MCR March General Assembly Recap

Women's History Month Guest Speaker Panel (MCR Videographer: Varun Srinivasan)

On March 6, the Montgomery County Regional SGA (MCR-SGA) hosted the Spring March General Assembly at Thomas S. Wootton High School. At around 10:30 a.m., students began to take their seats until the buzz died down and the meeting was able to start.

To kick off the general assembly, Wootton's AfroElites gave a special performance, dancing an impressive routine. Following that, MCR President Anusha Krishnan called for approval of the minutes and introduced Wootton President Douglas Nelson, who spoke about his experience with Student Government and his excitement for the assembly.

Officers then presented officer updates at 10:45, before the SMOB report was given by Mr. Sami Saeed. He announced his SMOB Advisory meeting and new homework changes he had planned, as well as the news that the Capital Improvements Plan was prevented by the Board. The prevention of the plan delays the construction of Damascus High School and Eastern Middle School until 2029 and cancels the renovations of Magruder and Wootton due to a lack of budget. Saeed then announced the Board of Education's approved $3.35 billion budget.

An update on MCR was then presented, where officers talked about the recent MASC convention that featured 80 Montgomery County students, the school safety forum, and the MCR state advocacy day, where MCR executive board members traveled to Annapolis to lobby state legislators.

In honor of Women's History Month, MCR held the Women in Leadership Panel with Board of Education Vice President Lynne Harris, Office of Curriculum and Instructional Programs Superintendent Niki Hazel, and MoCo EmpowHer Co-Chairs Aves Hasrat and Liliana Katz-Hollander. The panelists spoke about their experiences and tips for women in advocacy and leadership. “The biggest advice I have for young advocates is to never doubt your power… especially with your lived experiences,” Harris said.

At 11:35, the officers wrapped up the panel and transitioned to their Family Feud-themed “School Feud,” hosted by Kongo and Cooper. The game was a team-building activity filled with funny answers and friendly competition.

Following School Feud, attendees broke off into groups to discuss potential MCR methods of communication, such as social media and school visits, and their benefits and drawbacks.

The meeting was adjourned, and students were released to lunch where they enjoyed pizza and an organization fair with booths from many student advocacy organizations such as MASC, MoCo for Change, Eco Moco, and more.

The General Assembly featured fun and engaging activities, a panel to honor Women’s History Month, and fruitful discussions that kept the MCR school year on a strong footing.

Written By Mooti Chimdi

Published by the MCRSGA Communications Department