2024 PGGW Plans
Every year, OHSers look forward to the tradition known as Graduation Weekend—three days devoted to celebrating the end of the school year, dancing at prom, and congratulating graduating seniors. Since the establishment of this event, Student Life has worked diligently to continue making improvements. To provide a glimpse into this year’s PGGW (Pixel Gathering & Graduation Weekend), which will be held from June 7 to June 9, we interviewed three staff: Ms. Alice Alden (Student Life Coordinator), Dr. Tracy Steele, (Director of Student Affairs), and Ms. Salam Mustafa (Director of Student Life).
In comparison to the 2023 PGGW, there will be several similarities. For instance, the traditional events, such as Carnival, Prom, Middle School Game Night, and Graduation Ceremony and Luncheon will still be hosted. Thus, as Dr. Steele notes, “In that respect, we do engage in similar planning processes.” However, this year, OHS welcomes a new Director of Student Life: Ms. Salam Mustafa. Dr. Steele explains, “[Ms. Mustafa] has been excited to learn more about our traditions and has taken time to read through the survey feedback from students, families and staff from the event last year, as well as meet with these same groups to ensure we are addressing prior pain points and enhancing our traditional event.” In Ms. Mustafa’s words, “Student input is crucial in shaping Graduation Weekend, and we're committed to maximizing their involvement to the fullest extent possible within the constraints of available resources, space availability, and time constraints. We conduct thorough reviews of feedback from previous years, enabling us to build upon successes and address areas for improvement. Furthermore, we collaborate closely with student committees and groups to gather insights on themes, additional activities, catering preferences, music selection, and decor choices, ensuring that the event reflects the diverse interests and preferences of the student body.”
As such, Student Life still plans for alterations to this year’s event. They will be working with a carnival company to hold the carnival, and as Ms. Mustafa says, “the best part is… there will be prizes!” Ms. Mustafa, who spearheaded this initiative, expresses that her personal goal was to, “uphold the spirit of the Carnival name and translate it into a real-life experience that captures all the best parts of the carnival and fairs many of us have gotten to experience in the Bay Area,” then share that with the entire OHS community. For students attending remotely, one event that will be hosted is an online student showcase on June 4. In past years, students displayed a multitude of talents, whether it be individually or in club spotlights. To elaborate, Ms. Alden adds, “During the online student showcase, we also welcome students to come share projects they have done in class—artwork, poems, papers, etc.”
In conclusion, Student Life has extensive, thrilling activities in our upcoming PGGW. Having been to previous PGGW events, Ms. Alden summarizes her experience in one insightful word—“connecting.” For Student Life, planning PGGW has been particularly special. Ms. Mustafa explains, “Graduation Weekend holds a unique significance as it commemorates the culmination of years of hard work and academic achievement.” They’ve worked “from coordinating with vendors, to ensuring a memorable experience for attendees, to managing 9 events over the course of three days.” Ms. Mustafa further describes that each event has “its own distinct requirements and logistics such as: organizing staffing, organizing volunteers, securing approvals, budgeting effectively, and crafting comprehensive agendas to ensure that every aspect of the celebration reflects the significance of the occasion.” In the process of planning this year’s event, to put it in a single word, Ms. Alden says it was “exciting”—and we’re certain the event will be even more so. As she puts it, “Pixel Gathering and Graduation Weekend will be full of fun! We can’t wait to see everyone in-person and online to celebrate a wonderful school year and the Stanford OHS Class of 2024!”