On March 11, the Maryland Association of Student Councils (MASC) held their annual leadership convention at the Ocean City Convention Center in Ocean City, Maryland.
This year, the Frederick County Association of Student Councils (FCASC) was chosen to host the convention, which includes responsibilities like planning, decorating, guiding students and more.
Seventeen high school students from across the county were chosen to host the convention, including three students from Linganore High School (LHS). These students included junior Alex Thomas, who served alongside Oakdale High School junior Aditi Bandyopadhyay as convention co-chairs, and juniors Hannah Moore and Alex Pietanza.
The host staff was advised by LHS Student Government Association (SGA) advisor Jeremy Brown and Oakdale teacher Jessica Miller.
For months prior to the convention, members would meet both in person and virtually to gather ideas and make plans for events and purchasing of supplies. Inside and outside these meetings, t-shirts were designed, decorations were bought and recreational activities were planned.
In order for these plans to come to fruition, host staff members traveled down to Ocean City one day before the other delegates attending. On the way, the staff received binders with a schedule of duties and who would be responsible for each.
Their first night was mainly filled with unpacking boxes and bringing all supplies into the convention center. The following day started early and the staff began getting busy.
“Host staff is essentially responsible for all the behind-the-scenes work that needs to be done to ensure everything runs smoothly,” Bandyopadhyay said. “This includes setting up decorations, monitoring workshops, setting up equipment, distributing items, manning recreational activities and so much more.”
When delegates from across the state arrived Tuesday evening, the host staff was in charge of checking in each delegation and their advisors, distributing merchandise, and guiding attendees around the convention center. However, their prime responsibility was to put on friendly faces that people felt comfortable approaching.
Once all the students were checked in, they proceeded to the general assembly, while host staff continued their work.
“We wouldn’t really go to the scheduled events that everyone else was going to, like the GAs [general assemblies] or the workshops,” Pietanza said. “We were the ones behind the scenes setting up the workshops and making sure everything was in order for them to do what they needed to do.”
Since they were not registered as delegates because of their organizational role, host staff also sacrificed their right to vote for next year’s MASC officers and amendments to MASC’s constitution.
Yet, many members noted the sacrifice was worth it to have the opportunity to plan such an important event.
“It was really fun just arranging everything and seeing people’s reactions to the hard work we put into it,” Pietanza said.
The following convention day had a packed schedule and included a lot of running around for host staff. Being the first people to arrive at the convention center and the last to leave each day made the days long.
Even during recreation time when delegates and advisors got to relax, host staff were in charge of running the activities. The responsibilities were endless, but in the end, their service paid off.
At the Awards Banquet, the host staff was recognized for their hard work. Bandyopadhyay, Brown, Miller and Thomas all received plaques for their efforts in their positions.
On Thursday morning, the host staff members packed up all of their supplies to bring back to LHS and assisted with the dismissal of all the other counties.
Once again, FCASC were the last to leave the Convention Center to make their journey back home.
For more information on future FCASC events, click here.
