The Student Government Penny Drive is back, for the 21st year in a row. Many new changes are being made this year, some on a smaller scale, like who the money is donated to, and some bigger ones, like how it is set up. This year, they hope to raise $1,000 for a Freedom student who lost everything in a house fire.

The first of these changes is switching from a homeroom competition to a house competition. In prior years there were bins in each of the 30 plus homerooms and this year there are only four bins, one for each house, in the office. Some concerns that Mr. Culler, Student Government sponsor and seventh grade teacher has with them being in the office, is that it might not be on everyone’s radar with it being in the office instead of in their homeroom. 

“I like the idea of the house competition and the different grade levels to come together and compete with their house,” Mr. Culler said.

Another change is what happens with the winning house. According to Wyatt Miller, 8th grade student and Student Government Vice President, the winning house will be getting a party in the auditorium with a movie which is going to be the live action Grinch. This is different last year because last year it was just the homeroom that won that got the party, not the entire house. Another change is that last year it was a donut party, not a movie party. 

“My favorite change is probably the Christmas party at the end,” Shane McGowan, 7th grader said. Overall, the changes this year are going to increase competition and help the Freedom family that lost everything in a house fire.