lot of people aren’t educated about this issue because you don’t see it on the news every day”

Junior Brendan Weinbaum was elected as SGA’s vice president for the 2019-2020 school year. Like every vice president before him, he will become the president next school year. Weinbaum’s role is to observe the current president in preparation for next year, and to aid her in SGA’s day-to-day running. His plans primarily revolve around service and helping others in the community. He hopes to increase SGA’s involvement in community volunteering, as well as communal efforts at school. “I would like to maximize our canned food drive and perhaps implement a toy drive as well,” he said.

Weinbaum is also intent on making these events more competitive for students and staff. He believes that by giving incentives, students will be more eager to participate in the campaign and spread of its message. “We could pit different homerooms or first periods against each other,” he said, “and offer them something such as a pizza party to the class that brings in the most cans or raises the most funds.”

All year long, it’s clear that with leaders like D’Achiardi and Weinbaum that SGA will be very much about the business of elevating our school to the highest possible heights.