For the first time in over two decades, school officials have invited a speaker to address the student body about maintaining a positive school culture during a Tuesday, Sept. 10, double-second period assembly in the gym.

“My assemblies focus on being ‘better than good,’” said Keith Hawkins, who was last brought in to share his message here with only incoming freshmen during the school district’s inaugural 2023 Summer Bridge Program. “This is a mindset that no matter how hard things get, you are still doing better than good.”

It was Hawkins’ effect on the Class of 2027 that prompted Associated Student Body [ASB] adviser David Fenstermaker to suggest to school leadership to bring back the orator to deliver his message to the 2,326 students enrolled on campus as of Friday, Aug. 23.

Fenstermaker declined to reveal how much money it cost to hire the speaker but said the money came from the ASB’s “campus improvement” funds.

Additionally, with three years having passed since the return to in-person instruction because of the COVID-19 pandemic, Fenstermaker said students could use Hawkins’ words.

“I think that it’s a good message,” he said. “We’re a few years removed from the pandemic, and it just seems like school culture is really important, and we don’t want it to slip away.”

Besides the rarity of such an event, Hawkins’ technique at his speaking engagements will also bring a change in the way students are usually seated during assemblies.

Rather than having bleachers situated at opposing sides of the gym as in past assemblies, students will have to sit on the floor, as the bleachers on one side do not have enough space to hold all four grade levels.

“A message is best delivered when you can directly see your audience,” Hawkins said. “If students are on both sides, I have to turn my attention back and forth as opposed to speaking to everyone all at once.”

Some students are skeptical about how effective Hawkins will be with a sea of students facing him.

“I can see why they would want to do that, but I don’t think it’s the best idea considering how many people are usually in assemblies,” sophomore Sofia Ciudadreal said. “I feel the amount of people that would be sitting on the floor would be too much.”

Ciudadreal was also among last year’s incoming ninth-graders who saw his performance during the Summer Bridge Program.

“He talked to us about mental health, telling us to be careful with ourselves, watch ourselves in school and pace ourselves,” she said. “He wanted to make sure that we felt comfortable in school and trust the people around us.”

On the other hand, sophomore Mario Leon said he doesn’t mind the seating arrangement.

“Sitting on the floor isn’t a big deal to me, but some students don’t like it,” Leon said. “I don’t know why — I think they’re just being dramatic.”

Leon also saw Hawkins’ performance two summers ago and looks forward to hearing him speak again.

“I thought he was really interesting,” he said. “I’m glad that he would be getting another chance to talk to students because I feel like he has a good way of reaching us.”

According to past Accolade issues, the last time the newspaper produced an article about a motivational speaker coming to campus for an assembly was in October 2002. That talk was related to Red Ribbon Week, which aims to prevent drug use.

In his ASB advisory role, Fenstermaker — who in 2002 was not the ASB adviser but coached the school’s football team — said he has thought about reviving such assemblies for years, but the plan only came to fruition this school year when the timing lined up, and ASB managed to schedule the assembly before homecoming.

“There are lots of guest speakers in the world … but lots of them focus on something happened to me, I overcame it, you can overcome it too,” Fenstermaker said about past Red Ribbon Week speakers. “This isn’t a bad thing, but not everyone can relate to what that something is.”

Ciudadreal said she looks forward to Hawkins’ return and finding out more about what it means to maintain a positive school culture.

“He seemed really passionate about what he talked about [last time],” she said. “His way of speaking is very strong and motivating.”